Paris Olympics lays bare Australian swimming’s brutal medley relay truth

Australia has enjoyed a golden start to the Paris Olympics in the pool but the success can’t hide one huge issue for the Dolphins that threatens to prevent more trips to the podium.

Jenna Strauch failed to reach the top 16 semi-finals in the 100m breaststroke. Picture: Getty Images

The brutal yet inescapable truth facing the Australian swim team now and in the immediate future is that the Dolphins are only a freestyle nation … plus Kaylee McKeown.

The gaping weakness in the swim team that has now left both our men’s and women’s medley relay teams exposed and fighting a battle even to reach the podium in Paris is that Australia is well off the elite pace in world swimming in some form strokes.

In the women’s team it is breaststroke and, to a lesser extent, butterfly that has Australia losing crucial seconds to the powerhouse US swim team.

Jenna Strauch failed to reach the top 16 semi-finals in the 100m breaststroke in 22nd position, her time of 1:07.27 is almost two seconds behind US star Lilly King (1:05.65) and Tang Qianting of China (1:05.83) posted in the semi-finals.

Jenna Strauch failed to reach the top 16 semi-finals in the 100m breaststroke. Picture: Getty Images

In the butterfly, Emma McKeon in her final Olympics reached the final and finished in a respectable sixth in 56.93s.

But, what is concerning for Australia, is the fact USA’s Torri Huske won gold in 55.59s and China’s Zhang Yufei was third in 56.21s.

So in those two events, Australia has an almost three seconds (2.96s) buffer to overcome against the Americans in the backstroke and freestyle legs if they want the gold medal. It is an insurmountable deficit.

The men’s medley relay prospects look just as dire.

Sam Williamson needs to rediscover his trials form for Australia. Picture: Adam Head

Sam Williamson (24th in 1:00.50) failed to exit the heats and Josh Yong (12th in 59.64s) didn’t progress beyond the semi-finals in the 100m breaststroke as USA’s Nic Fink (59.05s) took the silver medal. China’s Qin Haiyang (59.50s) faded badly but has gone almost a second quicker.

Sadly for Williamson, his time at the Olympic trials of 58.80s would have won the gold medal — so maybe all is not lost if he can somehow rediscover that form by the end of the week.

But he’ll also live with the knowledge he should’ve been on the podium if not for his heat swim shocker.

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In the men’s backstroke, the gap is of tremendous concern as Isaac Cooper (21st in 54.21s) and Bradley Woodward (25th in 54.34s) failed to reach the semi-finals.

Semi-final times by China’s Xu Jiayu (52.02s) and USA’s Ryan Murphy (52.72s) mean the Aussies have a deficit on paper of 2.33s to China and 2.08s to USA to launch their medley relay assault.

Ultimately, the lack of elite quality in the form strokes looms as the deciding factor in whether Australia can topple the mighty US swim team on the medal tally.