With US swimmer Torri Huske’s 100-meter butterfly gold medal win on Sunday, Team USA’s combined tally of 14 swimming medals leads all countries across the Olympics.
But while the current haul is looking healthy, the USA’s Olympic swimming gold medal stranglehold is very much in danger of falling by the wayside.
Australia takes aim at USA’s Olympic gold medal streak
It’s been 36 years since the coed US swimming squad came up short in the Olympic gold medal race — at least five years before anyone on today’s team was even born.
That dominance, however, is hanging by a thread as the Australians are gold medal count favorites after running away with the 2023 World Swimming Championships.
“Certainly, there are some events… where we’ve got a significant amount of ground to make up,” US head women’s coach Todd DeSorbo told reporters. “But I’m confident in the motivation and excitement and commitment of everybody — men and women — on the team that are prepared to do that.”