Team USA has reclaimed its title as the best swimming nation in the world after eclipsing Australia’s gold medal tally with the final swim of the Olympic Games in Paris.
And American fans have rushed to social media to poke fun at their great rivals following their triumph.
The United States and Australia have held a formidable rivalry for many decades, with both countries boasting the best swimmers to ever grace the pool.
America has long bettered their Aussie rivals in terms of medal count, but the pendulum swung last year when Australia secured more gold medals at the world championships in Japan.
That led to a feisty war of words between the two camps, with now-retired Aussie legend Cate Campbell labelling the Americans as ‘sore losers’.
‘Such sore losers,’ Campbell said on the Today show last year.
‘I mean Australia coming out on top of the world is one thing, but it is just so much sweeter beating America.
‘The first night of competition, we did not have to hear ‘Star Spangled Banner’ ring out through the stadium. I cannot tell you how happy that made me.
Australia have been mocked by Americans after losing out in their intense rivalry
Team USA have taken home more gold medals than Australia at the Olympic Games
‘If I hear that song again it will be too soon. Bring on Paris. That’s all I have to say to the US. Stop being sore losers.’
Her comments elicited a response from the legendary Michael Phelps, who urged his compatriots to use Campbell’s words as inspiration for Paris.
And there was certainly something driving Team USA’s women’s medley relay team as they blew the Aussies out of the water in the final race of the program.
With the gold medals tied at seven apiece, both nations knew that the winner of the 4x100m final would take home bragging rights as the world’s best swimming nation.
But the US simply had too much for the Aussies, with Gretchen Walsh and Torri Huske powering the team home to smash the world record.
Cate Campbell ignited the rivalry after the world championships last year
And with their status reclaimed, Americans took to social media to mock the Aussies.
‘Haw haw Australia,’ one Twitter user posted. ‘The US is now beating you in GOLD MEDAL count too, suckas. Australia has a one sided beef going on with the US this whole time and we’ve just found out about it. I thought swimming was your thing, Oz!’
Another fan said: ‘Probably one of the worst Olympics for USA swimming and we still got more golds than Australia.’
‘Oh what’s this Australia?’ a third fan said. ‘Less medals AND less golds than the US in swimming? What happened?’
Referencing Campbell’s comment, a fourth fan said: ‘Sorry Aussies, but you are going to hear one more star-spangled banner. Americans win the gold medal total in the pool!’
Another fan sent Australia the following message: ‘Very specifically to the Aussies swimming who’ve been talking smack about US swimming instead of just celebrating their own improvements the last couple of years… USA! USA! USA!’
