Australia has brought America to breaking point at the Paris Olympics

Australia’s dominance in the Olympic pool has led to something the world has not seen for 128 years - and it’s taking its toll.

Caeleb Dressel was emotional after failing to qualify for the 100-metre butterfly final at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Aug. 2, 2024.

Drink it in Australia.

For the first time since 1896, the Land Down Under has trumped America in the first week of the Olympics.

Our heated rivalry with the Yanks in the pool is turning out almost as good as Australia would have dared to dream.

Seven (green and) gold medals have come with the tasty caveat that five were secured in races where Americans finished second.

It was brutally rammed home on Saturday morning (AEST) when Kaylee McKeown completed her double-double by defending the 200m backstroke crown - after doing it in the 100m backstroke earlier in the week.

Both wins in Paris have come in front of Regan Smith, who must be wondering what kind of career she would have had if McKeown never picked up a pair of goggles.

Smith had broken McKeown’s world record earlier this year, but when it matters most, McKeown transforms into an unstoppable force.

Cameron McEvoy celebrates his big moment with Caeleb Dressel. Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images.

Kaylee McKeown is the smiling assassin. Photo by Manan VATSYAYANA / AFP.

Smith now owns five silver medals and one bronze in Olympic competition. Thanks Kaylee.

“I’m not too worried about medal count and what I need to do to get a specific colour of medal,” Smith told reporters after her butterfly medal earlier this week.

“If you get too caught up in things like colours of medals, I think that’s how you’re going to crumble.”

Smith may not want to talk about the colour of her medals, but plenty of people are.

Kaylee McKeown’s constant ability to win backstroke races on the highest stage, especially against Regan Smith who is arguably her biggest competition, is phenomenal.

It’s crazy how these two swimmers are so close in time but their head to head record is so lopsided.

— Yanyan Li (@yyanyanli1) August 2, 2024

McKeown’s done it by finishing over the top of her opponents after slow starts — something Australia loves watching more than anything.

The other thing Australia loves is beating America, knocking the athletic goliath off its perch — and that is what is unfolding in Paris.

Australia hasn’t bested America in the pool since the Melbourne Olympics in 1956.

Now, according to “The Oracle” stats guru on Twitter, Australia’s haul of 11 gold medals — which had us sitting third on the medal tally before Sunday morning’s swimming session — also had us in front of the Americans (nine gold medals before Sunday morning’s swimming finals) after the first week of competition for the first time in 128 years.

Of course, if you ask some Americans, they were still at the top of the medal table — thanks to the way they love to rig the rankings by total medals won.

America will surely surge to win more gold medals than Australia in the second week of competition, but that isn’t what matters right now.

Caeleb Dressel was emotional after failing to qualify for the 100-metre butterfly final at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Aug. 2, 2024.

Caeleb Dressel was emotional after failing to qualify for the 100-metre butterfly final at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Aug. 2, 2024.

As we headed into the final two days of swimming, it’s fair to shine the spotlight on the six Americans that would have gold medals were it not for Aussies — seven if you include Caeleb Dressel’s surprising 50m freestyle flop.

As expected, America had a huge Sunday morning at the Paris La Defense Arena with Katie Ledecky (800m) and the 4x100m mixed medley relay team taking gold ahead of Ariarne Titmus (silver) and Australia’s medley relay team (bronze) - but those wins came after they were at breaking point on Saturday.

The tears shared by Dressel show that.

The American legend was blown away in the men’s splash and dash, finishing sixth as Aussie Cameron McEvoy exploded to the gold medal.

Dressel — anointed the successor to American swimming GOAT Michael Phelps — still got a gold medal in the men’s 4x100m relay, but he hasn’t lived up to expectations — and it all played out in public when he broke down in tears.

Caeleb Dressel was emotional after failing to qualify for the 100-metre butterfly final at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Aug. 2, 2024.

Caeleb Dressel was emotional after failing to qualify for the 100-metre butterfly final at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Aug. 2, 2024.

“It’s a shocking moment for a lot of you watching at home,” NBC analyst Rowdy Gaines said on the broadcast in the United States. “We can’t believe it, either.”

After failing to qualify for the 200m butterfly not long after, the 27-year-old was seen on the TV broadcast in tears.

The seven-time gold medallist looked a broken man, but had regained his composure when speaking to reporters after the race.

“I’m actually enjoying the moment. I’m at the Olympic Games, I won’t forget that,” Dressel said.

“I’d like to be performing better, but I’m not. I trained to go faster than the times I’m going. I know that. So, yeah. It’s tough, a little heartbreaking. A little heartbreaking, for sure.”

“It was very obviously not my best work,” Dressel added. “It hasn’t been my best week. I don’t think I need to shy away from that. But the racing has been really fun here. Walking out for the 50m and the 100m fly, it was special. I don’t want to ever forget that. I’d like to be quicker, obviously.

“Not my week.”

It was Australia’s week - for we are girt by sea.