Give the Aussies credit, they certainly made things interesting.
For the duration of the nine-day swimming program at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Australia threatened to do what no nation had done in the last eight editions of the Summer Games: win more swimming gold medals than the United States.
In the end, though, it was the Americans laughing last once again.
The U.S. picked up a pair of gold medals on Sunday’s swimming finale, in the men’s 1500m freestyle by way of Bobby Finke, and in the women’s 4x100m medley relay thanks to the team of Regan Smith, Lilly King, Gretchen Walsh and Torri Huske. Both wins were world records, and brought the U.S. from six swimming golds to eight.
Australia managed only a pair of silver medals on Day 9 at La Defense Arena (Meg Harris’ in the women’s 50m freestyle and the Aussie women in the medley relay), leaving the Land Down Under at seven golds for the week.
The U.S.-Australia rivalry, one of the top storylines through the nine days of swimming competition, was at the top of Team USA’s mind before the final event of the Games, the women’s medley relay.
“I knew Bobby (Finke) had tied it,” Walsh, who swam the Americans’ butterfly leg, said. “Bobby’s swim was electric. That was amazing, and that got my energy going for the relay, so I was pumped to assert the lead and get the gold.”
Finke also ensured that the U.S. would not leave Paris without an individual men’s swimming gold, winning his in the last men’s race of the Games.
“I knew. I was reading all the articles and all the comments and everything… I knew going into the race I was the last individual swimmer for the guys. And at the 300 mark, I was maybe a body length (ahead). I was like, ‘I can't let go of this now. I can't be the guy who got ran down after I do all the running down,’” Finke said.
Australia’s Kaylee McKeown, winner of two of her countries seven swimming gold medals at these Games, celebrated her nation’s performance in the pool despite Australia failing to top the gold medal count.
“I'm just so proud of myself, my team… just all of Australia really,” McKeown said. “We've come together. We've done the best that we could.”
As for total medals, the United States was unchallenged. Team USA took home 28, followed by Australia with 18.