Ariarne Titmus makes Australia shine with 400-metre freestyle world record win

Australian swimming sensation Ariarne Titmus has once again etched her name in history after setting a new world record in the women’s 400-metre freestyle on day one of the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan.

Titmus turned what was expected to be a thrilling three-way content into a jaw-dropping display of her abilities, breaking Canadian teen swimmer Summer MacIntosh’s world record with a remarkable time of 3:55.38.

???????????? Ariarne TITMUS put on a show in the 400 Free!
????????????Katie LEDECKY
????????????Erika FAIRWEATHER

This if the first World Record of #AQUAFukuoka23 ????#swimming pic.twitter.com/rUOi3ZnUCD

— World Aquatics (@WorldAquatics) July 23, 2023

Timus was in total control of the water as soon as the race started, only briefly training at the 50-metre turn.

By the midway point, she had a .53-second lead over McIntosh, which she further extended during the latter half of the race. She surpassed the world record time by a second after reaching the 300-metre mark, before finishing strong at the last 100-metre and securing the gold medal.

Titmus has become the first-ever swimmer to finish under the 3:56 time mark, shaving a massive seven-tenths of a second off McIntosh’s previous record.

“I was really excited for this race coming in tonight, I haven’t really raced the best in the world since the Olympics,” Titmus told the press afterward.

“Katie and Summer always put on a great fight and I’m glad we could put on a show.”

The Olympian also said that this match was her “most satisfying win”.

“I feel like I didn’t have the most perfect prep coming into this and I think it all came together in the last few months. To swim like that and swim really free and fearless, I feel really over the moon to get that one,” she said.

And she isn’t the only one overjoyed by her feat, her success was enthusiastically celebrated by her coach Dean Boxall who was captured going berserk on the pool deck.

All of us with a World Record on the first day of #Swimming at World Championships ???? #AQUAFukuoka23 https://t.co/82b4NxSbZY pic.twitter.com/3kOrpKG9UA

— World Aquatics (@WorldAquatics) July 23, 2023

Other sporting fans have also taken to social media to express their delight and awe at Titmus’ win.

Ariarne Titmus…. what a bloody swim. If there is perfection in swimming, that was it! #ariarnetitmus

— Lauren McConchie (@Lozzymac7) July 23, 2023

Ariarne Titmus!

When do we start calling you the greatest female swimmer of all time?

WHAT A PERFORMANCE!#WorldAquaticsChamps

— Luke de Coligny (@LucColigny) July 23, 2023

Titmus wasn’t the only one who managed to snag gold for Australia. Earlier in the day, fellow Aussie swim star Sam Short had won the country’s first gold medal for the event with a stunning win in the men’s 400-metre freestyle final.

Meanwhile, the Australian women’s 4x100m freestyle relay team delivered a remarkable performance, clinching the gold medal in a world record-breaking time of 3:27.96.

The team, comprising Mollie O’Callaghan, Shayna Jack, Meg Harris, and Emma McKeon, not only secured the victory but also surpassed the previous world record of 3:29.69, which was also set by Australia at the Tokyo Olympics two years prior.