ADELAIDE: Ariarne Titmus has acknowledged the disappointment of losing her world record in the 400-metre freestyle but remains positive about her rivalry with rising Canadian star Summer McIntosh, deeming it beneficial for swimming. After McIntosh broke Titmus’s record by 1.20 seconds during Canada’s world championship trials, Titmus was commentating for Nine during the Australian trials and faced questions regarding the loss of her title.
"It’s obviously a bit of a sting when your record is broken," Titmus told Nine presenter James Bracey. "However, I appreciate how challenging it is to achieve such fast times. I worked for years to set that record, and for an 18-year-old to perform at that level after the Olympics is just phenomenal."
Indeed, McIntosh’s impressive time of 3:54.18 not only surpassed Titmus’s previous record of 3:55.38, set at the 2023 world championships in Japan, but also showcased her remarkable talent. Following this event, McIntosh continued to excel, clocking 8:05.07 in the 800-metre race, coming remarkably close to the world record held by American icon Katie Ledecky.
Despite finishing with a silver medal in the 400m at last year’s Paris Olympics, Titmus is taking a 12-month hiatus from swimming. She aims to return stronger for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where she is eager to compete against McIntosh, seeing their rivalry as an exciting prospect for the sport’s future.
"We want to see more women break records and foster rivalries," Titmus said, adding with a laugh, "It really gets the competitive juices flowing."
In recent competitions, the men’s and women’s 400m freestyle finals were held in Adelaide, with Sam Short and Lani Pallister taking top honours. Short finished his race in 3:41.01, while Elijah Winnington, the Olympic silver medallist, followed closely behind with a time of 3:43.99. Both swimmers are set to be named to the Australian Dolphins’ world championship team.
Pallister made history as just the second Australian woman to swim under the four-minute mark in the 400m, winning with a time of 3:59.72, a feat that places her alongside Titmus. Jamie Perkins secured her own spot by finishing in 4:04.03.
Titmus’s reflections on her record loss and the bright future of women’s swimming highlight not only her sportsmanship but also the exciting developments within the swimming community.