U.S. dominates on golden pond

SYDNEY — The 2000 Olympic swimming competition ended Saturday the same way it began a week earlier: exceeding all expectations with inspired performances by national heroes and sudden stars.

And in the final analysis, Gary Hall Jr. was right and Mark Spitz was wrong.

The meet was the fastest in history, with 15 world records and 38 Olympic records. The United States continued its domination, winning 33 medals, including 14 gold. However, the rest of the world isn't treading water — 17 other countries won medals, with seven earning golds.

As Hall predicted, the U.S. smashed Australia like guitars. The Aussies, who had hoped to knock the Yanks off their pedestal, won 18 total medals, their best result since 1972.

"When you're faced with a worthy opponent, it really forces you to get your act together and step up," said Hall, who won two gold and has been nothing but complimentary of the Aussies since his good-natured jibe. "We were able to use that threat of being dethroned as the best swimming nation as motivation to reach a level that otherwise we might not have reached."

The legendary Spitz provided some motivation himself. He said that the U.S. women wouldn't win any gold medals, then saw them win seven.

"I think Mark should have known better," said Jenny Thompson, who won a record eighth career gold medal — all in relays — Saturday as the U.S. women's 400-meter medley relay demolished the world record. "We had a lot of heart and swam with tremendous spirit."

Of course, Spitz can still point to his own meet in Munich in 1972 as the greatest ever, since 30 world records were broken.

The Sydney medal haul was the fourth-highest in American history. The U.S. won 52 medals in 1968 and 43 in 1972, but in those days the team had three entrants in each event, compared to two today. The U.S. also won 33 medals in the boycott-marred 1984 Olympics which had 29 events, three fewer than in Sydney.

The heavy medal winners were four-time Olympian Dara Torres, 33, who after a seven-year layoff won two gold and three bronze for a career total of nine.

"I guess," she said, "I'm just bummed that it's over."

Also, Thompson won three golds and a bronze for a career total of 10; backstroker Lenny Krayzelburg won three golds; Hall won two golds, a silver and a bronze for a career total of eight; and Brooke Bennett, Megan Quann and Anthony Ervin won two golds apiece.