World Championships, Day 8 Finals: Lewis Clareburt Blasts Freestyle to Steal Away 400 IM World Title
Over the first half of the men’s 400 IM final, American Carson Foster looked poised to win his first individual world title. Foster built a lead to a whopping 1.66 seconds after the backstroke, but then the field closed in during the breaststroke leg, led by New Zealand’s Lewis Clareburt and Great Britain’s Max Litchfield. Foster’s lead shrunk to six tenths heading into the freestyle, but the typically-strong freestyler ended up fading badly as Clareburt and Litchfield took over.
Over the final two lengths, Clareburt took center stage. The 24-year-old from New Zealand, whose only previous global honor had been a bronze at the 2019 World Championships, posted the fastest freestyle split of the contenders and second-quickest in the field, with only Italy’s Alberto Razzetti, well out of the medal mix, going quicker. Clareburt touched in 4:09.72 to win gold by six tenths.
Litchfield took silver in 4:10.40. The 28-year-old from Great Britain has competed sparingly on the international level in recent years due to injury issues, and he reached the medal podium at a global-level meet for only the second time, having previously taken silver at the 2016 Short Course World Championships in the event.
The bronze medal went to Japan’s Daiya Seto, who came from behind to touch out Foster on the freestyle leg, 4:12.51 to 4:12.62. Both men were well off their personal-best times, with both having recorded 4:06s in their decorated careers, but Seto’s closing speed helped him book the final podium spot ahead of the fading Foster.
Unlike his two companions on the medal stand, Seto is no stranger to the 400 IM awards stand, having previously won gold in the event in 2013, 2015 and 2019 plus bronze medals in 2017 and 2023. Seto was also the Olympic bronze medalist in this event in 2016, and he has won an astounding six consecutive short course world titles in the event.
As for Foster, he had previously taken silver behind stunning efforts by Leon Marchand at the last two World Championships and then again this week in the 200 IM, when he surrendered a final-length lead to Canada’s Finlay Knox. But his anticipated gold-medal chance failed to materialize as he fell apart down the stretch.
David Johnston, who swam a big best time of 4:12.51 in prelims to qualify first, was a half-second slower in the final as he and Razzetti tied for fifth in 4:13.05.
