Aussie swim star Titmus buzzing for freestyle showdown

Steve Larkin | July 23, 2023

For the first time in two years, Australia’s swim ace Ariarne Titmus is buzzing.

Titmus is among a three-pronged feature race on Sunday’s opening day of competition at the pool at the Aquatic World Championships in Fukuoka.

Her compatriot Elijah Winnington will seek to defend his world 400 metres freestyle title and Australia’s men’s and women’s 4x100m freestyle relay teams expect to be among first-day medallists.

But Titmus’ 400m freestyle against American legend Katie Ledecky and Canada’s teen world record holder Summer McIntosh looms as Sunday’s show-stopper.

The trio have all held the world record in the past 18 months – from Ledecky, to Titmus to 16-year-old McIntosh who set the fresh benchmark of three minutes 56.08 seconds in March.

“I don’t really remember as an athlete seeing three women that have held the world record within 18 months, all together racing each other,” Titmus said.

“I wish that I could watch from the outside.”

Titmus beat Ledecky for gold at the Olympic Games in Tokyo held in 2021.

And the Tasmanian-born Queensland-based swimmer said that was the last time she felt such heightened excitement – until now.

“This is probably he first time since the Olympics that I’m really feeling the buzz to race,” Titmus said.

Ledecky held the 400m freestyle world record for almost eight years – from August 2014 until May last year when Titmus broke it.

The Australian held the record for just 10 months until the new marker created by McIntosh, who was pipped by Titmus over the distance at last year’s Commonwealth Games.

“I really feel the outside pressure, obviously it’s there,” McIntosh said.

“But at the end of the day all I can do is try my hardest … to race the best I can.”

Ledecky and McIntosh will swim in the same heat in Sunday’s morning session starting 11.30am (AEST), with Titmus in the heat prior. The final is scheduled for 9.32pm (AEST).