SYDNEY – The Olympic swim meet opened last week with Ian Thorpe pushing American pool domination toward a watery grave. It ended yesterday in a familiar way, with the United States enjoying a splashing, smashing success.
It is still America’s water world. The initial giddiness just turned out to be a case of Australian premature exhilaration.
The medley relays ended the swimming program, eliciting a medley of America’s greatest hit – The Star Spangled Banner. Both the women’s and men’s 4×100 medley teams not only scored gold with the Australians lagging second each time, but set world records. What a way to climb out of the pool.
“There has been a lot of talk about the Australian team reigning here,” said Jenny Thompson, who earned an eighth career gold as part of the women’s medley. “We felt like the underdogs. We feel we are a tough team. We have a history of coming up big in meets and we have a lot of heart.”
The pre-Olympic talk that the Americans were vulnerable to Australia in the medal count proved nonsense. The U.S. finished with 33 medals, more than the next three countries in the standings (Australia, the Netherlands and Italy) combined and tied for the most since countries were allowed only two entrants in each event in 1984. Americans scooped 14 golds. Australia was tied at five with the surprising Dutch.
On the first day of full competition, Thorpe won the 400 in world-record time, then anchored a shocking victory over the U.S. in the 400 free relay, the first time an American entrant had not won the event in the Olympics. In the span of one hour, Australia’s swimmers had made this water-mad nation delirious.
The words of American swim legend Mark Spitz before the Olympics in which he forecast a shabby U.S. performance seemed prophetic. But it would never get as good as that one hour for the Australians again. They could not hold the Americans down under.
The Australians had expected victories with Michael Klim in the 100 butterfly, Thorpe in the 200 free, Susie O’Neill in the 200 fly and their men’s 800 free relay. They won none and it was American Misty Hyman upsetting O’Neill and the U.S. capturing the 800 free relay. Klim was a gold challenger in the 100 free and ended up getting edged out for a bronze by American Gary Hall.
“Yeah, we’re terrible,” Thompson jested when Spitz’ prediction was asked about. “Mark should know better. He was part of the spirit, part of the heart of this team.”
Perhaps nothing showed the depth and versatility of the American talent more than the last two races because medley relays demand varied skills.
In the women’s race, B.J. Bedford, in dyed red, white and blue hair, held tight to the field in the backstroke. Megan Quann, the gold medalist in the 100 breaststroke, put together the key leg, providing a substantial lead the Americans would not lose with their two grand dames, Thompson (butterfly) and Dara Torres (free).
Torre had to run from the medal stand (she won a bronze in the 50 free) to the locker room to get in a suit quickly for the race. But her 53.37 100 free was the fastest in the field and enabled the Americans to finish in 3:58.30, crushing the world record by 3.37 seconds and the Olympic record by 4.24 seconds.
“I knew we were going to be the first team to go under four minutes,” Quann said. “But we just smashed the record.”
Lenny Krayzelburg, already a two-time gold medalist in the backstroke, gave the Americans a lead they would never relinquish in the men’s medley relay. Ed Moses (breast), Ian Crocker (fly) and Hall (free) helped finish in 3:33.73 to erase the record of 3:34.84 the United States had set at the last Olympics.