Ariarne Titmus

Biography

Ariarne Titmus has quickly become a prominent name in the world of swimming. Bursting onto the international scene, she gained widespread recognition during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics by clinching gold medals in both the 200m and 400m freestyle, famously outpacing American legend Katie Ledecky. This remarkable achievement followed her stunning victory at the 2019 World Championships in Gwangju, where she handed Ledecky her first international 400m freestyle defeat.

Born in Launceston, Tasmania, Ariarne started her swimming journey at the Riverside Aquatic Club before moving to the St Peters Western Club in Indooroopilly to further hone her skills under the guidance of coach Dean Boxall. The transition paid off as she continued to make waves on the global stage.

At the 2017 World Championships, she secured a bronze in the Women's 4x200m freestyle relay and finished strong in the 400m freestyle. Her dominance continued at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, where she thrilled the home crowd with three gold medals in the 400m freestyle, 800m freestyle, and 4x200m freestyle relay, along with a silver in the 200m freestyle.

2018 proved to be a fruitful year for Ariarne, as she added more golds to her collection at the World Short Course Championships and the Pan Pacific Championships. Her momentum carried through to the 2019 World Championships, with stellar performances that brought her gold in the 400m freestyle and the 4x200m freestyle relay, in addition to silver and bronze in other events.

Ariarne's performance at the Australian Olympic trials in Adelaide further cemented her reputation. She posted impressive times, setting new Commonwealth records and coming close to world records in the 200m and 400m freestyle. She continued her success at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, where she claimed a rare trifecta of golds in the 200m, 400m, and 800m freestyle events, marking all in Games record times.

Her crowning achievement came at the 2022 Australian Swimming Championships, setting a new world record in the 400m freestyle. At the 2023 World Championships in Japan, she reclaimed the world record with a commanding 400m freestyle win and showed her versatility and strength across multiple distances.

After a brief recovery from surgery, Ariarne chose to forgo the 2024 World Championships to fully prepare for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Her swim-off victories at the Australian Olympic trials, including a thrilling world-record performance in the 200m freestyle, have set the stage for an exciting showdown in Paris.

Ariarne Titmus has established herself as a leading figure in women's middle-distance swimming, combining relentless work ethic with remarkable talent. As she heads towards the Paris 2024 Olympics, all eyes will be on her as she aims to continue her remarkable journey in the pool.