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