Ariarne Titmus shatters world record at Australian Olympic trials in statement performance ahead of Paris 2024

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

Ariarne Titmus smashed the 200 metres freestyle world record at Australian Olympic trials in Brisbane on Wednesday, upsetting the previous holder Mollie O’Callaghan in an exhilarating final.

Olympic champion Titmus clocked a time of one minute and 52.23 seconds to shave more than half a second off O’Callaghan’s previous mark (1:52.85) from last year’s World Championships in Fukuoka.

Both women recorded times inside the record set in Japan, with the 23-year-old Titmus looking in excellent form as she prepares to defend her 200 and 400 freestyle Olympic titles at Paris 2024.

“Looking at the results, that’s unbelievable,” Titmus said pool-side.

“I’m just happy to finally produce a swim in the 200 that I feel like my training reflects.

“I think the field that we have is why we’re swimming so fast, we push each other every day.”

The final was a rematch of the Fukuoka event, when O’Callaghan edged Titmus in a thriller for the title.

Canadian phenom Summer McIntosh is likely to be the Australian pair’s closest challenger in the French capital this summer, while Titmus’ duel over 400 metres with the great Katie Ledecky will again be eagerly anticipated.

The Australian beat the seven-time Olympic champion at Tokyo 2020 before setting a world record in the event in Fukuoka last year.

Reuters