What was already a heated Olympic rivalry was kicked up a notch ahead of this year's games, when former Olympic champion Cate Campbell took aim at the American swimming team.
Spurred by the Australian success at the 2023 Swimming World Championships, Campbell labelled the Americans as "sore losers" during an interview on the Today Show, which prompted outrage from many Team USA members, including a notable reaction from Michael Phelps.
But in an interview with Sporting News Australia, Australian Olympic champion Kyle Chalmers said that these comments were unnecessary, and created unwanted tension at the 2024 games.
MORE: Kyle Chalmers received death threats as Paris pool feud with Pan Zhanle exploded
Chalmers addresses Campbells' comments on USA rivalry
During an appearance on The Today Show, four-time Olympic gold medalist Campbell told host Karl Stefanovic that "Australia coming out on top of the world is one thing, but it is just so much sweeter beating America," and even went as far as calling the Americans "sore losers."
While Campbell has since apologised for these comments, and insisted they were all in jest, Chalmers said that they had created tension between the teams during the Paris swimming program.
"Some of my very best friends on pool deck are Americans," Chalmers told Sporting News Australia.
"Caleb Dressel, who beat me in Tokyo, has been one of my great mates, and Ryan Murphy, who I've been with since Rio, I was so excited to be able to see them on pool deck and chat with them in the marshalling room.
"I don't have rivalries, I just enjoy a racing against the best in the world, and I didn't feel any more of that.
"I think the comments were probably quite unnecessary, it just created unnecessary tension, I guess, between the US and Australians.
"But for me, like I said before, I'm pretty sheltered and stay in my bubble in that stuff, so for me, it didn't impact me whatsoever."
Chalmers had a successful Olympic outing, winning three medals including silver in the 100m freestyle, in what was Australia's best ever Olympic campaign.
However, the Dolphins were not able to take down Team USA in the pool, beaten in the final race of the meet - Women's 4x100m Medley Relay - in what turned out to be the deciding event, with USA winning eight gold, Australia claiming seven.
