Opinion
Why is Australia picking a fight with the US Olympic swim team?
Andrew Webster
Chief Sports WriterCate Campbell officially retired from swimming this week. You suspect her former Australian teammates would like her mouth to do the same.
They’re probably thinking something similar about Today co-host Karl Stefanovic, who is taking it upon himself to royally piss off the US swim team before the Olympic Games in Paris.
A quick recap for those playing at home …
In July last year, at the world championships in Japan, Campbell called the USA “sore losers” after broadcaster NBC showed the total number of medals won, rather than the number of golds, which put the Americans comfortably ahead of Australia.
She also slammed the Star-Spangled Banner and the cowbell American fans annoyingly ring at most swim meets, seemingly unaware that “Aussie! Aussie! Aussie! Oi! Oi! Oi!” sounds like fingernails running down a blackboard to the rest of the world.
It was all fun and games until NBC showed Michael Phelps, the most successful Olympian of all time, vision of her interview before their Olympic trials in Indianapolis earlier this month.
“If somebody said that to me, I would lose it,” he said. “I would literally make them eat every word they just said about me.”
I’m not entirely sure how he would do that. Perhaps print out Campbell’s words and then cut them up into little pieces and then make her eat them.
Michael Phelps after the men’s 4x100m freestyle final in Beijing in 2008.Credit: Steve Cristo
Anyway, the point is Phelps was cranky, so the rest of the US team and probably the entire country was cranky, too.
On Today this week, Stefanovic tried to ramp up hostilities by mocking Phelps’ haircut and penchant for inhaling the Devil’s lettuce, a reference to a 2009 News of the World story which pictured Phelps sucking on the world’s largest glass bong.
Stefanovic, who will be front and centre of Nine’s coverage in Paris, also called him an “absolute tosser” devoid of “personality”. Ouch.
When Campbell came on air, she trod carefully, claiming her initial remarks were all said in “jest”. The Americans aren’t buying it.
“We’re all bringing the cowbell,” US swimmer Abbey Weitzeil said at the recent US trials. “Whenever comments are made about your country or your jobs, it’s all competitive, and I think we all are competitive, our competitive side comes out. So, we’re all bringing the cowbell, extra loud.”
News Of The World photo of Olympic gold medal winner Michael Phelps smoking a bong.Credit: News Of The World
Of course, this entire episode is the creation of two Olympic broadcasters ramping up one of the most intriguing storylines in Paris: Australia versus the US in the pool.
But Campbell should understand better than most that their arch rivals will latch onto the smallest kernel of disrespect and use it to their advantage.
Taking on Phelps, even in retirement, is a questionable strategy.
In the days leading up to the Olympics in London in 2012, he held a media conference at the main press centre in front of sprawling contingent of reporters.
The rivalry between Australia and the US 4x100m relay teams loomed as the premier event of the meet.
With James “The Missile” Magnussen and James “The Rocket” Roberts in their team, Australia had decided to call themselves “Weapons of Mass Destruction”.
Told about the nickname, Phelps wasn’t impressed.
“We’re not gonna run our mouths,” he said. “We never have. Our country has never done that.”
(He was later reminded about Gary Hall jnr’s “guitar smashing” remarks in Sydney in 2000).
“We take care of our own business,” he continued. “If you get caught up in other people’s talking, and this and that, it just takes away from what were here to do. We’re here to swim and that’s it.”
Neither team won – France finished first, the US second and Australia fourth – but the US ended that meet with a whopping 31 medals, including 16 gold, while Australia won 10 in total with just one gold.
Australia head to Paris bursting with confidence following last year’s worlds and this month’s selection trials, but the expectation already being heaped upon them is extreme.
Kaylee McKeown prefers to let her swimming do the talking.Credit: Getty Images
It’s been labelled Australia’s strongest in history, with its all-conquering contingent of female competitors, while a score of former swimmers predict we’ll win more gold medals than the US for the first time since the 1956 Melbourne Games.
This team certainly seems more grounded than those of the past. It understands the job isn’t done and wants no truck with poking the grizzly bear of the USA.
“I’m all for rivalry and that kind of thing, but there’s no need to be nasty about it in some ways,” Kaylee McKeown said after last year’s worlds. “I’m personally not about that. When I saw that I was like, ‘She’s not really speaking on our behalf.’”
The difference between gold and silver or no medals at all is fractional.
Why give the Americans reason to swim just that little bit faster?
Attack of the clones
Speaking of NBC, it pretty much trashed its fine legacy in sports broadcasting this week when it revealed it will do daily recaps from Paris using an AI-generated version of Al Michaels’ voice.
A legendary caller of the Olympics and NFL, Michaels produced one of the greatest lines in commentary history when the US men’s ice hockey team beat the Soviet Union at the Lake Placid 1980 Olympic Winter Games.
“Do you believe in miracles?” he bellowed. “Yes!”
Michaels told Vanity Fair that he was sceptical about the idea but couldn’t believe how much the clone resembled his voice.
Meanwhile, Dexter from Perfect Match will be calling the athletics and the T-1000 from Terminator 2 is doing the skateboarding.
Does anyone speak Origin-ese?
For the best part of three years, Queensland coach Billy Slater has been unflappable when dealing with the media around State of Origin time.
Sure, he’s been edgier this year. He didn’t like questions about NSW counterpart Michael Maguire’s cryptic “glass houses” remarks, which is fair enough because he still doesn’t know whether they were directed at him or not. None of us do.
But Slater revealed the pressure he’s now under when he fronted the media after the 38-18 loss at the MCG on Wednesday night.
Asked if he would consider changes for the July 17 decider at Suncorp Stadium, he screwed up his face.
“I haven’t even thought of that,” Slater said. “We’re still Queenslanders.”
It was a curious comment. What does that mean? That Queenslanders don’t panic and make changes after losing a match? Pick and stick and so on?
Former Herald senior reporter Brad Walter, who now works for NRL.com, rightly followed up.
“Can you just elaborate on that?” he asked.
“Well, we’re from Queensland,” Slater said dismissively.
“I know,” Walter persisted. “You said you’re making changes but you’re still Queenslanders.”
“I said I haven’t thought of that and I said we’re still Queenslanders, so that’s it,” Slater replied.
“What does that mean?” Walter asked again. “Queenslanders don’t make changes?”
“I don’t know,” Slater said. “I haven’t thought about it.”
Maguire talking about glass houses, Slater reminding us that they’re from Queensland …
Does anyone speak fluent Origin? I’m tired of working out what these people are actually talking about.
Afghanistan players celebrate their T20 World Cup win against Australia.Credit: AP
THE QUOTE
“I don’t really have a great answer for your question because I don’t really give a f---.” — New LA Lakers coach JJ Redick when asked about misconceptions of his coaching ability.
THUMBS UP
A crowd of 90,084 turned up to the MCG for Origin II — the second biggest in history. Say what you want about the Mexicans, but they turn up, no matter the event.
THUMBS DOWN
We’re all guilty of saying something we regret, but Ian Healy came up with a doozy on SEN when asked if he was morally conflicted about Afghanistan’s T20 World Cup win against Australia given the country’s appalling treatment of women. “Let’s hope they’re still happy and proud, just inside,” the former Test wicketkeeper said.
It’s a big weekend for … the Warriors, who last year were the success story of the NRL but are now in free fall. They host the Broncos in Auckland on Saturday and do so without injured playmaker Shaun Johnson.
It’s an even bigger weekend for … England, whose supporters booed the players and threw plastic cups at manager Gareth Southgate after finishing atop their group at the UEFA European Football Championships. Heaven knows what will happen if they bomb out in the round of 16, which starts this weekend.