It's not always easy to spot the places on a complex Olympic schedule where host nations seek wilful advantage, and while the United States and World Aquatics may say 'It isn't so, Joe', the LA2028 program of swimming events its clearly stacked in American favour against the likes ofd Olympic champions of Paris 2024 Summer McIntosh and Canada, Duncan Scott, Tom Dean and Great Britain.

It takes seconds to spot it:

• The 200m butterfly final for women - McIntosh the defender - immediately before the 800m freestyle final for women - McIntosh a prime contender (until now)
• The 200m medley semi-final for men - an event that at Paris 2024 featured silver medallist of 2020ne and 2024 Scott and his teammate Tom Dean in the final - immediately before the final of the 4x200m free in which Scott, Dean, James Guy and Matt Richards were champions at Tokyo 2020ne and Paris 2024.
• Each nation boasting a multi-goal star will have their own examples of imperfect scheduling, of course, but World Aquatics has a responsiblity to intervene as and when it can. As and when screams from the schedule for LA2028.

It would be lovely to think that this is simple oversight and World Aquatics will be stepping in to make the required tweaks. Then again, Olympic history is awash with moments where organisers not only allowed the unfair to unfold, they enabled it and defended it with vigour, transparency and truth locked in a boardroom closet never to see the light - until the light would stand the darkness no more.

If the OC's new boss Kirsty Coventry is tuning in, she'll know, as a swimmer who won the 200m back and silvers in the 100m back, the 200 and 400m medley at Beijing 2008 that difficult scheduled can be tipped to 'mission impossible' if organisers fail to take account of precisely what they took account of for Léon Marchand and his American coach Bob Bowman at Paris 2024.