In a dramatic finale to the swimming events at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the United States clinched victory over Australia, securing the top spot in the medal tally once again.
The U.S. saw a surge in the final two days, capturing four gold medals to surpass their rivals. Bobby Finke and the women’s 4×100-meter medley relay team played pivotal roles in this triumph. Finke set a new world record in the men’s 1,500-meter freestyle with a time of 14 minutes, 30.67 seconds, shaving nearly nine seconds off his previous Olympic time and breaking a record that had been in place since 2012.
The women’s 4×100-meter medley relay team, featuring Regan Smith, Gretchen Walsh, Lilly King, and Torri Huske, also set a new world record with a time of 3:49.63, breaking the previous mark of 3:50.40 from 2019 and outpacing Australia and China.
Throughout the nine-day competition, American and Australian swimmers frequently occupied the podium, with the U.S. ultimately leading with 28 medals to Australia’s 18. Despite a surprising miss by defending champion Caeleb Dressel and the absence of standout performances from stars like France’s Leon Marchand or Canada’s Summer McIntosh, the U.S. maintained a strong position.
Australia initially gained the upper hand with gold medals in the women’s 400-meter freestyle and the 4×100-meter women’s relay on the first day. The U.S. responded with a win in the men’s 4×100-meter relay. The score remained close with victories from both sides in subsequent days, including significant wins from the U.S. in the women’s 1,500-meter freestyle and women’s 200-meter breaststroke.
Australia’s leads in the women’s 4×200-meter freestyle relay, the men’s 50-meter freestyle, and the women’s 200-meter backstroke appeared to solidify their position. However, the U.S. reclaimed the lead with a sweep of the women’s 800-meter freestyle and the mixed 4×100-meter medley relay on the final day, capped by the record-breaking performances.
Since the 1956 Melbourne Games, Australia has not outpaced the U.S.in swimming golds, and this year’s competition continued that tradition.
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