September 16th, 2000 in Sydney, Australia.
The world had no idea what was in store for them.
The men's 4 x 100m freestyle relay.
Some have called it the best team swim race in history.
I'm Cody Simpson
and this is My Olympic Moment.
(CODY SIMPSON MUSICIAN/SONGWRITER)
I think maybe something that a lot of people didn't know
is that I did swim competitively pretty seriously
before I started to get really busy with my music.
I was Australian champion for butterfly and freestyle
for about four or five years in a row growing up.
Swimming, for me, really embedded
that competitive spirit within me since I was a young boy
and I've really taken that with me
as I've grown up and I now apply that to my music
and that always makes me want to get better
as a songwriter and as a guitar player.
I really was born into the sport.
Both of my parents were Australian champion swimmers
and that's how they met.
So ever since I can remember,
I was kinda destined to be involved in it in some way.
I started competing really, really young,
when I was about nine or ten years old
and loved it ever since my first race.
2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.
The men's 4 x 100m freestyle relay.
America has always been dominant in this relay,
but Australia had a really good team
that Olympics led by Ian Thorpe.
Could Australia do it and pull off a huge upset?
The buzzer goes off and
everyone's into the water.
USA in lane four.
Australia in lane five.
So Michael Klim gets off to a really, really quick
first leg leading by half a body length.
On the first leg of the relay,
Michael Klim also broke
the individual 100m freestyle record
with a time of 48.18.
Australia really got off to the start that they needed.
The crowd was going nuts.
The whole stadium was going off.
Second swimmer, Chris Fydler,
keeps up the momentum.
And then Ashley Callus dives in
and he's swimming like he's never swum before,
but the American swimmer quickly caught him.
This was terrible. Everyone was wondering now if Australia
was going to lose the race because the Americans
were catching up quick.
Now we have the last Aussie, Ian Thorpe,
and the last American, Gary Hall Jr,
anxiously waiting to get in the water.
Two of the world's best swimmers
waiting for their team-mates.
Ian Thorpe, Australia's anchor,
exploded off the block
and into the water.
Gary Hall Jr was almost instantly
pulling ahead of Ian Thorpe
and it was not looking good for Australia.
In the final 50 meters,
America was still ahead,
but Ian Thorpe was slowly
mowing him down.
Which country would reach the wall first?
During the final stretch, we had anticipation building,
until Ian Thorpe finally came ahead
in the last moments.
And Australia just exploded.
It was incredible.
Australia had just won the Olympic gold.
The Americans, the undefeated champions
of this event, finally lost
and Australia in their home country were able to do it.
Australia had set a new world record at 3.13.6 minutes.
Australia had beaten the Americans by .19 seconds.
It was that close.
To be great at anything,
a serious level of discipline, hard work, determination
and devotion of mind, body and spirit is necessary,
whether it's a sport or an art form like music.
I am humbled day to day by the fact
that I have so many people out across the globe
that are willing to listen to me and the things
that I have to say and the music that I have to give.
That keeps me going on a day-to-day basis.
I can be up on stage in front of a crowd
and inspire other people to go after
what they believe in and what they dream.
I just want to inspire other people to reach new heights.
This is My Olympic Moment.