Ariarne Titmus Talks Katie Ledecky And Summer McIntosh Rivalry, Revealing Her Hunger For Olympic Gold In Paris

BIRMINGHAM GOLD: Ariarne Titmus was one of the real stars as Australia swept the pool at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).

Ariarne Titmus Talks All Things Katie Ledecky And Summer McIntosh Revealing Her Hunger For Olympic Gold In Paris

Ariarne Titmus can’t wait to renew her swimming rivalry with Katie Ledecky and Summer McIntosh as the dual Olympic champion starts her competitive comeback at the Queensland Swimming Championships in Brisbane tonight.

And the dual Olympic champion, who will start with the 200m freestyle, knows she’s going to have to be better in Paris than she was in Tokyo if she is to defend those 200 and 400m crowns.

Golden Girl Ariarne Titmus Returns To Racing At Queensland Championships Before Turning Her Talents To Television Debut

She admits she has been itching to join her two main 400m combatants who have turned on some spectacular racing in North America over the recent months.

Ledecky out-touching McIntosh by 0.08 of a second in a 400m freestyle thriller at the recent US Open in Greensboro (NC) after McIntosh had turned the tables on Ledecky over 400m short course at the Toronto FINA World Cup meet in October.

In Greensboro, the pair were tied at the 300m mark, Ledecky clocking 3:59.71 to McIntosh’s 3:59.79 to extend a decade-long win streak in freestyle races of 400m or longer in US pools.

But Titmus knows she has to bide her time in the countdown to Paris and what will be a much-anticipated 400m freestyle, which is sure to earn top billing as the most anticipated showdown of the 2024 Games.

Already there are comparisons to the 2004 Athens Olympics “Race of the Century” which featured Ian Thorpe, Pieter van den Hoogenband and Michael Phelps.

Jul 26, 2021; Tokyo, Japan; Ariarne Titmus (AUS) hugs Katie Ledecky (USA) after the women's 400m freestyle final during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Tokyo Aquatics Centre. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

SISTERS IN ARMS: Ariarne Titmus and Katie Ledecky – an Olympic rivalry to continue in Paris. Photo Courtesy: Rob Schumacher/USA Today Sports

Paris and next year’s World’s in Fukuoka will see the previous Olympic and four-time and current world champion and previous world record holder in Ledecky against Titmus, the defending Olympic and previous world champion and current world record holder against Canadian rising star McIntosh – silver in the world’s over 400m and silver in the Commonwealth Games to Ledecky and Titmus respectively – and on the move.

“There has certainly been some very, very fast swimming from Katie and Summer…and it’s been very exciting to watch, with such fast times and it makes me want to dive in for a part of all that,” said Titmus as she opened up about her drive to defend het titles in Paris, the 2023 Fukuoka showdown and life outside the pool.

“It excites me for the World Championships next year which are just going to be crazy in the women’s distance swimming events.

“There will be a bunch of us and there will be some really good racing and it is exciting to see what’s going on in the world of swimming at the moment.

“I don’t think I’ve seen women swim that fast in the 400m at this time of year although everyone is at different stages of their preparations.

“I know I’m not in a position and have not done the work to be swimming super fast at this stage of my prep but that was my plan – I have absolutely zero expectations for the Queensland Championships but I’m realty excited to be back racing again.

“I want to make sure that I’m ready to go next year when it matters…you cant’ be good all the time and that’s why I forwent the World Short Course Championships.

“I’m better off just to do the meets that are really important to me and are going to add value to my swimming…ultimately they are going to help me for Paris.

“So swimming in Melbourne was not part of the plan but I’m so happy to be on the microphone with the commentary team from Channel 9 after swimming the Queensland Championships.”

A SWIMMING FAVOURITE: Olympic golden girl Ariarne Titmus and Immortalis promoting the Melbourne Cup. Photo Courtesy: Victorian Racing Club.

Titmus has a training camp with St Peters Western in Thailand in February; then the Swimming Australia National Event Camp; probably the NSW Championships in Sydney before the Australian Championships in April on the Gold Coast and The Trials in Melbourne for the Fina World Championships in Fukuoka (JPN) in July.

“It’s a really packed first six months of the year; the busiest six months I think since before Tokyo…and I’ll be making swimming my number one priority,” said Titmus who has been busy with outside activities, which included being the ambassador for Australia’s richest horse race the Melbourne Cup.

“The back half of the year will be less than a year out from the Olympics and it’s going to be really important to get as much aerobic work in as I can.

“It will set me up for 2024 and I know you have to treat every prep as if it’s your last, especially after seeing what it’s like to compete at the Olympics and to do well there I know what it takes.

“The next year-and-half is going to be really busy and I know if I’m not better than what I was before Tokyo and with the competition I have then I’m not going to win again.

“That’s really good for me to know and I have high motivation levels at the moment.

“Dean was worried that once I had won at the Olympics and because I achieved everything I wanted to, you can become a little bit complacent but that hasn’t happened.

DRESSED TO KILL: Ariarne Titmus at the recent Hancock Prospecting Patrons Awards Dinner. Photo Courtesy: Wade Brennan.

“In fact I think I’m actually even more hungry to stay at the top but I think it’s going to be more challenging staying there with the young swimmers coming through as well as Katie who of course is always there but I’m excited for that challenge.

“It is really good that the sport is moving in a really positive direction…. and it is very exciting. I never dreamt that I would be in this era of swimming and to truly be part of it…

“So I have to make the most of it while it’s ’s here….”

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andrew malcolm ross

1 year ago

summer will win in Paris

Sailplane

1 year ago

Trials in Melbourne in July?
at MSAC? At the outdoor pool?

Steve

1 year ago

Very. Well. Said young. Lady. As a. Fan I. Believe. As u. Said the. 400. Free final is. Going to be awesome. Axiously waiting. 2024.