“Beware The US Team” Warns Rohan Taylor As Dolphins Host The Americans For Return of the Duel in the Pool

18 May 2000: General view of a race start during the Telstra 2000 Olympic Selection Trials at the Sydney International Aquatic Centre, Homebush, Sydney, Australia. Mandatory Credit: Nick Wilson/ALLSPORT

“Beware The US Team” Warns Australian Head Coach Rohan Taylor As Dolphins Host The Americans In Return of the Duel in the Pool

 Rohan Taylor knows only too well the might of the US Swim Team and while on paper the Australian Dolphins look stronger overall in this week’s return of the Duel In The Pool in Sydney – the Australian head coach won’t be taking the visitors lightly.

In the three past Duels the US has run out convincing winners over Australia in Indianapolis in 2003, in Irvine in 2005 and in Sydney in 2007 post the World Championships.

Rohan Taylor

TREAD WARILY: Rohan taylor warns his team – don’t be fooled. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr / Swimming Australia

Taylor, who grew up in the US College system knows just how powerful US swimming is and how “team” swimming is their bread and butter.

“The US has a significant amount of depth in their program and they still have some top line athletes on their roster,” said Taylor.

“What we do know is they are all very seasoned competitors and very seasoned team oriented competitors; that’s what makes them so strong.

“Coming through their high school, college environments they all know how to race and they will be formidable there is no doubt about it.

“Our guys will have to be up and about and ready to go….that’s why when the US team get to competitions they can continue to perform.

“They just get it and they know how to do it and for us it’s a skill that we want to get better at and for us to do that we have to have more opportunities; we have to see how they go about it…

“The US are the standard, they are the top of the tree. We aspire to be up there pushing them along as much as we can…and the best way to expose our athletes is to go head-to-head with them.

“Sure have some fun enjoy it…but make sure that we present really well….and if we can do that more often then it’s going to be a great thing for us….”

Taylor has the task of getting his troops up and motivated after a successful campaign at this year’s World Championships in Budapest and at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games – and a Duel meet against the US at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre is just the tonic.

emma-mckeon-shayna-jack-mollie-ocallaghan-australia-100-free-commonwealth-games

DOMINANT FORCE: Australia’s women are on top of the world. (L-R) Emma McKeon, Shayna Jack and Mollie O’Callaghan – the triumphant trio of Birmingham. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr

And he will have the majority of his star-studded line up led by Emma McKeon, Mollie O’Callaghan, Kaylee McKeown and Shayna Jack – who spearhead the best women’s team in the world with the US boasting the likes of Tokyo Olympic medallists Annie Lazor and Bella Sims.

So strong is the Australian women’s team they can afford to strategically place McKeon across relays and individual freestyle events on a program that also includes Skins events across all strokes and traditional Olympic program racing and a Mystery Medley.

The Dolphins have the luxury of freestyle sprinters like Meg Harris and Madi Wilson and emerging middle-distance talent Lani Pallister as both teams turn up without their superstars Ariarne Titmus and Katie Ledecky.

And on the men’s side, Australia will boast Olympic, World and Commonwealth Games breaststroke champion Zac Stubblety-Cook alongside Olympic champion Mack Horton and Tokyo 400IM bronze medallist Brendon Smith as the pick of their men’s group.

The US men on the other hand will be bolstered by the inclusion of one of the world’s best all-round individual performers in Michael Andrew supported by the in-form Shaine Casas who was the male stand-out at the recent US Nationals, Olympic and dual IM world champion Chase Kalisz and Olympic freestyle sprinter Ryan Held.

Andrew is a rare commodity – a triple podium finisher this year in Budapest over 50m freestyle (silver), 50m butterfly (bronze) and 50m breaststroke (bronze) – and in a program that is full of relays, Skins events and individual racing he will be a key performer.

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MAN FOR ALL SEASONS: US marvel Michael Andrew will have a busy weekend in Sydney. Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

He and Stubblety-Cook could potentially go head-to-head in the 100m breaststroke as well as the 3x50m breaststroke Skins event (50s on two minutes).

And for the US team it will be a matter of what not to swim Andrew in – as he could well find himself in the backstroke and freestyle Skins as well.

Casas will be just as valuable – especially after his breakout Nationals – becoming the seventh fastest 200IMer in history and the third fastest American behind legendary pair Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps – clocking 1:55.24.

The 22-year-old, who narrowly missed Toyko, has also swum a 48.23 in the 100m freestyle and won the US Nationals in the 100m butterfly in 50.40 (with improving Aussie Shaun Champion third) as well as his 1:55,35 to win bronze in the 200m backstroke in Budapest.

Australian team co-captain Leisel Jones is excited about the return of the Duel concept and also its return to the “Pool Of Dreams” in Sydney – home of the 2000 Olympics and the 1999 Pan Pacs.

“It’s what swimming needs; cricket has the Big Bash; it’s fun and it’s not your standard kind of competition where you are all serious lining up with so much pressure,” said Jones, who won silver at 14 in the first of her four Olympics in Sydney 22 years ago.

“This is great and it will bring excitement back which is always nice for the athletes and it just brings fun racing back into it, it’s a sport that hasn’t got to be serious racing all the time.”

And of the dominant Australian women’s team?

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GOTTA HAVE SOME FUN: Says four-time Olympian Leisel Jones. Photo Courtesy: Swimming Australia

“Emma McKeon is blossoming into this incredible dominant athlete who is just on top of the world and you add in Ariarne, Kaylee McKeown, Mollie O, such powerhouses like we used to have in the day (2000-2008) with our women’s team absolutely dominating,” said Jones.

“It’s fun to be a part of it again with myself and Grant Hackett as captains; the landscape has changed to what it was for us.

“So to stay relevant to know what they are going through and to be a part of it is amazing. I still get shivers when I walk through the doors of the Sydney Olympic Pool.

“To see all the names on the wall…all the amazing superstars who have walked though those doors…. I love that pool, it’s got so many great memories for me…it always has that special feel to it every time I go there…it will be exciting that’s for sure.”

DUEL IN THE POOL 2002 – ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

AUS STARS RETURN TO FUEL THE DUEL

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