Aussie superstar Ariarne Titmus sent a devastating message ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics in a brilliant start to the Australian swimming trials in Brisbane.
On Monday morning Titmus posted a 4:01.57 in the 400 metres freestyle heats, despite easing up at the end, just behind her heats time at last year’s world championships – where she went on to break the world record.
The Tassie-born star then fell agonisingly short of extending her record in the final. She hovered half a second under the world record split through the first 200 metres, extending her edge to around 0.7 seconds through 300, but then faded to barely miss out by 0.06 seconds with a 3:55.44.
It still proved she’s in career-best form and a clear contender for gold in two months’ time.
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“It was a good little hit out. I tried to set up the first three laps of my race and then I switched off,” she said after the heats.
“I just feel really excited. I split 4:01 usually at the heats internationally. It was quite cruisy but to do it here domestically when I don’t really have to go like that, I was quite surprised when I turned around to see that because I really switched off the second half of the race.”
Lani Pallister also qualified for the Olympics with a 4:02.27 in second place, more than two seconds under the qualifying time – with her mum, 1988 Olympian Janelle, watching on.
Kaylee McKeown was just half a second from the nine-year-old 200m individual medley world record, with both the superstar young gun (2:06.63) and exciting teen Ella Ramsay (2:09.32) qualifying for the Games.
Another two Aussies made it through in the 100m breaststroke, with Sam Williamson’s 58.80 improving on his brilliant breakthrough into the 58s from the heats, and Joshua Yong sneaking in to his first Games after swimming just 0.01 seconds better than the qualifying time.
The legendary Emma McKeon became the first woman to qualify for the Aussie team while aged in her 30s since Lisa Curry in 1992, with her 56.85 making her the only woman under the qualifying time. Alex Perkins, second, swum a 57.10 in the heats but was outside the requirement with a 57.33 in the final ahead of Brianna Throssell (57.42).
In a battle of the last two 400m freestyle world champions, Elijah Winnington (2022) pipped Sam Short (2023), 3:43.26 to 3:43.90, with both men safely qualifying for Paris.
AUSTRALIAN OLYMPIC SWIM TRIALS
To qualify for the Olympic team, a swimmer must finish in the top two of the A final of their event, and meet Swimming Australia’s qualifying time.
The event is being held at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre and can be watched on Nine and 9Now, with the finals from 7:30pm AEST each night.
The final team will be announced on Saturday night.
Qualification times (men’s/women’s)
50m freestyle: 21.88 / 24.67
100m freestyle: 48.06 / 53.61
200m freestyle: 1:45.97 / 1:56.49
400m freestyle: 3:45.43 / 4:04.98
800m freestyle: 7:45.80 / 8:22.20
1500m freestyle: 14:54.29 / 16:01.95
100m backstroke: 53.21 / 59.62
200m backstroke: 1:57.28 / 2:09.74
100m breaststroke: 59.49 / 1:06.31
200m breaststroke: 2:09.50 / 2:23.91
100m butterfly: 51.17 / 57.17
200m butterfly: 1:54.97 / 2:07.72
200m individual medley: 1:57.23 / 2:10.62
400m individual medley: 4:12.50 / 4:38.53
World record times
50m freestyle: 20.91 / 23.61
100m freestyle: 46.80 / 51.71
200m freestyle: 1:42.00 / 1:52.85 (Mollie O’Callaghan)
400m freestyle: 3:40.07 / 3:55.38 (Ariarne Titmus)
800m freestyle: 7:32.12 / 8:04.79
1500m freestyle: 14:31.02 / 15:20.48
100m backstroke: 51.60 / 57.33 (Kaylee McKeown)
200m backstroke: 1:51.92 / 2:03.14 (Kaylee McKeown)
100m breaststroke: 56.88 / 1:04.13
200m breaststroke: 2:05.48 / 2:17.55
100m butterfly: 49.45 / 55.48
200m butterfly: 1:50.34 / 2:06.12
200m individual medley: 1:54.00 / 2:06.12
400m individual medley: 4:02.50 / 4:24.38
Source Agencies
