The Duel in the Pool: Can Australia knock the US off their swimming perch?

Not only is this rivalry perfect for lovers of anagrammatic abbreviations, it is also set up to be one of the fiercest at the 2024 Olympics. Australia hasn’t beaten the US in the Olympic swimming medal charts since the 1956 games in Melbourne, but with a team set up to compete in nearly every event, this could be the year American swimming is toppled.

The US has been comfortably the greatest nation throughout the modern Olympics swimming competitions, with 257 gold medals and 579 total medals, miles ahead of Australia in second place, who boast 69 golds and 212 total medals, per NBC Sports.

Australian coach, Rohan Taylor, told reporters, “This team is going to give it a good shake,” but noted the team is wary of US as, “They have got the depth, they've got the numbers, they've got the experience,” per ESPN.

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Australia toppled the US in last years’ World Championships, winning 13 golds to the US’ seven and with some dominant performances at the Aussie Olympic swim trials, Taylor is hopeful they can replicate that form.

The Australian swim trials produce some of the best performances from their athletes, with Ariarne Titmus breaking the 200m freestyle world record last month, per NBC Sport. Titmus famously upset Katie Ledecky in both the 200 and 400m events in Tokyo.

Aussie swimming legend Cate Campbell did nothing to dispel any notion of a rivalry following her nation’s sublime performance at the World Championships, telling Australia’s Today Show, “I mean Australia coming out on top of the world is one thing, but it is just so much sweeter beating America”.

Campbell continued, firing a shot across the US’ bow, “The first night of competition, we did not have to hear ‘Star Spangled Banner’ ring out through the stadium. I cannot tell you how happy that made me. If I hear that song again it will be too soon.”

The US swim team acts, for good reason, like the school yard bullies, knowing they are bigger, stronger, and more successful than everyone else, making Campbell's comments certainly struck a nerve. Swimming legend Michael Phelps responded, saying, “If somebody said that to me, I would lose it, I would make them eat every word they just said about me,” per NBCOlympics.

Campbell’s comments were as much in jest as they were serious, but as former gold medallist Rowdy Gaines pointed out, “Rivalry is important to Americans. It’s the epitome of sports attraction here, and we don’t really have many rivalries in swimming.”

Australia will need to overcome the US’s exceptional depth and talent to triumph in the final medal tally, with The Guardian suggesting the form guide will lead to an 11-7 gold medal split in favor of the Americans. Either way, whichever team triumphs, this rivalry has made swimming must watch television during the Olympics!

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