A deafening crowd at Paris La Defense Arena cheered Cameron McEvoy to gold in the men’s 50m freestyle at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 to take the first-ever gold for Australia in this event with a time of 21.25. Great Britain’s Ben Proud finished 0.05 behind for silver with a time of 21.30, marking a first 50m freestyle medal for Team GB as well. And Florent Manaudou thrilled the home crowd by winning bronze with a time of 21.56, this follows on his silver medal in the event at Tokyo 2020.

Team USA’s Caeleb Dressel, the defending gold medallist from Tokyo, finished in sixth.

Katie Ledecky's Historic Achievement

Katie Ledecky cemented her place as the most decorated female Olympic swimmer ever, earning her 13th Olympic medal with a silver finish in the women's 4x200m freestyle relay. Ledecky also surpassed Jenny Thompson to become the most decorated American female Olympian of all time.

However, the victory belonged to Australia, who dominated the race with a new Olympic record time. The Aussies' victory also put them in the lead for the most gold medals in swimming at these Games, with five to Team USA’s four.

Team USA Struggles for Gold

The first two-thirds of the swimming competition at the Paris Games have seen Team USA fall short of expectations. While they have accumulated a considerable number of medals, with 20 in total, the gold medals have been harder to come by.

Several athletes, including Ryan Murphy, Bobby Finke, Chris Guiliano, Jack Alexy, and the men’s 4x200 relay team, have failed to reach the top of the podium. On the women’s side, the 4x100 relay team also lost to Australia, and Regan Smith and Lilly King also settled for silver and fourth place, respectively.

The only gold medals for Team USA have come from Torri Huske, Katie Ledecky, Kate Douglass, and the men’s 4x100 relay on opening night.

Upcoming Events: A Chance for Redemption?

The final weekend of competition in the pool presents a chance for redemption for Team USA. Some key events to watch include:

Friday

• The women’s 200 backstroke, which will feature a rematch between Regan Smith and Australia’s Kaylee McKeown.
• The men’s 50 free, where Australia’s Cam McEvoy is the favorite and Team USA’s Caeleb Dressel is a contender.

Saturday

• The women’s 200 IM, which features both McKeown and Douglass as contenders.
• The women’s 800 free, where Ledecky is the clear favorite, but Ariarne Titmus could challenge her.

Sunday

• All three medley relays

The final outcome of the swimming competition will hinge on these events. Will Team USA be able to regain their dominance, or will Australia continue their reign? The answers will be revealed in the coming days.