Word: pooling
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Dates: during 2000-2000
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Coming into the Games, the talk around the pool was hardly about drugs in sport. Instead, the meet was touted as a showdown between the U.S. and Australia for the title of world's top swimming nation, with both countries initially trying to claim the status of underdog. By Saturday night, the U.S. had easily retained its champion nation's title, winning 33 medals, 14 of them gold - an improvement on both counts over the 1996 Atlanta Games. "When you're faced with a worthy opponent, it forces you to work for it," said American sprinter Gary Hall...
When Misty Hyman produced the swim of her life to beat Australian Susie O'Neill in the 200-m butterfly last Wednesday, it lifted the Americans; the Australians looked beaten, in the stands and in the pool. In the end, Australia and the Netherlands tied with five gold medals apiece. In Atlanta, Australia won two gold (and 12 medals in all), while the Netherlands scored a miserable two bronze medals. In Sydney, the host country won 13 minor medals compared with only three for the Dutch. The top three countries won 60 percent of all the swimming medals and broke...
...word was that the pool was fast. Often, that's enough to spur great performances from elite athletes, where the folklore and "feel" of a venue, combined with the stature of the Games and their ultra-competitive nature, can bring out the best in people. "A lot of it is psychological," said Hall, after five world records tumbled on the first night of competition. "Knowing a lot of records have been broken, it creates more." Australia's swimming-crazy fans screamed for gold and generously applauded the achievements of swimmers from all countries. That also helped bring in classic times...
Then there were those full body suits - though they are now a fact of life in international swimming and little was said about them last week. Of course, the aquatic center, with its temperature-controlled water and air, and the pool itself - 3.3 m deep, with special lane ropes to prevent backwash, two free lanes and a wet deck at the sides to stop waves - are state-of-the-art. "Yes, we are really going fast," said Van den Hoogenband, perhaps tired of the focus on a concrete and tile tank. "It's a nice pool... but personally I train...
...seemed like the rest of Europe was training harder while the Americans and Australians shared a beaming, brilliant spotlight after their news-making performances a year ago in the same pool at the Pan Pacific championships. As with each new wave of individuals, so too with a shift in swimming firepower between countries. In Sydney, some commentators were pointing to the rise of Europe as a swimming power; the Continent has long been a force in the pool. Four years ago, European nations won 11 gold and a total of 38 medals; this time Europe secured 14 gold, 36 medals...