Paris Olympics: See the one-word viral sledge Aussies are using against fierce rivals USA as the countries battle in the pool in Paris
It started with Australians mocking Americans with air guitars at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Now the Australian team has found a new way to annoy their rivals with just one word.
The US-Australia swimming rivalry is fierce, with the US historically dominating the Olympics.
However, a new chapter is being written in Paris, with the highlight being Australian champion Ariarne Titmus who twice defeated her American rival Katie Ledecky.
In total, American swimmers have won 257 gold medals and 579 medals, while Australia lags behind with 69 gold medals and 212 medals.
However, the gap is closing, particularly at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where Australia won almost as many medals as the US.
The rivalry dates back to before the 2000 Sydney Olympics, when the Australian team celebrated their victory over the US by playing air guitar.
That was in response to American swimmer Gary Hall Jnr. who had declared before their historic relay that they would smash the Australians ‘like guitars’.
The biennial Duel in the Pool event began in 2003 and pitted the best swimmers from both countries against each other. In 2022, it returned to its roots in Sydney.
The dramatic rivalry between Australia and the United States in the pool all began when the Australian relay team brought out the air guitars to celebrate their victory at the 2000 Sydney Olympics
Australian champion Cate Campbell caused a stir before the Olympics by attempting to sing the US national anthem
The tide turned when the Australian team took the bragging rights with a dominant performance at the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, winning 15 gold medals, compared to the US team’s seven.
The Australians were unhappy that NBC’s Peacock showed the rankings based on total medals, which favored the US, rather than the standard ranking based on gold medals won, which favored Australia.
Then Australian swimming champion Cate Campbell added fuel to the fire by addressing the swimmers and attacking their beloved national anthem.
“The first night of competition, we didn’t have to hear the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ blaring through the stadium. I can’t tell you how happy that made me,” she said just before the Olympics.
“If I hear that song again, it will be too soon.”
“Bring on Paris,” Campbell added. “That’s all I have to say to the United States. Stop being sore losers.”
As if ridiculing their biggest heroes and their national anthem wasn’t enough, the Aussies in Paris have used a single word to further inflame the rivalry.
That word? Girt.
The infamous word from the Australian national anthem literally means ‘encircled’ or ‘enclosed by the sea’.
In private, Australian swimmers use it as a mantra, a rallying cry against their American rivals to remind themselves and their opponents that Australians are essentially born in the water.
American writer and producer Franklin Leonard discovered this when he asked the question on social media: ‘Why is Australia so good at swimming?’
A profile appropriately named ‘Loz’ responded simply: ‘We are literally surrounded by the sea.’
That went down well with Leonard, who was furious: ‘There are many countries surrounded by water. That’s not a good answer.’
“In Australia it is considered a moral blunder if you don’t teach your children to swim,” another Australian responded to the American identity.
Ariarne Titmus played a major role in the Australian gold rush that was sparked by her ‘being by the sea’
Americans weren’t happy when Katie Ledecky lost twice to Titmus, they’re even less happy about why Australia is so good at swimming
Some Australian fans took pleasure in reminding Americans that their country of 333 million people isn’t even landlocked, thanks to land borders with Canada and Mexico.
“Are you even girded for the sea, bro?” posted one Australian.
“If we were under the sand, we would destroy them there too,” claimed another.
“Can’t believe someone turned ‘girt’ into a flex,” added another.
“Americans are so mad that Australia is better at Olympic swimming. You guys aren’t fat at all. How can you think for a second that you’re any good for competition?” asked another.
Some even pointed to the disappearance of former Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt, who disappeared forever in 1967 after going swimming.
‘Australia is so close to the sea that one of our prime ministers went to the beach for a swim and no one ever saw him again. We named a number of local swimming pools after him.’