Book excerpt: In the sports world, battles between rivals can be friendly, hotly contested, or even hostile. An individual sport at its core, swimming is defined by iconic rivalries such as those between Ian Thorpe and Grant Hackett, Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte, and Jenny Thompson and Dara Torres. Throughout its history, swimming has showcased some of its top athletes competing face to face, challenging each other in ways that captivate their fans. Duels in the Pool: Swimming’s Greatest Rivalries highlights the best of these contests. Spanning nearly 100 years, this book delves into the individual showdowns, team battles, friendly competitions, and heated political rivalries that have played out in pools around the world. From their early beginnings through the highlights of their careers, this book follows the top athletes in the sport and the rivals who pushed them to the pinnacle of swimming. Individual races are recounted, bringing to life the intense competition that drove the swimmers to glory. In addition to the individual athletes, Duels in the Pool also examines some of the most exciting rivalries that existed between colleges and among nations. Although such rivalries as those between the U.S. and Australia took place exclusively in the pool, others, such as the battle against East Germany during the 1970s and 80s, were intensified by the political climate and allegations of doping. Exhaustively researched, Duels in the Pool includes original interviews and rich details, shining a light on some of the sport’s finest athletes and the rivalries that propelled them to greatness. This book will appeal not only to sports historians and researchers but also to fans of swimming at every level.