Ariarne Titmus expressed her amazement at winning back-to-back Olympic 400m freestyle titles and praised her rival Katie Ledecky on Saturday. The humble 23-year-old held off Canadian teenager Summer McIntosh and the legendary American swimmer to join Dawn Fraser as the only Australian female swimmer to retain an Olympic crown.
Titmus, the world record holder, swam a commanding race, finishing in 3:57.49. McIntosh took silver with 3:58.37, and Ledecky finished with bronze in 4:00.86 after fading in the final 50 meters.
“I can’t believe that’s me, to be honest,” Titmus remarked about her achievement. “I look at myself and I’m so normal. I love swimming, and I love getting out and representing my country and having fun. I hope nobody looks at me any differently. I’m just the same old goofy Tassie (Tasmanian) girl out here living out her dream.”
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Titmus emphasized that her victory should inspire others. “I hope it goes to show, anyone can do what they want to do if they work hard and believe in themselves. And here I am, from little old Launie (Launceston), a town of 90,000, and I’m out here living the dream.”
Titmus arrived in Paris in top form, having broken the 200m world record and clocking the second-fastest 400m ever at the Australian trials. Despite the competition from Ledecky and McIntosh, Titmus controlled the race, staying close to the world record pace halfway through and finishing strong.
“I’m just happy to get the result for myself, and I’m so honoured to be part of the race and be alongside legends like Katie,” Titmus said. “I look up to her so much as an athlete, and it is certainly not a rivalry beyond the races. I really respect her as a person. Her longevity in the sport. It’s nice to catch up and have a chat.”
Reflecting on the race, Titmus added, “It’s fun racing the best in the world. It gets the best out of me; it gets the best out of them. I really hope all the hype lived up to the expectation. I really hope that I put on a good show tonight and everyone enjoyed it.”
Titmus is set to compete in the 200m and 800m freestyle events in Paris. Ledecky, meanwhile, has opted out of the 200m to focus on defending her 800m and 1500m titles. McIntosh will skip the 200m freestyle to prioritize the 200m and 400m medley and 200m butterfly.
