Ariarne Titmus outpaced Katie Ledecky in a last-gasp burst in the 400m freestyle to claim Australia’s second gold medal, cracking the legendary American swimmer’s undefeated Olympics streak.
Pool-side after her July 26 win — which cracked a lengthy 49-year drought in the 400m event for Australia — Titmus only had praise for her swimming arch-rival.
“I wouldn’t be here without her,” the Launceston star said just minutes after etching her name into Australian Olympics history. The 20-year-old chalked it up to her American rival “driving her to new heights” in her quest for gold.
She revealed: “I even thanked her!”
“[Ledecky] has set this incredible standard… all credit to her for the swimmer she is. I’ve just been trying to chase her. It’s really exciting now that we have this battle.
“It’s really fun to race,” the Aussie medalist added. “That’s the best part about it.”
Ledecky, a five-time gold medalist in the past two Olympic games, was looking for world-stage revenge over her Aussie rival, after the 20-year-old handed her a first-ever loss in a distance race back in the 2019 world championships.
America’s superstar swimmer, 24, got the early jump on Titmus with a dominant first 200 metres, and led the Launceston hopeful by 0.66 at the halfway mark.
Titmus cut the difference to 0.16 at 300m, and led in the final turn.
The final fifty metres was where our Aussie star shone, charging ahead to clock in at 3:56:49, less than a second ahead of Ledecky (3:57:36). China’s Li Bingjie rounded out the 400m podium with 4:01:08, pipping 14-year-old Canadian Summer McIntosh in the last sprint.
“I can’t believe it. I’m trying to contain my emotions,” Titmus said post-race.
The Aussie explained she rode the first 300 metres of the race — all part of the plan — before opening all cylinders for the final sprint: “I tried to stay as composed as I could and then just tried to stick to my original race plan.
“I can’t believe I actually pulled it off.”
The Aussie’s heavyweight rival, Ledeceky, said she wasn’t upset to have lost to Titmus.
“I fought tooth and nail and gave it my all. I can’t be disappointed. That’s an awesome time for me,” Ledecky said after her second-place finish, which happened to be the second-fastest of her career.
“We’re really friendly. [Ariarne] really pushed me and I think it’s really great for the sport.”
Ariarne Titmus joins Shane Gould (1972) and Lorraine Crapp (1956) as Australian champions in the women’s Olympic 400m. Her victory over Ledecky marks the first time an Aussie has won the race since Ian Thorpe in Athens in 2004.
“This past year, I don’t know if it’s gone fast or slow but more than anything, to get here was a relief,” the Aussie star said. “Then to come here and do the job, I’m over the moon.”
