History

Blast from the Past: A Historic Rivalry


Before Beard-Jones and Phelps-Thorpe, there have been many friendly USA-Aussie rivalries. The American-Australian swimming rivalry has a long and storied past, dating back to the days of Dawn Fraser and even Johnny Weissmuller. Here is a look back at some of the memorable moments in these two swimming giants' past.

1924-28 America's Johnny Weissmuller won five gold medals, one for every event he swam, at the 1924 and 1928 Olympics. Weissmuller's role in the U.S.-Australian rivalry came when he helped lead the American team to a gold medal in the 800m free relay, holding off the Aussies in 1924.

1956-64 In 1956, the Aussies came away from the Olympics with 15 total medals, eight of which were gold.
They led the medal counts (the Americans were second with 12 total, three gold) and won more golds than ever before.

Australian Dawn Fraser was considered to be the greatest swimmer in the world from the late 1950s until her enforced retirement after the Olympic Games in 1964. She won the 100m free title in three successive Games – 1956 to 1964 – and took eight Olympic medals altogether. The first of her three titles led a 1-2-3 Aussie finish in 1956. The last two of her three golds in the 100 came at the expense of American swimmers, as she held off Chris Von Saltza in 1960, and Sharon Stouder in 1964. She was the last great Australian female sprinter, winning her last gold in 1964. Only two other Aussie women have medaled in the 100m free sprint since then: Shane Gould’s bronze in 1972, and Jodie Henry’s gold in 2004.

1968 Again, the Americans and Aussies went 1-2, but Team USA left no doubt who was the best swim team in the world. The United States came away with 52 medals, 21 of them gold, a feat that was duplicated in 1984. The Aussies were the next-highest country with eight overall medals.

Debbie Meyer won three gold medals – in the 200, 400 and 800m freestyles – at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico, the first woman ever to earn three individual gold medals at one Olympic Games.

1972 The Aussies and Americans were once again the teams to beat, with Team USA winning 43 medals at the Olympics to the Aussies' 10 at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany. The Americans were led by legend Mark Spitz, who swam to seven gold medals in 1972, still the most by an American at one Olympics. Shane Gould of Australia reached her Everest in swimming at exactly the right time, winning three gold medals at the 1972 Olympics and setting world records in each.

1976 American Shirley Babashoff captured silvers in the 200m, 400m and 800m free, as well as a relay gold and a relay silver, at the Montreal Olympic Games. She won a total of eight Olympic medals, an impressive number which could have been more if she had competed on a level playing field against athletes who were drug-free. The ’76 Olympics were dominated by the East Germans, who later admitted to systematic doping of their female swimmers.

1984 In their home waters at the Los Angeles Olympics, the American team won 33 overall medals, 21 gold. The Aussies were second with 12 medals.

Nancy Hogshead and Carrie Steinseifer, both of the United States, celebrated a joint gold-medal finish in the women's 100m free. Hogshead and Steinseifer won the gold with a dead-heat time of 55.92, the first double gold medal finish in Olympic swimming history.

The USA 400m free relay, consisting of Chris Cavanaugh, Matt Biondi, Michael Heath, and Rowdy Gaines, won the gold in a world-record time of 3:19.03, holding off the Aussies by just over a half second.

Despite missing what many figured to be her best shot at the Olympics when the USA boycotted the 1980 Games, Tracy Caulkins came out in 1984 to win three gold medals, sweeping the individual medley races.

Mary T. Meagher, the original "Madame Butterfly", won three gold medals at the 1984 Olympics, sweeping both fly events. She held the world record in the 100m fly for 20 years and the 200m fly for 21 years before they were again broken.

1996 Things died down a bit for the rivalry until 1996, when the Aussies reminded the world they were one of the great swimming nations by putting together a strong performance at the 1996 Centennial Olympics in Atlanta. The Americans still dominated the Games, winning 26 medals, including 13 gold, but the Aussies came in second in the count with 12 medals, two gold. For the eighth time, the Americans and the Aussies were 1-2 at the Olympics, with the Americans topping the medal count seven of those eight times (Australia's shining moment came in 1956 in Melbourne).

American Amy Van Dyken became the first American woman to win four gold medals at one Olympics, winter or summer, winning gold in the 50m free, 100m fly, 400m free relay and 400m medley relay.

1999 The rivalry peaked when, at the 1999 Pan Pacific Games, the Aussies and the Americans were tied in the medal count heading into the final relay. Team USA, comprised of Lenny Krayzelburg, Kurt Grote, Dod Wales and Neil Walker, touched first, but the Australians made their point: watch out in 2000.

Tom Wilkens of the USA celebrated his 200m IM win, knocking out defending champ Matthew Dunn of Australia. Dunn retaliated by taking the 400m IM title.

Jenny Thompson won in the 100m fly with a time of 57.88, breaking Mary T. Meagher's nearly 20-year-old world record in the event.

2000 At the Olympics on their home turf, the Aussies looked poised to dethrone the Americans after winning the men's 400m free relay on Day 1. Team USA stormed back, going 1-2 in the men's 400m IM and the women's 400m free. The Americans never looked back, winning 33 medals, including 14 gold. The Aussies ended with 18 total medals to again finish second in the medal tally.

Misty Hyman of the USA had one of the great swims for the American team, defeating Aussie Susie O’Neill in the 200m butterfly in American-record time. The race marked the first time in six years that O'Neill had lost the event. Hyman's swim earned her the Phillips 66 Performance of the Year award.

American Tom Dolan did what many thought was impossible by not only winning gold in the 400m IM, but also breaking his six-year-old world record in the event. Teammate Erik Vendt touched right behind to help the Americans bounce back from a disappointing Day 1.

