September 25, 2000

Australia's 17-year-old hero, Ian Thorpe, was the hit of a record-smashing pool party in Sydney, until others, including a bunch of Americans, began horning in on the fun. Wrote SI's Leigh Montville: "In an hour's time Thorpe had won the 400 free with ease, breaking his own world mark, and then come back after the medal ceremony to anchor an amazing upset of the U.S. in the 4x100 freestyle relay, a race of high drama and record speed, maybe the best relay race in history. Thorpe was a jolt of high-voltage electricity that went through his sport and his country." Said Megan Quann of the U.S., who won the 100 breaststroke two days later: "I think everyone on our team responded after that first night, after what happened in the 4x100. We all decided that we had to work harder, push past the hard times."

Photograph by Simon Bruty