Ariarne Titmus says she can swim with freedom for the rest of the Tokyo Olympics with her toughest and most daunting events over.
‘The two big ones are out of the way,’ the swim queen said after collecting her second gold medal of the Games.
Titmus is the third Australian swimmer to complete a 200m-400m freestyle double at an Olympics, joining legends Shane Gould (1972) and Ian Thorpe (2004).
The 20-year-old joins a group of celebrated swimmers to win two individual golds at the single Games: Gould, Thorpe, Michael Wenden, Murray Rose and Stephanie Rice.
Ariarne Titmus becomes the third Australian swimmer to complete a 200m-400m freestyle double at an Olympics and says she can now swim with freedom for the rest of the Tokyo Olympics games with the most daunting events over
And Titmus, with the 800m freestyle and 4x200m freestyle relay to come, is on the verge of history, yet largely oblivious to it.
The Tasmanian has shut down social media and the outside world in general while competing.
‘I am living in my own little world,’ she said.
‘I heard that maybe had Simone (Biles) had pulled out of the team event but I haven’t read anything about it.
‘I am honestly just focusing on myself and what I have to do here.
‘It’s a little bit strange actually at an Olympic Games and there’s multiple events going on.
‘But I feel like when you have got such narrow focus you only think about what you’re doing.
‘And to me this just feels like another swim meet so I am really not looking too much externally.’
Titmus has just the 800m freestyle and 4x200m freestyle relay to come being on the verge of history
Helping keep that just ‘another swim meet’ vibe, the lack of crowds.
‘The athlete seating and the coaches that are there create a pretty great atmosphere, it just kind of feels like a swim meet back home in Australia,’ Titmus said.
‘And I just pretend that everyone is cheering for me.
‘But when you’re in your zone it doesn’t really matter. We are all here to swim fast.
‘It’s really disappointing that the Japanese people can’t come down and watch us and that is quite sad.
‘But I feel like we can all still swim fast with the athletes in the grandstands.’
Titmus will be the key plank in Australia’s 4x200m relay team, a gold medal contender.
But she’s longer odds to down American rival Katie Ledecky in the 800m.
Titmus will take on US great Katie Ledecky (pictured) in their third showdown of the games facing off in the 4x200m freestyle relay
‘We have a great shot in the relay tomorrow and that will be really exciting and then on to the 800 to finish the meet,’ she said.
‘I feel good. I have been utilising the rest that I have as much as I can so this afternoon I will try to just relax and reset and focus for tomorrow.
‘This meet, although it’s challenging for me going through multiple events, it’s going quickly so I feel like I will be ready.’
Whether Titmus’ feats in the 200 and 400 have left scars on Ledecky remains to be seen – the American took a 1500m gold after finishing fifth in the 200.
But Australia’s most successful Olympian, Thorpe, believes there may be.
And he believes Titmus has the steel to dominate a rivalry that will define a generation.
‘(Ledecky) has been so dominant in swimming … she has been so much better than any other athlete in the world,’ Thorpe, with five golds among his Olympic collection of nine medals, told Seven Network.
‘And then comes along someone like Ariarne Titmus who has been inspired by her.
‘But she (Titmus) is better than her now. She has removed … two of the events that Katie Ledecky can win.
With Ledecky being only 24, Australian swimming great Ian Thorpe believes the contest between Titmus and Ledecky could continue for years to come
‘And we have got to remember: Katie Ledecky is 24, it’s not like she’s a 28-year-old, 30-year-old that is looking ahead to retirement after these Games.
‘This could be a contest against these two for years to come.’
Ledecky, a five-time Olympic gold medallist and 15-time world champion, had proven her mental strength over time.
‘Katie Ledecky studied psychology so I am going ‘well, technically it probably shouldn’t get in the head’,’ he said.
‘But I think she might be.
‘It’s one of those things that there is a level of mutual respect amongst the two of them which is great to see.’
Titmus herself said Ledecky’s fifth place needed context.
‘This was probably the field that had the most depth of all my events,’ she said.
‘I felt like it could have been anyone’s race.’