Shortly after we published this post, USA Swimming went live with an announcement confirming the Duel in the Pool is back on between the U.S. and Australia for the first time since 2007.
USA Swimming’s release included the dates for the meet, which is set for August 19-21, roughly two weeks after the conclusion of the Commonwealth Games. Additionally, we know the meet will be held in Sydney, Australia, at the Sydney Olympic Park aquatic Centre, which was the 2000 Sydney Olympics pool.
The original concept on the Duel in the Pool was for it to be a meet which took place every two years, always between the U.S. and Australia. That was the case in 2003, 2005, and 2007, however, after 2007, it became the U.S. versus a team of European all-stars. The Duel in the Pool featured Team USA vs Europe in 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2015, and hasn’t taken place since. The event is returning to its roots this summer, and the Americans and Aussies will be facing off yet again.
While it’s still unclear who the U.S. and Australia would send to the meet, it’s a thrilling prospect nonetheless. With many of Australia’s top swimmers skipping this summer’s World Championships in Budapest in favor of focusing on the Commonwealth Games, the Duel in the Pool could give us another Katie Ledecky versus Ariarne Titmus showdown. Other exciting potential races could include Caeleb Dressel and Kyle Chalmers in the 100 free, Emma McKeon and the young Americans in the women’s 100 fly, and Kaylee McKeown against whoever the American backstrokers would be.
What we know from USA Swimming’s release on the meet is that each team will be sending 30 athletes, which will be made up of “Olympic, Paralympic, and National Team athletes.” There will also be an open water component to the competition, which will be held at Bondi beach.
In the initial iteration of the Duel in the Pool, which took place in Indianapolis in 2003, the Americans swarmed Australia, taking 21 of 26 events. In 2005, a meet which was held in Irvine, CA, the Americans won 18 of 28 events, beating Australia 190-102, however, the Australian women outscored the Americans 76-70. In the final Duel in the Pool featuring the U.S. and Australia, which took place at the Sydney Olympic pool in 2007, Australia tightened the gap, scoring 129.5 points to the United States’ 181.5. History was also made in that 2007 meet, as Australian Libby Lenton became the first woman in history to break 53 seconds in the LCM 100 free, leading off the mixed 4×100 free relay in 52.99. However, the swim was never officially ratified as a World Record by FINA because they don’t recognize women’s World Records when set in races against men.
