By Tom Decent
Fukuoka: About 1am on Monday, Tina Turner’s The Best blasted through the speakers at the hotel of the Australian swimming team in Japan.
Across eight days of absorbing swimming world championships action, the Dolphins picked up 13 gold medals in Fukuoka – equalling the Australian record – to solidify their standing as one of the greatest teams the country has assembled.
The Dolphins were dominant and had every reason to celebrate becoming just the second Australian team in more than 60 years to beat the USA on the medal table – the Americans finished with seven golds – of a major international swimming meeting.
In the eight years prior, Australia accumulated 12 gold medals in total from three different world championships.
“It’s an amazing achievement,” said Australian star Kyle Chalmers, who won his first individual world championships gold medal in the 100 metres freestyle. “We’re leaving this amazing legacy on the team. It’s inspiring for me.”
There were several moments during the world championships when Australian head coach Rohan Taylor was asked if he was surprised by what he was seeing in the pool in Fukuoka.
Gold medallists Jack Cartwright, Kyle Chalmers, Shayna Jack and Mollie O’Callaghan after the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay final.Credit: Getty
On the opening night of competition, Australia had its most successful day in half a century of the world championships. Sam Short stormed to gold in the 400m freestyle and Ariarne Titmus regained her world record in the women’s equivalent race, before the Australian men’s and women’s 4x100m freestyle relay teams sent an emphatic statement to the world that the Dolphins were in peak form.
Still, Taylor said he wasn’t surprised.
Even as the competition went on and the likes of Mollie O’Callaghan and Kaylee McKeown went to another level, Taylor did not get swept up in the excitement.
It is not in Taylor’s nature to make bold medal predictions, and don’t expect one before next year’s Paris Olympics.
O’Callaghan walked away with five gold medals and became the first woman to achieve the 100m and 200m freestyle double. She joined Libby Trickett as the only Australian woman to win five world championships gold medals at the same meeting.
McKeown won all her backstroke events. Short and Titmus won a medal of every colour and swam personal bests.
Every relay team finished in the top three, meaning all have qualified for Paris.
“I’m just trying to really savour the moment. It’s an unbelievable group of people who have done a fantastic job,” Taylor said.
Mollie O’Callaghan celebrates winning gold in the 100m freestyle final.Credit: Getty
“I’m not surprised. I just want them to get that recognition that they deserve.”
The team could hardly be better placed before the Olympics, starting in late July next year. There is every chance Australia’s record tally of nine gold medals in the pool at the Tokyo Olympics will be eclipsed in Paris.
Half of the 10 world records set at these world championships came from Australians. The only time Australia has broken more at a world championships was in 2001, when Ian Thorpe was untouchable in his individual events.
The individual times of Titmus (400m freestyle) and O’Callaghan (200m freestyle) makes them favourites going into Paris.
If their coach Dean Boxall was a country, he’d have four gold medals and be sitting equal fourth on the medal tally, alongside France.
A pleasing aspect for team officials is there is room for improvement.
McKeown was disqualified in the 200m individual medley, an event she was a big chance of winning.
Zac Stubblety-Cook’s silver medal in the 200m breaststroke should not be devalued but the reigning Olympic and world champion came to Fukuoka wanting gold.
Sam Short after touching the wall first in his 400m freestyle final in Fukuoka.Credit: Getty
He was upstaged by rising Chinese star Qin Haiyang, who won the 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke treble.
Emma McKeon wasn’t at her best but Australia’s most decorated Olympian won her 20th world championships medal on Sunday night, to pass Grant Hackett on the country’s all-time list.
In comparison to the US, Australia does not have as much depth, as reflected by the total number of medals.
But there is no disputing that Australia’s swimmers have an innate ability to get their hand on the wall first.
Of Australia’s 13 gold medals, there are two races not on the Olympic program. McKeown can’t win a gold in the 50m backstroke, while the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay is a world championships-only event.
A lot can happen between now and Paris, but there will be no complacency.
Taylor said Cam McEvoy’s 50m freestyle gold medal, in which he broke the Australian record and won by 0.51 seconds, was a “wow” moment.
He also loved Titmus taking it to Katie Ledecky and Summer McIntosh in a prequel to the “Race of the Century” in Paris. He thought the relays were impressive, too.
This is a tight-knit team. Rising stars are getting on with veterans, and they all fed off each other during a remarkable world championships.
“It kind of reminds me of those days in the 1990s and 2000s when you had your Hacketts, your Thorpeys, your Susie O’Neills, the Sam Rileys, the Michael Klims,” Taylor said. “Everybody [in Australia] had a favourite swimmer and I hope that’s the case here … because they’re just good young people. It’s great that they get that recognition.”
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