Lenny Krayzelburg won his first of three gold medals at the 2000 Olympics. Krayzelburg won the 100m back, out-touching Aussie Matt Welsh, and then went on to lead Aaron Peirsol to a 1-2 American finish in the 200m back, becoming the undisputed King of the Backstrokes.

2001 In 2001, the Australians got back in the limelight when they topped the gold medal count at the World Championships, earning 13 golds to the Americans' 10. Team USA won the FINA team title and had the most overall medals, earning 27 to the Aussies' 19. So begins the debate of who really is No. 1.

Aussie sensation Ian Thorpe dominated the World Championships, winning three individual gold medals and three relay golds in Fukuoka. Thorpe broke world records in the 200m, 400m and 800m freestyles at the event.

In the backstroke events, American Aaron Peirsol won the 200m back world title, and teammate Randall Bal won gold in the 50m back. Australia's Matt Welsh won the 100m back.

Maggie Bowen of the USA held off Olympic champ Yana Klochkova of the Ukraine in the 200m IM, then swapped medals with Klochkova in the 400m IM.

Michael Klim, Ian Thorpe, William Kirby and Grant Hackett of Australia broke the world record in the men's 4X200m free relay, marking the first time at a world championship that the American men failed to win a relay. Team USA took home a bronze in the 800m free relay, but was disqualified in the other two relays.

Americans Cristina Teuscher, Natalie Coughlin, Julie Hardt and Diana Munz faced controversy in the 800m free relay. Both the Australians and Americans were disqualified in the event, but the Americans later being awarded gold medals after FINA ruled the timing system malfunctions had unjustly caused the Americans to be disqualified. The Aussies were disqualified for jumping into the pool to celebrate while another team was still racing, but unlike the Americans, their appeal was denied.

2002 In what seemed to be a replay of 2001, the 2002 FINA Short Course World Championships got off to a similar start as Team USA won the overall medal tally with 26 medals (the Australians had 18), but again placed second in the gold medals as the Aussies won 10 golds to the Americans' eight. As in 2001, the FINA team title was awarded to the Americans.

Lindsay Benko broke the world record in the 200m free, the first of three world marks set by the Americans on the final day of the meet. Aaron Peirsol, David Denniston, Peter Marshall and Jason Lezak also won gold and set a world record in the 400m medley relay.

Australia's Grant Hackett won the 400m and the 1500m freestyles, holding off American Chris Thompson in the 1500m. American Chad Carvin took third in the 400m, the event he won in 2000.

American Aaron Peirsol notched a short course world record in the 200m back, the ninth medal for the Americans in the backstroke events. Peirsol won the FINA trophy for top male performance at the meet.

2003 The United States and Australia finally met head to head in a signature event created by USA Swimming, Mutual of Omaha Duel in the Pool in Indianapolis. At the inaugural event, the Americans overwhelmed the Australia Telstra Dolphins 196-74, winning 21 of the 26 events. This result set the stage for Team USA’s dominant performance at both the 2003 World Championships and later the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
Michael Phelps, then a relatively unknown 17-year-old outside the swimming world, continued to affirm his presence against international competition, setting a world record in the 400m individual medley and an American record in the 100m butterfly. Amanda Beard, Natalie Coughlin, Ed Moses and Kaitlin Sandeno also won multiple individual events. Australia’s Grant Hackett captured a double victory in the 200m and 1500m freestyle.

The two teams faced each other again at the 2003 World Championships in Barcelona, Spain, yet the Australians failed once again to match the mighty American depth. Team USA won the overall medal count, tallying 28 medals, 11 of them gold. Australia was second with 22 medals, six gold.

But Phelps was the story of the championships, becoming the only person to ever break five individual world records at one international meet. He notched four golds and two silvers to lead the U.S. medal count. His performance also propelled him to the top of the “Athletes To Watch” list for the 2004 Olympics.
Beard tied the world record in the 200m breast, while Ian Crocker out-touched Phelps in the 100m fly in world record time. The men’s 400m medley relay team of Aaron Peirsol, Brendan Hansen, Crocker and Jason Lezak ended the meet with a world record. Jenny Thompson also won two golds, two silvers and a bronze to become the most decorated swimmer in the history of the World Championships.

2004 Since the 2000 Olympics when the Australians gave the U.S. team a run for its money, all eyes focused on Athens. But Team USA didn’t allow a repeat of 2000. The Americans powered their way to an impressive showing at the Athens Olympics, collecting 28 medals, 12 gold, to out match the Australians’ 15 medals, seven gold.

The U.S. men’s team won medals in every event, save one – the best men’s team in two decades. In a six-gold, two-bronze effort, Michael Phelps was the story of the Games, becoming the first person to win eight medals in a non-boycotted Olympics. Jenny Thompson became the most decorated American Olympian with 12 medals. Aaron Peirsol matched Lenny Krayzelburg’s 2000 Olympic effort, sweeping the backstroke events and leading of the world record-setting 400m medley relay team in world record time.

In one of the most exciting races of the Olympics, the American 800m free relay team of Phelps, Ryan Lochte, Peter Vanderkaay and Klete Keller stunned the Australians, storming to victory and the gold medal. The Aussies had not lost the race at an international meet in seven years. The women’s 800m free relay team created a little magic of its own. The team of Natalie Coughlin, Carly Piper, Dana Vollmer and Kaitlin Sandeno won gold and broke the 17-year-old world record – the oldest record on the books at the time – previously held by the East Germans.

Ian Thorpe became Australia’s most successful Olympic athlete, notching two golds, one silver and a bronze. Teammate Jodie Henry also had a solid Olympic performance, winning three golds – 100m free and 400m free and medley relays – and setting world records in all three events.