Paris Olympics swimming report card: The biggest heartbreakers and warmers from the pool

From hometown heros to unbelievable world records to Aussie redemption, the Paris pool had it all. JULIAN LINDEN and TODD BALYM break it all down and hand out their own medals.

It was an amazing week in the Paris pool and here our swimming experts hand out their own medals.

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Proud to be Aussie

JULIAN LINDEN

Gold – Cameron McEvoy. Absolute rock star who defied the odds to win his first gold at attempt at his fourth crack

Silver – Ariarne Titmus. The legend keeps on growing. First Aussie woman since Dawn Fraser to successfully defend an Olympic swimming title.

Bronze – Kaylee McKeown. What a freak. First Aussie to do a double double

TODD BALYM

Gold – Ariarne Titmus. The most impressive swimmer in the team. Always fronts up. One of the greatest swimmers in history and a wonderful ambassador for her sport.

Silver – Kyle Chalmers. Has he ever swum a bad race for Australia? He just delivers time and again. Shows respect and is respected. May he swim on for years to come.

Bronze – Mollie O’Callaghan. Invited her teammate Ariarne Titmus onto the top step of the podium to share the national anthem after their 200m freestyle battle.

Wish they were Aussies

JULIAN LINDEN

Gold – Leon Marchand. The prince of Paris. Swimming’s new superstar won four golds.

Silver – Summer McIntosh. The hype around the Canadian teenager is real. Bagged three gold medals at age 17.

Bronze – Katie Ledecky. Nothing but respect for the Queen of long distance swimming who won the 800m for the fourth time on the trot.

TODD BALYM

Gold – Pan Zhanle. Cast aside your suspicions, who wouldn’t want the fastest man in history on their side? His 100m freestyle victory was the most remarkable race I’ve ever seen.

Silver – Leon Marchand. A four-time Olympic gold medallist, he is exactly what Australia needs. A versatile men’s champion who can win multiple medals in form stroke events.

Bronze – Tatjana Smith and Nicolo Martinenghi. Who you ask? They’re the Olympic 100m breaststroke champions and for Australia they could turn our medley relay medals into gold.

The heart warmers

JULIAN LINDEN

Gold – King Kyle Chalmers. What a legend. Didn’t win gold but proved what a champion is.

Silver – Elijah Winnington. Bounced back from the disappointment of Tokyo to win a silver in 400m and bronze in relay.

Bronze – Emma McKeon. Signed off from her incredible career with a record breaking sixth gold medal.

TODD BALYM

Gold – Cameron McEvoy proving persistence and embracing new thinking can lead to Olympic gold. He wants to swim on til Brisbane 2032 when he will be 38. I couldn’t run 50m at that age.

Silver – Elijah Winnington’s redemption. Hated the Olympics after Tokyo, conquered his demons with a fighting 400m freestyle silver medal.

Bronze – Emma McKeon ending her career in style. Departs as Australia’s most successful Olympian. Rare display of emotion showed what more than a decade at the top has meant to her.

Heartbreakers

JULIAN LINDEN

Gold – Damn yanks, overtaking the Dolphins to top the medals on the last day. Cate Campbell was right about how annoying the sound of cowbells are.

Silver – Sam Short. Just couldn’t take a trick. Fingers crossed he’s come bigger and better next time.

Bronze – Mollie O’Callaghan. Had a great week but was shattered not to medal in the 100m freestyle.

TODD BALYM

Gold – Play it again Sam. Oh what Sam Short and Sam Williamson would give for a Paris do-over. Both were fast enough to have won gold medals in events they missed the final. Will haunt them but hopefully inspires a 2028 redemption.

Silver – Bloody covid. Lani Pallister pulled out of her 1500m freestyle heats, Zac Stubblety-Cook battled it before his 200m breaststroke silver medal and poor Ella Ramsay had to withdraw from her 200m medley final with the illness.

Bronze – Mollie O’Callaghan in the women’s 100 free. Missed a medal and beaten by one of the greats in Sarah Sjostrom. It could be the making of Mollie moving forward.

Pork chops

JULIAN LINDEN

Gold – Pan Zhanle. Accused Chalmers of disrespecting him when King Kyle could not have been more gracious.

Silver – Michael Phelps. The GOAT behaved more like a goose when he bagged Cate Campbell over a bit of banter.

Bronze – The Aussie coaches. Rohan Taylor excluded, not one of them spoke a single word to the media and the Aussie public all week. Poor form.

TODD BALYM

Gold – Aussie swim coach Michael Palfrey. “Go Korea.” It should’ve been “go home Mick, you’re never to tour again.”

Silver – Swimmers and coaches who refuse interviews. No wonder Australian swimming doesn’t have a major sponsor. For a golden generation, only a select few know how to grow or care about their brand.

Bronze – Woke Paris organisers. Shallow pool (dubbed the Paris puddle), rock hard beds, vegan meals – is it any wonder we only saw four world records. Hopefully LA 2028 puts athletes’ needs first, not the greenies.

Originally published as Paris Olympics swimming report card: The biggest heartbreakers and warmers from the pool