"I had good swims, but I'm ready to go home," said American Angel Martino, who won two golds.
"We're a little spoiled in the States with the facilities we have. They just don't have them here," Martino added.
The problem at the pool was a faulty filter that turned the water green and delayed the meet a day. When it was finally held Sunday, the Swedes declined to swim. But the murky water produced slow times and organization was spotty.
"I slowed at every turn, it was difficult to see the wall," American Melvin Stewart said after winning the 200-meter butterfly in 1 minute, 58.46 seconds. "The pool out here has been black, brown, green, brown -- it's been an adventure. It's looked like they filled the pool with Gatorade today, but it didn't taste like it."
Russian sprinter Alexander Popov and Ren Xing of China also won two gold medals each. The Chinese women won five of 10 women's events.
Popov, 22, defeated 50-meter world record-holder Tom Jager, 29, in 22.55, well short of Jager's world mark of 21.81.
The five-member Swedish team pulled out despite a heated poolside argument between coach Ronny Juhlin and Goodwill Games president Jack Kelly.
American Nicole Haislett was third in the 100-meter freestyle won by Martino, whose time was a slow 56.02 -- perhaps a sign that the swimmers are still prepping for September's World Championships in Rome. Martino also won the 50 freestyle.
Stewart, the world record-holder in the 200-meter butterfly, beat chief rival Denis Pankratov of Russia but Pankratov beat Stewart in the 100 fly. Stewart said he would not defend his world title at 200 meters because he will have his tonsils removed next week.
The Chinese women attracted rapt attention. Coach Wen Xinlong called his team at the Goodwill Games his "third team," as the elite skipped the games to prepare for September.
Also winning for China were Hong Shu in the 100 butterfly, Bail Xiuyu in the 100 backstroke, and the 4x100 medley relay.
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