James Magnussen says the Australian swimming team is furious after Karl Stefanovic called Michael Phelps a ‘dummy’.

Before last month’s U.S. swimming competitions, an old clip of Campbell surfaced in which she jokingly accused the Americans of being “sore losers.”

Although the comment was clearly sarcastic, Phelps was filmed responding to the remark, suggesting that it would give the American swimmers all the motivation they needed to beat the Australians in Paris.

The issue recently flared up again when Today Show host Karl Stefanovic called Phelps a “moron” during an interview with Campbell.

According to Australian swimming champion James Magnussen, members of the Australian swimming team were furious when they went to Paris.

To clear the air, Campbell said Tuesday that she spoke with Phelps after the incident and that there was no animosity between them or the two swim teams.

However, she did expect some retaliation when she was on the pool terrace in Paris.

“Look, it was funny,” Campbell said. “I personally reached out to Michael to make sure it was all done with a good sense of humor and he’s totally okay with it.

“He’s said the rivalry between Australia and the US has helped the sport move forward. We’ve gone head to head so many times and that’s actually a good thing.

“So yeah, I was surprised at how much it exploded, but I made sure that anyone who needed to know knew that it was mostly a joke.

“There will always be people who take things out of context, but there’s not much I can do about that.

“I know there’s going to be some cowbells ringing in my face, but I’d rather do that in my own face than in the Australian swimming team’s.”

The battle between the Australians and the Americans in the pool in Paris promises to be exciting. They are two of the most talented teams in recent history.

At the 2023 World Championships, Australia won 13 golds, compared to the US’s seven. It equaled the Dolphins’ best performances at the world titles in 2001 and 2005.

Based on the rankings, both countries are on track to win eight gold medals, with China coming within a few yards of that number with seven.

The interest in this year’s Olympic swimming event rivals the comments of Gary Hall Junior, who said he should smash them like guitars, before the 2000 Sydney swimming event.

Campbell admitted that while respect was an important theme, gaining respect from the Americans also provided ample motivation.

“It’s a bit of a David and Goliath story here: Australia has 27 million people and we’re up against a country of 350 million people,” Campbell said.

“The fact that we have been able to surprise them so often is something we can be very proud of.

“As soon as we get out of the pool, we all hug and congratulate each other.

“But you want to win and there’s a bit of history when it comes to Australia and the US.”

Paris will be the first Olympic Games since Athens that Campbell will not be in the pool.

It’s a mixed feeling for the 32-year-old, but she’s already looking forward to seeing how the event inspires the next generation.

She was motivated to take up swimming while watching the Sydney Olympics and hopes more children will do the same in the coming month.

She has partnered with Allianz as an ambassador to address the growing problem of children dropping out of sports.

“I remember watching Susie O’Neill win gold in the 200m and thinking that one day that could be me,” Campbell said.

“But Allianz did research and found that a third of children stop playing sports in their teenage years.

“Part of that is the time investment, but part of it is also because we feel like there isn’t enough support.

“I think the Olympics are one of the most important events in terms of inspiring people and keeping them involved in sport, because you can put yourself in someone else’s shoes.

“That’s a beautiful thing that children have, they have an incredible imagination.

“If you can keep them engaged through their adolescence, then I think we have a chance to keep kids engaged.

“We have an Olympic Games in our own country in 2032, so if they can keep going with the carrot of the Olympics for eight years, that could be you.”