United States and Australia Will Renew Duel in the Pool Rivalry
World swimming’s two super powers, the United States and Australia, are set to renew hostilities when the Duel In The Pool makes a return to Sydney. Australian powerbrokers, fittingly led by U.S. legend Tracy Caulkins – now president of Swimming Australia – will unveil details of the fourth Duel In The Pool at the iconic Bondi Icebergs pool in Sydney during a Wednesday afternoon press conference.
Big-time swimming in Australia is set to return to the “Pool Of Dreams,” the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre, from Aug. 19-21. The venue hosted the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, the record-breaking 1999 Pan Pacs and the 2007 Duel In the Pool.
The event could well see the likes of U.S. superstars Katie Ledecky and Caeleb Dressel against Australia’s Olympic champions Ariarne Titmus and Kyle Chalmers. The United States and Australia met in the first three versions of the Duel in the Pool, in 2003, 2005 and 2007, with the United States winning each edition. Team USA then faced off against Europe in 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015.
The timing is certainly right with Australia’s seven gold medal haul in Tokyo and the rise of Chalmers, Titmus, Emma McKeon, Kaylee McKeown and Zac Stubblety-Cook – and the emergence of Australia’s relay teams at the 2019 World Championships and the 2020 Olympics.
The duels between Ledecky and Titmus over 200, 400 and 800 meters were the major drawcards of the Tokyo Games, alongside Dressel and Chalmers in their dramatic 100 freestyle battle royal.
Chalmers, Titmus and McKeon are unavailable for this year’s World Championships in Budapest with only Titmus joining McKeown and Stubblety-Cook at the Australia Trials in Adelaide next month. Chalmers and McKeon have accepted wildcard invitations to the Commonwealth Games and will prioritize that competition, leaving meetings with the U.S. off the radar until the Duel in the Pool option emerged.