Michael Phelps won three individual events and anchored the US to an easy victory in the 400m medley relay Tuesday at the Duel in the Pool meet with Australia.
The Americans won 18 races to 10 for the Aussies. Overall, the US outscored Australia 183-102, repeating its victory from 2003.
Exhaustion was a factor for both teams after the recent eight-day world championships at Montreal. The teams arrived from Canada on Monday.
Aussie Grant Hackett won the 400m freestyle in 3:45.31, but he was upset in the 200m free by American Peter Vanderkaay.
"My body felt extremely tired," Hackett said. "I've got five or six gears in me, but I was crunching to get into second without a clutch. It was a tough day."
Hackett breathed on his right side in Lane 4, so he didn't see Vanderkaay over in Lane 1.
"I didn't have a clue he was there. I actually got a shock when I turned around and saw," Hackett said. "I didn't even realize he was so far ahead."
Hackett won three individual gold medals last week in Montreal and broke countryman Ian Thorpe's world record in the 800m free.
Phelps won the 200m and 400m individual medleys and the 200m butterfly Tuesday. He was one of four world record-holders on the victorious 400m medley relay, joining hometown favorite Aaron Peirsol, Brendan Hansen and Ian Crocker. They finished in 3 minutes, 36.39 seconds -- beating the Aussies by more than 6 seconds.
Phelps hasn't lost a 400m IM since the 2001 US spring nationals, a streak of eight races.
Peirsol was another multiple winner, sweeping the 100m and 200m backstrokes.
Afterward, he and Aussie Michael Klim swapped team jerseys.
"Couldn't have asked for a better meet as far as the competition goes," Peirsol said. "Those are some great fans sitting out there, a lot of kids and that's kind of who we're trying to reach with this."
Katie Hoff, the 16-year-old who emerged as a future star at last week's world championships, swept the 200m and 400m IMs. She won the 400m IM by 4 1/2 seconds, besting her time in Montreal.
"I felt good about what I accomplished," Hoff said.
Aussie Leisel Jones and American Jessica Hardy renewed their budding rivalry in the 100m breaststroke that began last week. Jones won in 1:06.21 -- the second-fastest time and just one-hundredth of a second off Hardy's week-old world record.
Jones would have claimed US$25,000 if she had broken the mark.
"Leisel is always fun and you have to go fast to race her," said Hardy, who trains in Irvine. "It hurt more than it did in Montreal."
Hansen swept the 100m and 200m breaststrokes.
Other double winners for the Aussies were: Jess Schipper, 100-200 fly, Jones, 100m-200m breaststroke and Libby Lenton, 100m-200m free. Their strong performances helped the Aussies outscore the American women, 76-70.
Schipper won the 200m fly, then returned a short time later to swim on the victorious 400m medley relay team.
The Americans were in front for the first 200m before Schipper overtook Rachel Komisarz on the third leg.
"That was amazing, that was the swim of the meet," US coach Jack Bauerle said about Schipper.
The teams competed in 28 races, with the top four places worth points on a 5-3-2-1 basis. Relay winners earned seven points, losers got nothing.
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