2003 Mutual of Omaha Duel in the Pool

The inaugural edition of the Mutual of Omaha Duel in the Pool took place on April 6, 2003, at the Indiana University Natatorium on the campus of IUPUI in Indianapolis. The event pitted the United States' top swimmers against those of Australia.

The event featured 26 races — four relay events and 22 individual races — in an Olympic-sized pool. There were 270 total points up for grabs in the event, with the U.S. smashing Australia in the end 196-74.

The event was broadcast in the United States by the NBC television network, who taped the event, then showed it over two days the next weekend on April 12 and April 13, 2003. Ted Robinson handled stroke-by-stroke duties, with Rowdy Gaines as the analyst. Craig Hummer was the poolside reporter and interviewer.

Event summary

The Australian team had many noticeable absences:

• Ian Thorpe withdrew due to a serious illness;
• Jodie Henry withdrew due to terrorism fears, as this was one of the first major international sporting events held on the heels of the beginning of the war in Iraq;
• other notable missing Aussies were Michael Klim, Petria Thomas, Geoff Huegill, Giaan Rooney, Leisel Jones, and Ashley Callus.

Of the 26 events held, the U.S. won 21.

Results

Events are listed in chronological order.

Event	First place	Pt	Time	Second place	Pt	Time	Third place	Pt	Time	Fourth place	Pt	Time
Women's 4x100 m Free Relay	Lindsay Benko Natalie Coughlin Rhi Jeffrey Jenny Thompson USA	7	3:38.95 USOR	Alice Mills Libby Lenton Sarah Ryan Elka Graham Australia	0	3:39.13
Men's 4x100 m Free Relay	Scott Tucker Nate Dusing Jason Lezak Neil Walker USA	7	3:14.20 USOR	Casey Flouch Antony Matkovich Jason Cram Adam Pine Australia	0	3:18.62
Women's 400 m Individual Medley	Kaitlin Sandeno USA	5	4:41.89	Jennifer Reilly Australia	3	4:42.94	Maggie Bowen USA	2	4:44.75	Maddy Crippen USA	1	4:50.37
Men's 400 m Individual Medley	Michael Phelps USA	5	4:10.73 WR	Tom Wilkens USA	3	4:16.75	Erik Vendt USA	2	4:17.48	Justin Norris Australia	1	4:19.05
Women's 100 m Back	Natalie Coughlin USA	5	1:00.74	Haley Cope USA	3	1:01.65	Margaret Hoelzer USA	2	1:02.53	Giaan Rooney Australia	1	1:03.08
Men's 100 m Back	Matt Welsh Australia	5	53.89	Lenny Krayzelburg USA	3	54.00	Aaron Peirsol USA	2	54.09	Randall Bal USA	1	55.02
Women's 100 m Breast	Amanda Beard USA	5	1:08.17	Brooke Hanson Australia	3	1:08.62	Tara Kirk USA	2	1:08.90	Sarah Katsoulis Australia	1	1:08.91
Men's 100 m Breast	Ed Moses USA	5	1:00.29	Brendan Hansen USA	3	1:00.49	Jim Piper Australia	2	1:01.97	David Denniston USA	1	1:02.44
Women's 100 m Free	Libby Lenton Australia	5	54.71	Jenny Thompson USA	3	55.00	Alice Mills Australia	2	55.53	Kara Lynn Joyce USA	1	55.56
Men's 100 m Free	Neil Walker USA	5	49.10	Todd Pearson Australia	3	49.70	Scott Tucker USA	2	49.71	Ryan Wochomurka USA	1	50.26
Women's 100 m Fly	Natalie Coughlin USA	5	58.70	Mary DeScenza USA	3	59.04	Jessicah Schipper Australia	2	59.76	Emily Goetsch USA	1	59.78
Men's 100 m Fly	Michael Phelps USA	5	51.84 USOR	Ian Crocker USA	3	52.49	Ben Michaelson USA	2	52.76	Adam Pine Australia	1	53.47
Women's 800 m Free	Diana Munz USA	5	8:34.45	Hayley Peirsol USA	3	8:36.27	Amanda Pascoe Australia	2	8:37.52	Adrienne Binder USA	1	8:44.11
Women's 200 m Back	Margaret Hoelzer USA	5	2:10.88	Melissa Morgan Australia	3	2:12.49	Jamie Reid USA	2	2:13.55	Carmen Retrum USA	1	2:15.02
Men's 200 m Back	Aaron Peirsol USA	5	1:57.13	Lenny Krayzelburg USA	3	1:58.46	Matt Welsh Australia	2	1:58.96	Bryce Hunt USA	1	1:59.61
Women's 200 m Breast	Amanda Beard USA	5	2:25.77	Brooke Hanson Australia	3	2:30.44	Kristy Kowal USA	2	2:30.98	Sarah Kaslouis Australia	1	2:32.28
Men's 200 m Breast	Ed Moses USA	5	2:10.49	Jim Piper Australia	3	2:12.02	Brendan Hansen USA	2	2:12.57	Regan Harrison Australia	1	2:14.5
Women's 50 m Free	Kara Lynn Joyce USA	5	25.14	Jenny Thompson USA	3	25.18	Maritza Correia USA	2	25.36	Alice Mills Australia	1	25.39
Men's 50 m Free	Jason Lezak USA	5	22.26	Brett Hawke Australia	3	22.47	Neil Walker USA	2	22.53	Anthony Ervin USA	1	22.54
Women's 200 m Free	Lindsay Benko USA	5	1:59.17	Elka Graham Australia	3	1:59.36	Elizabeth Hill USA	2	2:00.54	Rhi Jeffrey USA	1	2:01.94
Men's 200 m Free	Grant Hackett Australia	5	1:46.64 AR	Klete Keller USA	3	1:47.08 USOR	Antony Matkovich Australia	2	1:49.18	Scott Goldblatt USA	1	1:49.38
Women's 200 m Fly	Kaitlin Sandeno USA	5	2:10.69	Mary DeScenza USA	3	2:10.77	Emily Mason USA	2	2:11.67	Felicity Galvez Australia	1	2:12.27
Men's 200 m Fly	Michael Phelps USA	5	1:55.17	Tom Malchow USA	3	1:55.24	Michael Raab USA	2	1:58.29	Justin Norris Australia	1	1:58.50
Men's 1500 m Free	Grant Hackett Australia	5	14:48.34 AR	Larsen Jensen USA	3	15:00.81	Craig Stevens Australia	2	15:19.19	Chris Thompson USA	1	15:20.82
Women's 4x100 m Medley Relay	Giaan Rooney Brooke Hanson Jessicah Schipper Libby Lenton Australia	7	4:05.25	Natalie Coughlin Amanda Beard Mary DeScenza Lindsay Benko USA	0	DQ
Men's 4x100 m Medley Relay	Aaron Peirsol Ed Moses Michael Phelps Neil Walker USA	7	3:34.24 USOR	Matt Welsh Jim Piper Adam Pine Todd Pearson Australia	0	DQ

WR=World Record; USOR=U.S. Open Record; AR=American Record

Phelps' world record in the 400 IM, the only one set that day, earned him a $25,000 bonus.

Reasons for DQs:

• Libby Lenton had originally placed first in the Women's 50 m Free, but was stripped of the win because the judges said she false-started. A videotape review of the start, though, appeared to show that she didn't false-start; however, because FINA does not allow tape reviews, the DQ stood, though a FINA Technical Committee member told Lenton her race time would stand as an Australian record.