American Swimmers Faster Than Australians in 18 of 28 Events at Olympic Trials

By Riley Overend on SwimSwam

As trash talk between American and Australian swimmers escalates ahead of the Paris Olympics later this month, let’s take a look at how the rivals currently stack up based on last month’s Trials.

U.S. swimmers went faster in 18 of 28 individual events at their qualifying meet, including a huge 11-3 advantage on the men’s side. The women’s side is split 7-7.

U.S. vs. Australia, 2024 Olympic Trials Results

Men’s
1st
2nd
3rd
4th

50 free
Cam McEvoy – 21.35
Caeleb Dressel – 21.41
Chris Guiliano – 21.69

100 free
Chris Guiliano – 47.38
Jack Alexy – 47.47

200 free
Luke Hobson – 1:44.89
Chris Guiliano – 1:45.38

400 free
Elijah Winnington – 3:43.26
Sam Short – 3:43.90
Aaron Shackell – 3:45.46

800 free
Bobby Finke – 7:44.22
Elijah Winnington – 7:44.90
Luke Whitlock – 7:45.19

1500 free
Bobby Finke – 14:40.28

100 back
Ryan Murphy – 52.22

200 back
Ryan Murphy – 1:54.33
Keaton Jones – 1:54.61
Bradley Woodward – 1:56.22

100 breast
Samuel Williamson – 58.80
Nic Fink – 59.08
Charlie Swanson – 59.16

200 breast
Matt Fallon – 2:06.54
Zac Stubblety-Cook – 2:07.40
Joshua Yong – 2:08.08

100 fly
Caeleb Dressel – 50.19
Thomas Heilman – 50.80

200 fly
Thomas Heilman – 1:54.50

200 IM
Carson Foster – 1:55.65

400 IM
Carson Foster – 4:07.64
Chase Kalisz – 4:09.39
Brendon Smith – 4:10.18

Women’s
1st
2nd
3rd
4th

50 free
Shayna Jack – 23.99
Simone Manuel – 24.13
Gretchen Walsh – 24.15

100 free
Mollie O’Callaghan – 52.33
Kate Douglass – 52.56
Shayna Jack – 52.72

200 free
Ariarne Titmus – 1:52.23
Mollie O’Callaghan – 1:52.48
Katie Ledecky – 1:55.22

400 free
Ariarne Titmus – 3:55.44
Katie Ledecky – 3:58.35
Paige Madden – 4:02.08

800 free
Ariarne Titmus – 8:14.06
Katie Ledecky – 8:14.12
Lani Pallister – 8:18.46

1500 free
Katie Ledecky – 15:37.35
Lani Pallister – 15:53.79
Katie Grimes – 15:57.77

100 back
Regan Smith – 57.13
Kaylee McKeown – 57.41
Mollie O’Callaghan – 57.88

200 back
Kaylee McKeown – 2:03.30
Regan Smith – 2:05.16
Phoebe Bacon – 2:06.27

100 breast
Lily King – 1:05.43

200 breast
Kate Douglass – 2:19.46
Lily King – 2:21.93

100 fly
Gretchen Walsh – 55.31
Torri Huske – 55.52

200 fly
Regan Smith – 2:05.70
Elizabeth Dekkers – 2:06.01
Alex Shackell – 2:06.69

200 IM
Kaylee McKeown – 2:06.63
Kate Douglass – 2:06.79
Alex Walsh – 2:07.86

400 IM
Katie Grimes – 4:35.00
Emma Weyant – 4:35.56
Ella Ramsay – 4:36.56

The Aussies collected 13 gold medals, seven silvers, and five bronze at the 2023 World Championships, marking just the second elite international meet since the Melbourne 1956 Olympics where Australia has finished above the U.S. in the medal table. They’re looking to carry that momentum into Paris later this month and snap a 68-year Olympic drought against Team USA, but the Americans made a strong statement of their own with two world records at Lucas Oil Stadium last month.

Americans currently own world-leading times in six individual events: Ryan Murphy in the 200 back (1:54.33), Matt Fallon in the 200 breast (2:06.54), Carson Foster in the 400 IM (4:07.64), Katie Ledecky in the 1500 free (15:37.35), Regan Smith in the 100 back (world record 57.13), and Gretchen Walsh in the 100 fly (world record 55.18). Australians are right behind them with world-leading times in five events: Cam McEvoy in the 50 free (21.13), Ariarne Titmus in the 200 free (world record 1:52.23) and 400 free (3:55.44), and Kaylee McKeown in the 200 back (2:03.30) and 200 IM (2:06.63).

The U.S. swimming rivalry with Australia was reinvigorated last August when Cate Campbell talked about how much sweeter it is to beat America.

“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,” said Campbell, who failed to qualify for her fifth Olympics last month. “If I never hear that song again it will be too soon. Bring on Paris, that’s all I have to say. U.S., stop being sore losers.

“When we’re right next to each other in the warm-up area, the U.S. has this infernal cowbell that they ring, and as someone leaves to go to the competition pool, they ring out ‘U-S-A, U-S-A’ and I have never wanted to punch someone more and steal that cowbell,” Campbell added.

The most decorated Olympian of all time, Michael Phelps, saw Campbell’s comments for the first time last month.

“If somebody said that to me, I would lose it,” Phelps said. “I would literally make them eat every word they just said about me.”

Last week, three-time Olympic gold medalist Stephanie Rice wrote an editorial agreeing with Phelps.

“The trash-talking only fuels the Americans’ drive to take us down so let’s stop giving them extra motivation,” Rice said. “I believe our swim team is capable of taking the top spot, so let’s let the swimming do the talking.”

“We’re all bringing the cowbell,” U.S. Olympian Abbey Weitzeil said at Trials. “Whenever comments are made about your country or your jobs, it’s all competitive, and I think we all are competitive, our competitive side comes out. So we’re all bringing the cowbell, extra loud.”

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