USA swimming star's cocky Tokyo Olympics prediction backfires in spectacular fashion

The Americans have done it again.

This time, it's star breaststroker Lilly King left with a red face after declaring the USA would win every individual gold medal in women's swimming at the Tokyo Olympics.

Twenty-one years ago, American swimming legend Gary Hall junior became the villain of the 2000 Sydney Olympics after sledging Australia ahead of the men's 4x100m freestyle relay, claiming "we'll smash them like guitars".

Australia's team of Michael Klim, Chris Fydler, Ashley Callus and Ian Thorpe made Hall look stupid, ending the Americans' domination of the event and celebrating by playing air guitars on the pool deck.

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Five Olympic Games later, King has been forced to eat words of her own, with the USA having won just one gold medal from the first five individual events in women's swimming.

Yui Ohashi of Japan clinched victory in the 400m individual medley, outracing Americans Emma Weyat (silver) and Hali Flickinger (bronze).

King's astounding prediction had blown up in her face in just one event.

Canada's Margaret Macneil then pulled through for gold in the 100m butterfly final, as American Torri Huske finished fourth.

That was followed by Australian golden girl Ariarne Titmus conquering USA legend Katie Ledecky in the 400m freestyle final, the swimming icon who had headed to Tokyo having won five gold medals across two Olympic campaigns, as American Paige Madden finished seventh.

Another Australian then grabbed the spotlight when Kaylee McKeown prevailed in the 100m backstroke final, ahead of American Regan Smith in third and countrywoman Rhyan White in fourth.

Eventually, in the fifth individual final of the women's swimming, 17-year-old Lydia Jacoby of the USA seized gold to break the drought, becoming Alaska's first Olympic swimming champion. King, the event's gold medallist at the 2016 Rio Games, was backed to retain her crown but was left with bronze.

While his tune may have changed since, USA women's swimming head coach Greg Meehan applauded the bullish comment of King at the time.

"What I love about what Lilly said is that is who she is, that is her personality, she is competitive," Meehan said.

"That is someone we want on Team USA. She's great on relays and regardless of the context of that, the reality is, is that competitive spirit is what Team USA is all about. (When) we get into international competition, that competitive spirit is what drives us.

"And it doesn't matter whether it's Australia or Team Great Britain or China or Japan or whoever it may be; it's about being the best that we can be as Team USA."

Australian cricket legend Glenn McGrath found himself in a similar situation after declaring the visitors would trounce England 5-0 on their own patch of dirt in the 2005 Ashes.

Of course what eventuated for Australia was a shock 2-1 series loss, albeit not helped by McGrath missing the second Test after rolling an ankle on a cricket ball during the warm-up, before an elbow injury rubbed him out of the fourth match.

So King is not alone - the mistake she's made has happened many times in elite sport and will undoubtedly happen again - but waiting for her on the menu at the Olympic village is, nonetheless, humble pie.