Free! the Final Stroke the First Volume

Haruka, Rin, and Ikuya travel to Sydney as Japanese representatives to compete in the Swimming World Cup. As they enter the international arena to face world-class athletes, Haruka encounters the reigning world champion, Albert Volandel. The swimmers must manage their mental preparation and personal relationships while striving for the top global ranking, a pursuit that may force them to make difficult sacrifices regarding their desire to swim together.

Produced by Kyoto Animation, ABC Animation, Pony Canyon, and Bandai Namco Arts, this animation, comedy, and drama was directed and written by Eisaku Kawanami. It is the second of three films directed by Kawanami, following Free!: Timeless Medley - The Bond and preceding Free! the Final Stroke the Second Volume. The voice cast includes Nobunaga Shimazaki, Tatsuhisa Suzuki, Mamoru Miyano, Koki Uchiyama, Yoshimasa Hosoya, and Toshiyuki Toyonaga, with a total of 35 credited cast members and 99 crew members.

The film earned 5 million USD at the worldwide box office. It holds a rating of 6.8/10 on IMDb based on 239 votes and a rating of 6.6/10 on TMDB from 11 votes.