Aussie swim team has potential to match the 1956 Melbourne Olympics gold medal haul

With just one gold medal and a stilnox saga from London 2012, swimming’s toxic culture needed change. The goal was to make Australia the No. 1 nation by Tokyo. That time is now.

Australian coach Michael Bohl chats to leading gold medal contender Emma McKeon during a training camp in Cairns ahead of the Tokyo Olympic Games. Pic: Delly Carr.

Could this be Australia’s greatest ever Olympic swim team?

That’s not a bold pre-Olympic prediction but rather an aspirational goal within the Dolphins team with experienced coach Michael Bohl confident Australia has the talent to achieve the eight gold medals won at the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games.

When Australia returned from their disastrous 2012 London Olympic campaign with just one gold medal subsequent investigations exposed a stilnox saga and “toxic” culture that prompted widespread change in the sport.

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Kaylee McKeown is a serious competitor in four individual events.

As part of the sweeping changes new president John Bertrand hired Dutch coach Jacco Verhaeren with a stated aim to make Australia the No. 1 swimming nation by the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

That day has now come and while the pandemic delayed the event by 12 months, and Bertrand and Verhaeren both moved on from their roles in the past year, the Australian team led by Rohan Taylor could give USA it’s toughest fight for the No. 1 crown in 33 years.

Emma McKeon will be in the mix for the 100m freestyle.

Ariarne Titmus in a big chance in the 200m freestyle.

Team USA has won the pool battle at every Olympics since 1992, with East Germany’s drug-tainted efforts in 1988 the last time they were toppled off the top of the podium.

The Americans have won 16 gold medals at the past two Olympics but the rise of Australia, Russia, Hungary, Japan and Great Britain could chip away at their recent dominance of the pool medal tally.

Bohl coached Australia’s last dual Olympic individual gold medallist Stephanie Rice in 2008 and he believes this team could create their own history, with the eight gold medal haul of Melbourne 65 years ago still the benchmark ahead of seven gold medals at Athens in 2004 as our greatest “away” performance.

“I think it’s a very, very rich task,” Bohl said of becoming No.1.

“If you look at the last three or four Olympics, to be the No. 1 nation you’ve got to win 15 or 16 gold medals and that is going to be a very difficult task at this stage.

“I think some of the other goals are a little bit more relevant to us, I think the Melbourne Olympics was one of our most successful Olympic Games and I’m not sure if it was six or seven or eight Olympic gold medals were won there but I think they’re probably more realistic targets than trying to be number one in the world.

“Obviously it’s an aspirational thing but it’s easier said than done.

“It is certainly not something that’s in the forefront of our mind … I think it’s a very difficult task in such a short period of time to come up and slip past the US as the number one.”

An analysis by News Corp has revealed Australia will enter the Games with no fewer than 14 gold medal opportunities from 35 events compared to the USA with 21.

Experienced coach Michael Bohl believes Australia can match the 1956 Melbourne Olympics gold medal haul.

There are at least six individual events — men’s 100m freestyle, women’s 100m and 200m backstroke, women’s 200m and 400m freestyle and women’s 200m individual medley — where Australia and the US will be fighting each other for gold.

Australia is a medal contender in every relay but in reality the USA are favourites to win four relay gold medals, with Australia’s women tipped to pick up two and the men an outside chance to claim the 4x200m freestyle relay gold from Great Britain.

This is not the first time an Australian outfit has headed to an Olympic Games with strong hope but this time there is a real spread of talent with the likes of Ariarne Titmus, Kaylee McKeown, Emma McKeon, Cate Campbell, Kyle Chalmers, Elijah Winnington and Zac Stubblety-Cook all serious chances at gold.

“I think what sets this team apart a little bit is there seems to be swimmers across the board doing well,” Bohl said.

“In the past we’ve had one or two outstanding athletes who have gone in number one, two or three in the world but there seems to be quite a few within this team.

“I think it’s really a lot of confidence from the trials we had … but everything is dialled back to zero once the Olympics comes around but looking at the form, the current form, the team is looking really good coming in.”