Australia Swims Their Way To Victory In Event One Of Duel In The Pool

The Australian Dolphins have kicked off Duel in the Pool against the USA with a come-from-behind win in the 4x800m relay at Bondi Beach. 

It’s the biggest swimming rivalry in swimming between the two nations, and they will meet in Sydney this weekend at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre to see which is the number one swim team.

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This morning, Kareena Lee, Kai Edwards, Chelsea Gubecka and Kyle Lee swam Australia to clinch a win in the choppy-water relay which opened the three-day event.

Looking on were some of Australia’s best swimmers with the likes of Emma McKeon, Kaylee McKeown, and Mack Horton.

Duel in the Pool continues tomorrow and Sunday night, with the nations competing in all forms of strokes in various lengths.

Each team is made up of 30 swimmers who race to accumulate as much points as possible, the country with the most the winner of the event.

Australia boasts nearly a full-strength squad, with McKeon, McKeown and Mollie O’Callaghan in the side, but Ariarne Titmus and Kyle Chalmers were unavailable.

The US will be without legend Katie Ledecky.

The event also will see disabled athletes competing; including a relay combining para and able-bodied swimmers which was publicly backed by Australia’s medal champion McKeon.

Two able-bodied and two para- swimmers — one of each gender — will take part in the 4x50m event in a world first.

McKeon said yesterday it was an event she’d love to be a part of.

“I definitely hope to be a part of it, that’s definitely exciting, something that’s never been done before and it’d be very special to be a part of that."

- Emma McKeon

Duel in the Pool had taken place bi-annually from 2003 to 2015, with the weekend’s event marking the return.

Australia bet the United States in the first three instalments of the event, 2003, 2005, and 2007, which saw the US replace its opponent with a European all-stars team.

The US went onto winning 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015.

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