Kyle Lee overcame an 18-second deficit on the final leg of the mixed 4x800-meter open water relay to give Australia the lead over the United States after Day 1 of the 2022 Duel in the Pool.
The Americans and the Aussies used opposite strategies in the opening race of the three-day event, which took place Friday at Bondi Beach in Sydney. The U.S. used its two men's swimmers at the front of the relay, while the Australians led with their women's swimmers.
- Australia: Chelsea Gubecka, Kareena Lee, Kai Edwards, Kyle Lee
- United States: Charlie Clark, David Johnston, Bella Sims, Tylor Mathieu
It set the stage for an entertaining finish as Lee trimmed the Americans' advantage to nine seconds at the 400-meter mark and then surged ahead inside the final 20 meters for the win, per Martin Pegan of the Australian Associated Press.