Current:Home > FinanceIs Australia catching the US in swimming? It's gold medals vs. total medals-VaTradeCoin
Is Australia catching the US in swimming? It's gold medals vs. total medals
lotradecoin charts View Date:2025-01-12 21:35:45
NANTERRE, France – It may be a sizzling rivalry, but this moment was pretty cool.
“Special,” was how Australian swimmer Kaylee McKeown put it.
Soon after she reached the wall first in Tuesday’s 100 backstroke final at the 2024 Olympics, McKeown looked beside her for Regan Smith, embracing her rival from the United States.
“We had a special moment after the race,” McKeown said, “just thanking one another. Because I wouldn't be the athlete I am if (it) wasn't for her.”
In this ongoing edition of the great rivalry between the world’s top two swimming powers, an entire chapter had been set aside for Tuesday night’s clash of McKeown and Smith.
2024 Olympic medals: Who is leading the medal count? Follow along as we track the medals for every sport.
The race didn’t disappoint, with McKeown turning in an Olympic record time of 57.33 to beat Smith (57.66) and fellow American Katharine Berkoff (57.98), who took bronze.
“I want to call it a rivalry,” Smith said, “because we have traded world records and things like that. But she's always good at get it done when it matters. So I want to give her the credit where it's due. … She's a great racer, and she's a very genuine and respectful person. I think we have a really great relationship.”
Such nice words, you’d forget for a moment that this was the U.S.-Australia swimming rivalry we’re talking about. The one that has flared up of late with online videos and jabs back and forth, all with the underlining storyline of Australia being poised to finally overtake the U.S. in the pool in this Olympics.
Is that happening?
Well ... depends on how you want to look at it.
Is it total medals? Or is it gold medals?
The way this meet is trending, the United States is on pace to finish this Olympics with more swimming medals than Australia. But if it’s gold that you think should settle things in the pool, the Aussies have a better case.
After four days of swimming at the Paris Games, the United States has won 15 medals – but only two have been gold. So far, it has been a whole lot of silver and bronze for the Americans, a trend that continued Tuesday night with Smith (silver), Berkoff (bronze), Bobby Finke (silver in 800 freestyle) and silver in the men’s 4x200 freestyle relay.
The U.S. hasn’t won a swimming final at these games since Torri Huske edged Gretchen Walsh in the women’s 100 butterfly Sunday night.
Meanwhile, Australia has only won eight swimming medals, but half of those have been gold. That included McKeown’s win Tuesday night and Ariarne Titmus’ win over bronze medalist Katie Ledecky in Saturday’s women’s 400 freestyle.
Get Olympics updates in your texts! Join USA TODAY Sports' WhatsApp Channel
The total medals vs. gold medals conversation continues to be on brand for this rivalry.
In last year’s world championships, the Australians won the gold medal race 13-7, yet the Americans had a 38-25 edge in overall medals. The debate between how to measure who won in such a situation, in a way, is what prompted former Australian swimmer Cate Campbell’s “sore losers” comments on Australian TV that went viral (and angered American legend Michael Phelps in a video shared by NBC).
Other American swimmers responded. A rivalry got more heated.
But it wasn’t just created in the past year.
“That rivalry is definitely not new,” McKeown said. “It's just there, I guess.”
And the 2024 Olympics likely won't settle many arguments about who's ahead.
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
Reach Gentry Estes at [email protected] and follow him on social media @Gentry_Estes.
veryGood! (35)
Related
- Save 30% on the Perfect Spongelle Holiday Gifts That Make Every Day a Spa Day
- Alabama Sen. Katie Britt to deliver Republican response to Biden's State of the Union address
- 'A true diva in the making': 8 year old goes viral after singing national anthem at NBA game
- Slain pregnant Amish woman had cuts to her head and neck, police say
- ParkMobile $32.8 million settlement: How to join class
- $5.5 billion in new Georgia spending will pay for employee bonuses, state Capitol overhaul
- A Guide to Hailey Bieber's Complicated Family Tree
- Caitlin Clark fever: Indiana Fever, WNBA legends react to Iowa star declaring for draft
- Kylie Kelce's podcast 'Not Gonna Lie' tops Apple, Spotify less than a week after release
- 'I don't believe in space:' Texas Tech DB Tyler Owens makes bold statement at NFL combine
Ranking
- Manager of pet grooming salon charged over death of corgi that fell off table
- 2024 NFL scouting combine Friday: How to watch defensive backs and tight ends
- RHOBH's Erika Jayne Claps Back at Denise Richards' Lip-Synching Dig
- At least 3 injured in shooting at Southern California dental office
- Gen Z is 'doom spending' its way through the holidays. What does that mean?
- CDC finds flu shots 42% effective this season, better than some recent years
- Build Your Dream Spring Capsule Wardrobe From Home With Amazon's Try Before You Buy
- Police: Man who killed his toddler, shot himself was distraught over the slaying of his elder son
Recommendation
-
Oregon lawmakers to hold special session on emergency wildfire funding
-
NYPD chief misidentifies judge in social media post condemning bail decision
-
Lawmakers bidding to resume Louisiana executions after 14-year pause OK new death penalty methods
-
I Tried 63 Highlighters Looking for a Natural Glow— Here Are the 9 Best Glitter-Free Highlighters
-
North Carolina announces 5
-
DOJ says Mississippi police unconstitutionally jailed people for unpaid fines
-
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani says he is married and his bride is Japanese
-
Bachelor’s Joey Graziadei Shares Gilbert Syndrome Diagnosis Causing His “Yellow Eyes”