Ariarne Titmus defeats Katie Ledecky to take out gold in 400m freestyle

Lachlan McKirdy

Ariarne Titmus defeats Katie Ledecky to take out gold in 400m freestyle image

Ariarne Titmus has claimed the gold medal for the Women's 400m freestyle at the Tokyo Olympics after narrowly edging out her American rival Katie Ledecky. 

It was one of the most-hyped races of these Olympic Games and it certainly didn't disappoint. 

Much had been made of the rivalry between Ledecky and Titmus going into the event, even if the Australian was trying to play it down. 

But there's no doubting now that after her win in the 2019 World Championships, 20-year-old Titmus is now the best in the world after beating Ledecky in the Olympic final. 

Titmus was the third-fastest qualifier for the event, placing her in lane three. 

Across the first 200 metres, it certainly looked like Ledecky's race to lose. She powered ahead at various points and her technique looked fantastic. 

However, it was important for Titmus to just remain in touch because she knew that her final 100m would be her strongest asset. 

And it certainly proved that way. 

Titmus chased down Ledecky over the last 100 metres, pulling into the lead for the first time at the final turn. 

She eventually motored down the final straight to win the race in a time of 3:56.69, a new Australian Record and the second-fastest time in the event of all time. 


It sparked scenes of celebrations across the world as Australia's swimming prodigy finally collected her first of what is likely to be many gold medals. 

Her coach Dean Boxhall almost broke the venue with these joyous scenes of celebration. 

Speaking after the race, an exhausted yet ecstatic Titmus could hardly hide her excitement after claiming her first Olympic gold medal. 

"I can't believe it, I'm trying to contain my emotions," Titmus told Channel 7. 

"Oh my gosh, I can't believe it. This past year hasn't gone fast or slow but more than anything to get here was a relief. 

"To come here and do the job, I'm over the moon."

Titmus shared an embrace with Ledecky after the race, a clear sign of mutual respect after what will go down as one of the greatest Olympic finals of all-time. 

"I thanked her, I wouldn't be here without her," Titmus admitted.

"She set this incredible standard, and 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 going, it's really fun to race. That's the best part about it. 

"In the race, I tried to stay as composed as I could and then tried to stick to my race plan. I can't believe I actually pulled it off."

There were incredible scenes in Queensland as her family and friends celebrated enthusiastically after Titmus touched the wall. 

Even Olympic champion Dawn Fraser was there to celebrate the achievement. 

"I just want to thank them for everything. None of this would have been possible without them," Titmus said.

"Moving to Brisbane to train, it's not just my parents it's my sister, my boyfriend, my entire family, my cousins and their partners and my aunty and her partner are in Noosa as well. 

"It's a big group around me and I certainly couldn't do it without them."

And on coach Boxhall whose celebration has already gone viral after the win?

"Dean means everything to me," Titmus said. 

"Coming into this race, we knew exactly what we had to do. We didn't discuss what we wanted to do in the pool, we just wanted to have a fun moment. 

"We practiced this for so long, I knew what I had to do when I got out there."


 

Lachlan McKirdy

Lachlan McKirdy Photo