Follow our Olympics coverage in the lead-up to the Paris Games.
For many years across Olympic swimming venues, the sound of “The Star-Spangled Banner” was ubiquitous.
From the 1992 Games in Barcelona through the pandemic-delayed 2021 Games in Tokyo, the United States swim team won more gold medals than any of its peers. Its anthem played, over and over again, as the Americans received their gold medals atop the podium. The last time Team USA did not win the most golds at a single Olympics was in 1988, when it finished second to East Germany. None of the swimmers on the current roster were alive then.
U.S. swimmers have won the overall medal count and the gold medal count so often over the years that it almost has been taken for granted. Of course, it helps that Michael Phelps won 23 alone over four Olympics, but it wasn’t just him. The Americans were often the best in the world in their best events, and they often cleaned up in relays as well.
Now, that dominance is far from certain. Heading into the Paris Games, the Australians will be favored to win the most gold medals in the pool. The Aussies topped the Americans a year ago at the world championships in Fukuoka, Japan, winning 13 gold medals to the Americans’ seven. Though Team USA won the overall medal count (38 to 25), its haul’s hue was less golden than usual.
Paris could be the same. It’s a possibility the Americans are not shying away from and one they are determined to avoid.
“Historically, the U.S. has done the best job of any country in the world of being better and performing at a higher level,” U.S. head women’s coach Todd DeSorbo said. “Certainly, there are some events for both genders where we’ve got a significant amount of ground to make up, but I’m confident in the motivation and excitement and commitment of everybody — men and women — on the team that are prepared to do that and do some pretty special things.”
Count Australian star Cate Campbell among those hoping for the opposite. She enjoyed what she heard at worlds — or rather, what she didn’t.
“Australia coming out on top is one thing, but it is just so much sweeter beating America,” Campbell told Australia’s Channel 9 last August. “There were a couple of nights, particularly the first night of competition, where we did not have to hear ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ ring out through the stadium, and I cannot tell you how happy that made me.
“If I (ever) hear that song again, it will be too soon.”
It was the first time since 2001 that the U.S. did not take home the most gold medals at a world championship meet. Of the nine swimmers who won multiple individual gold medals, Katie Ledecky was the only American swimmer to do so. “The world is getting better,” Bob Bowman, the U.S. men’s head coach at worlds, told reporters in Japan. The Aussies set five world records at that meet alone. Neither seven-time Olympic gold medalist Caeleb Dressel nor two-time gold medalist Simone Manuel competed in Japan, and both will swim in Paris.
Katie Ledecky is the gold medal favorite in the 800- and 1,500-meter freestyle in Paris, but beyond that, most races are too competitive to predict. (Sarah Stier / Getty Images)
Campbell failed to qualify for Paris, but her comments have reverberated loudly — including one that called the Americans “sore losers” for celebrating the most overall medals when the Aussies nearly doubled their tally of gold. It struck a nerve with Phelps, who served as a commentator for NBC during the U.S. trials last month. He said if a competitor spoke like that about him, he’d “make them eat every word they just said about me” and hoped the Americans would use the clip as motivation.
“Well, the good news is the Olympics will be here shortly, and we’ll be able to see what the results are,” Phelps said.
For the first time in a long time, it’s hard to know what to expect. Ledecky, a seven-time Olympic gold medalist, will be favored to win gold in the 800-meter and 1,500-meter freestyle events. Beyond that, the races are too competitive to confidently predict. And Ledecky’s rival, Australian Ariarne Titmus, will be favored to win the 400-meter freestyle, with fellow Aussie Mollie O’Callaghan the headliner for the 100-meter and 200-meter freestyle events.