Aussie champion Bronte Campbell's cautious response amid slanging match with US
PARIS: Bronte Campbell was enticed by an American journalist to add even more spice to the Australian-versus-US swimming rivalry in Paris on Thursday, but the soon-to-be four-time Olympian chose to not join her sister in the verbal stoush.
While Cate Campbell has taken great delight in infuriating Americans in recent times, most notably by panning the US national anthem, swiping the iconic "U-S-A" chant and calling them "sore losers", Bronte passed up an opportunity to further inflame tensions days out from the start of the Olympic swimming program.
"What are your thoughts on Cate's comments and the Michael Phelps video?" the American reporter began.
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"How, if at all, is the team using it as motivation, à la the 2000 men's relay and the 'guitars' comment, and what are your feelings about the US team?"
Wearing a grin, Bronte began her reply.
"So 2000 was 24 years ago and there's people on our Olympic team that weren't even born then, so to them it's like this ancient history sort of thing," Bronte said, drawing laughter from reporters.
"I have to dig it out and show them this footage, and they're like, 'Why is it so grainy? What is going on here? Where is this from? The '80s?'."
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Zac Stubblety-Cook and Bronte Campbell speaking to media in Paris. Lintao Zhang/Getty Images
Bronte then brought into the discussion Australia's domination of the women's 4x100m freestyle relay.
"We've been an incredibly successful team," Bronte said, hinting at extraordinary feats such as Australia's three consecutive Olympic triumphs in the event.
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"I've been very proud to be part of that team for a really long time, and I think the reason that we've been successful for a long time is we focus on ourselves and what we need to do, so that's exactly what we've done [leading up to the Paris Games].
"I really respect our American competitors," Bronte added.
"I've known a lot of them for many years, I've enjoyed racing them for many years and I'm looking forward to doing it again, as we all are."
After Australia's topping of the medal tally at last year's world championships in Fukuoka, as well as spicy remarks made by Cate, Phelps and others, TV larrikin Karl Stefanovic included, the stage is set for a mouthwatering showdown in the pool.
Several swimming greats, including American Rowdy Gaines and Australian Giaan Rooney, have backed Australia to win the most swimming gold medals in Paris, a feat the country has not achieved at an Olympic Games since Melbourne 1956.
"It's a little bit of a David-versus-Goliath story," Cate said on Nine's Today last month.
"We're up against a country of 350 million people; there's 27 million people here in Australia.
"So it is so satisfying when we can get up over the big dogs, just a couple of times."
