Duel in the Pool: USA hold on to their crown but Australia are getting closer | Kieran Pender

Undefeated across two decades of these head-to-head meets, the US team win by just 26 points after a dramatic three days

In a famous scene in the cult TV show The Wire, after a failed attempt on his life, the character Omar Little warns: You come at the king, you best not miss." On Sunday Australia attempted to take the world swimming crown off the US during the final night of the Duel in the Pool. They missed, but only just.

The US has long reigned supreme in international swimming. The nation has finished atop the Olympic swimming medal tally at every Games since 1988 and is undefeated across two decades of the head-to-head match-ups, variously against Australia and Europe, in the Duel format.