By MATTHEW FISHER -- Sun's Columnist at Large
  SYDNEY -- The United States won the week-long war against Australia in the Olympic pool.

 But the Aussies closed out the meet yesterday by taking a double victory in the race that matters most in this swimming-mad nation.

 As another crowd of 17,500 screamed themselves hoarse, Geoff Hackett of Australia took the gold medal in the 1,500-metre freestyle in 14 minutes, 48.33 seconds.

 Right behind Hackett for the silver was the country's favourite sun, Kieren Perkins, who won gold in the event at Atlanta and Barcelona.

 Australians feel as proprietary about the 1,500-metre races as Canadians feel about hockey. As Hackett and Perkins hugged each other and celebrated their results, not to mention the millions of dollars in sponsorships likely coming their way, spectators burst into a chorus of Waltzing Matilda.

 "For Australians, there will never be another week like it," Hackett said. "This place and this atmosphere were quite exceptional. Everyone in this country wants to be on the Australian swim team. That's where it's at."

 Before the Olympics began, the Aussies tried to stoke a rivalry with the U.S.

 The campaign never quite worked, but there were many fierce duels.

 The Americans won 14 golds, eight silvers and 11 bronzes in the pool to Australia's five, nine and four.

 The U.S. finished its blitz by winning the women's and men's the 4x100-metre medley relays, with the men knocking more than a second off the world record, finishing in 3:33.73.

 The Netherlands finished the meet third with eight medals including five golds, with world record-setting Inge de Bruijn winning her third gold yesterday in the 50-metre freestyle.

 The other individual stars of the pool were Australia's Ian Thorpe with three gold medals and Pieter van den Hoogenband of the Netherlands and Domenico Fioravanti of Italy, each with a pair of gold medals.

 Canada had its worst Olympics in the pool since being shut out altogether in 1964 at Tokyo. Canada's only medal, a bronze in the 400-metre individual medley, was won by Curtis Myden of Calgary.

 Canada qualified for only 12 of the 28 swim finals at this Olympics, ending up in a three-way tie for 16th place with Brazil and Spain -- behind Slovakia, Costa Rica and South Africa.

 Canada fared only slightly better than usual in the pool yesterday. The men's 4x100 medley team -- Calgarians Chris Renaud and Morgan Knabe, Michael Mintenko of Moose Jaw, Sask., and Craig Hutchison of Pointe Claire, Que. -- placed sixth in 3:39.88.

 The women's 4x100 medley team of Kelly Stefanyshyn of Winnipeg, Christin Petelski of Victoria, Jen Button of Waterloo and Marianne Limpert of Fredericton also were sixth in 4:07.55, more than seven seconds behind the U.S.

 Limpert lashed out several days ago at the Canadian government for not supporting the swim team more. Head coach Dave Johnson said it was time to make some hard decisions about what to do about swimming and other Olympic sports.

 In their post mortem after swimming yesterday, members of the men's medley relay team wondered why Canadian corporations did not support their athletes the way Australian corporations do.

 "We come from nothing and (the Australians and Americans) get ridiculous money. It's difficult to compete against millionaires," Renaud said.

 "If you pay for a Chevy, you get a Chevy. If you pay for a Ferrari, you get a Ferrari."

 Knabe said: "At this level, we are just getting by. I live at home, but those out on there own find it really difficult. I wish I could help out my parents somehow."