MAKING A SPLASH
Meet Ariarne Titmus: Daughter of famous Australian TV presenter defending gold medal for swimming at Paris 2024 Olympics
See how her great American rival Katie Ledecky helped her reach the pinnacle of the sport
ARIARNE Titmus is one of the best female middle-distance swimmers in the world.
Here we get to know the multiple World and Olympic Champion, who's going for gold once again at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
1
Who is Ariarne Titmus?
Ariarne Titmus was born on September 7, 2000, in Launceston on the island of Tasmania.
She arrived on the global stage in 2018 with two gold medals and a silver in freestyle events at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
During the same year she set a new women's short-course 400m freestyle world record of 3:53:92.
The 2019 World Championships was her big breakthrough, when she ended American Katie Ledecky's six-year unbeaten run in the 400m freestyle by claiming gold.
She also added a silver medal in the 200m freestyle and won bronze in the 800m freestyle, before guiding Australia to team victory in the women's 4x200m freestyle relay.
Ariarne continued racking up honours at the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, clocking 3:55.38 to break Summer McIntosh's 400 freestyle world record in the final — with Ledecky taking silver.
She bagged silver in the 200m freestyle, behind team-mate Mollie O'Callaghan's world record swim, before the pair helped Australia's 4x200m freestyle relay team win gold in yet another new world record.
In August 2023, doctors found a large growth on one of Ariarne’s ovaries when she had an MRI scan on an ongoing hip injury.
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She had surgery to remove two benign tumours and returned to training within weeks, thankfully making a full recovery.
She is now setting the stage for a new chapter in her rivalry with Ledecky at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
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When was Ariarne Titmus awarded Olympic gold for swimming?
On July 26, 2021, Ariarne beat her great rival Ledecky to take gold in the women’s 400m freestyle at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in one of the most highly-anticipated meetings of the Games.
Ledecky opened up a lead in the first half of the race, but Ariarne soon closed the gap before taking over just before the final turn, staying in front of the American to touch the wall first and prompt wild celebrations from her coach Dean Boxall in the stands.
She also won gold in the 200m freestyle over Rio 2016 champ Ledecky in a new Olympic record of 1:53:50, as well as silver in the 800 freestyle.
Despite being massive rivals, there is plenty of mutual respect between the pair.
"I wouldn't be here without her," Ariarne said of Ledecky after her first Tokyo win.
She added: "If I didn't have someone like her to chase, I definitely wouldn't be swimming the way I am."
Who is Ariarne Titmus' dad Steve?
Ariarne's dad Steve is a well-known face on Australian TV.
He is a famous journalist who worked for major publications including the Examiner before moving on to a career in television.
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Steve worked as a presenter on Channel 7 Adelaide, before returning to his native Tasmania as the sports editor and presenter at Southern Cross — eventually moving up to become the main anchor of the news bulletin.
He was later appointed as Seven’s Gold Coast News main co-presenter in 2021.