The competition between swimming powerhouses Australia and the US returned to Sydney after a 15-year absence with a new twist
conic” was the word of the day. As Australian and American swim stars gathered at Bondi Icebergs to observe the opening event of the three-day Duel in the Pool – an open water relay – adjectives flowed freely. It was an “iconic” event, said one swimming executive, at the “iconic” Bondi beach. “No more appropriate location than Bondi,” offered the state tourism minister, Ben Franklin. “Iconic.”Photograph: Jessica Hromas/The GuardianSport is prone to hyperbole, but this was probably fair enough.
Australia’s four swimmers– Lee, Chelsea Gubecka, Kyle Lee and Kai Edwards – are all specialised open water swimmers, albeit more accustomed to racing 10 or 20 kilometres, not a mere 800m. The Americans went for a different approach, throwing their pool swimmers into the ocean. The Australians were acclimatised to the conditions – Edwards lives nearby and had been training at Bondi – while the Americans were better-suited to the distance. “I think it will be a fair playing field,” said Kareena.
Hackett, serving as team captain for Australia this weekend, eyed the waves with a hint of desire. “I would have loved this,” said the now-retired three-time Olympic gold medallist. “Not many people know this, but I actually grew up more surf swimming than pool swimming. I wanted to be an iron man.”Photograph: Jessica Hromas/The Guardian
with the United States in the pool in Tokyo. This weekend, the Australians might claim their first head-to-head scalp.Australia’s Chelsea Gubecka and Charlie Clark of the US prepare for their leg of the relay.But if the two nations’ swimmers were taking this weekend’s meet seriously, it didn’t show on Friday morning.
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