Australian swimmers finish on high to help consign USA to 36-year low at Paris Olympics
The almighty Americans have finished with their fewest number of gold medals in the pool since 1988.
Australia has fallen agonisingly short of beating the USA for most gold medals in the swimming at the Olympics, but they've still helped consign the Americans to a 36-year low. Heading into the final night of action in the pool in Paris, Australia had seven gold medals compared to six for the US.
If the Aussies could hold onto the lead it would have marked the first time since the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne that Australia has beaten America in the swimming competition. But the US grabbed two more gold medals on Sunday night, and Australia could only managed two silvers.
The US won the men's 1500m (Bobby Finke) and women's 4x100m medley relay to take their total to eight gold, while the Aussie women got silver and Meg Harris also came second in the 50m freestyle. Despite missing out on toppling America in the pool, the Aussies have helped consign the US to their lowest total of gold medals in swimming since the 1988 Olympics in Seoul.
The seven gold Australia won were seven the US didn't, and it marked the fewest gold medals won by American men in individual evens in Olympics history. Questions will now be asked of the American swimmers heading into their home Olympics in LA in 2028 - where they'll reportedly extend the swimming program to more than eight days to give their athletes the best chance to win gold.
"We are doing so well," Cate Campbell said on Channel 9 on Sunday night. "We are flying and America has probably - even by their own admission - been underperforming to what they would usually do at an Olympic stage. They have a bigger swim team than us, they're in more events and come from a country of 350 million people. I still think we're doing very well."
Americans unimpressed with swimming performance at Olympics
Despite topping the medal tally in the pool, American fans have been highly critical of the performance in Paris. The eight gold medals mark a 36-year low for the all-conquering US team - who are so used to being the dominant force in swimming - but usually manage to win double-digit golds.
“Not only is Australia winning races, but America are losing events they would’ve been banking on for gold medals," Aussie Olympian James Magnussen said last week. “A lot of complaints about this pool, most of those complaints are being aimed from our friends in America. They’re not happy with the depth of the pool, they’re saying there’s too many cameras in the pool, it’s causing waves for the swimmers. Is that a coincidence that they’ve only got two gold medals and they’re complaining about the pool depth.”
How embarrassing for USA swimming. Need to strip down the whole program and start again.
— Steve Wagner (@stephenTwagner) August 4, 2024
@USASwimming congrats
You’re embarrassing yourselves— 42_Jeterfan (@42Jeter_Yanks) August 3, 2024
Brutal, finishing def seems to be a weakness this games. On pace for fewest golds since 1988
— Jonah (@HolyCardinal0) July 30, 2024
As an American, the USA Swimming team has officially embarrassed me
— Nope (@whamskiii) August 2, 2024
poor coaching/training post-trials?
trials too close to olympics?
slow pool?
many surprising performance regressions by experienced veterans on this stage.
and young promising upstarts have generally underperformed.
lots of questions to be addressed by usa swimming— jamie ryan (@caroljamie01) August 3, 2024
US Swimming is so poor in the last 15 m. We have gotten chased down in every single race! I’m sick of this. Most of our silvers are actually golds that we lost at the end.
— The Lasso Way (Go Bills) (@the_lasso_way) August 3, 2024
Canada is one gold behind USA in swimming. Absolutely pathetic summer for US Swim. Disband the program
— Tom (@TAizenberg) August 3, 2024
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Australia achieves third-best swimming result at an Olympics
Australia's swim team ended up bagging seven gold, eight silver and three bronze in the pool in Paris. In terms of gold medals it's the nation's third-best haul in an Olympic swimming competition - only behind the nine golds they won in Tokyo three years ago and eight at the 1956 Games in Melbourne.
The 18 overall medals is also Australia's equal third-best result. The nation's swim team won 21 medals in total in Tokyo, 20 at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and also 18 at the Sydney Games in 2000.
The United States finished with eight golds, 13 silver and seven bronze, while Australia were next-best followed by France - whose face of the Games Leon Marchand featured in all four of their gold medals.
In the last races in the Paris pool, Harris was stunned to win her silver behind Sweden's world-record holder Sarah Sjostrom. "That was the most fun race I have been a part of," Harris said.
Australia's medley relay women followed Harris to take silver and further boost the Olympic medal collections of big guns Emma McKeon, Kaylee McKeown and Mollie O'Callaghan. McKeon is now heading into retirement as Australia's most successful Olympian - with an overall haul of six golds, three silvers and five bronze from three Games.
"It's not really something I look at," McKeon said. "That is what you strive for ... but it's the whole journey along the way that I am going to remember for the rest of my life."
with AAP
