With US swimmer Torri Huske’s 100-meter butterfly gold medal win on Sunday, Team USA’s combined tally of 14 swimming medals leads all countries across the Olympics.

But while the current haul is looking healthy, the USA’s Olympic swimming gold medal stranglehold is very much in danger of falling by the wayside.

Australia swimmer Kaylee McKeown celebrates her Olympic gold in the 100-meter backstroke
Australian swimmer Kaylee McKeown successfully defended her 100-meter backstroke gold medal on Tuesday. (Adam Pretty/Getty Images)

Australia takes aim at USA's Olympic gold medal streak

It’s been 36 years since the coed US swimming squad came up short in the Olympic gold medal race — at least five years before anyone on today's team was even born.

That dominance, however, is hanging by a thread as the Australians are gold medal count favorites after running away with the 2023 World Swimming Championships.

"Certainly, there are some events… where we’ve got a significant amount of ground to make up," US head women’s coach Todd DeSorbo told reporters. "But I’m confident in the motivation and excitement and commitment of everybody — men and women — on the team that are prepared to do that."

Team USA's Regan Smith and Katharine Berkoff pose with their silver and bronze medals in the 100-meter backstroke.
World record-holder Regan Smith of Team USA took silver in the 100-meter backstroke, with teammate Katharine Berkoff earning bronze. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Women's swimming wins keep hardware hopes alive

In the seven women’s events so far, the US has captured eight medals: one gold, four silver, and three bronze.

Joining Huske on Sunday’s 100-meter butterfly podium was US teammate and fellow NCAA swimmer Gretchen Walsh, who snagged silver just six weeks after becoming the event’s world record-holder at US Trials.

Monday’s 400-meter individual medley also saw two US swimmers medal in their second Olympic Games, with Katie Grimes and Emma Weyant taking silver and bronze behind 17-year-old Canadian phenom Summer McIntosh, who won the event by the equivalent of a country mile.

While Australia's Kaylee McKeown successfully defended her 100-meter backstroke gold medal on Tuesday — breaking her own Olympic record in the process —Team USA completed the podium. Regan Smith, who reclaimed the world record from McKeown at last month’s Trials, swam to silver, with first-time Olympian Katharine Berkoff taking bronze.

Katie Ledecky celebrates after winning the 400-meter freestyle during this year's US Olympic Swimming Team Trials
Team USA swimmer Katie Ledecky is one of the sports most decorated athletes. (Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

USA's Ledecky expected to make more Olympic history

After dropping to third in Saturday's 400-meter freestyle, seven-time USA gold medalist Katie Ledecky is still expected to own Wednesday’s 1500-meter freestyle, a race she hasn’t lost in 14 years. 

A medal in that event would tie Ledecky with three former Team USA athletes as the most decorated Olympic women swimmers in history.