LONDON: Australian swimming officials have ordered an independent review into the team’s poor showing at the Olympics.
One of the sport’s traditional powers, the Aussies won a total of 10 medals in the pool but only one gold in the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay.
For a country surrounded by water that takes swimming seriously, it was a major flop, particularly after Australia’s swimmers won six gold medals in Beijing and seven in Athens.
“It is clear the world has lifted the bar when it comes to swimming and so must we,” Swimming Australia president David Urquhart said on Monday.
Australia’s swimmers have always punched above their weight at the Olympics but have come under fierce criticism at home because they only won one gold, their lowest haul since the Barcelona 1992.
The last time Australia did not win an individual swimming gold was at Montreal in 1976.
Sprinter James Magnussen, the world champion for 100 freestyle, bore the brunt of the criticism after boasting before the Games that he would win two golds.
But Magnussen had to settle for silver when he was beaten by American Nathan Adrian, by just 0.01 seconds, in the final.
The Australian 4×100 freestyle team, who also bragged they would win gold, missed out on the medals altogether when they finished fourth.
The lack of gold medals may be all the more painful as arch-rivals New Zealand currently have three to Australia’s two, which the Kiwi media has not let go unnoticed.
“Great medal haul, and we’re beating Aussies,” ran a headline on a news website above a comment piece. (Agencies)
