Ariarne, that’s a name to be feared

Tassie Terminator trains sights on pool supremacy

TASMANIAN swimming star Ariarne Titmus has never watched the

Terminator movies that spawned her catchy nickname, yet no-one is missing her shake-up of Australian middle-distance swimming.

“Arnie” is a throwback to the Tracey Wickham days with her catch-me-if-you-can style and mentality for racing in the toughest of women’s events.

At 17, Titmus, who now lives in Brisbane, is the counter to those greats of the pool bemoaning the thinning ranks of kids willing to do the tough kilometres to be a distance champion.

The year 12 schoolgirl logged thousands of training kilometres under coach Dean Boxall to produce the standout swim of the Commonwealth Games trials on the Gold Coast.

It wasn’t even that her 4 minute 02.36 second swim to win the 400m freestyle on Thursday night was the first Australian record of the meet. You could see in the eyes of the Launceston product in the moments after she touched the wall that she expected better, wanted to go even faster. Last night she did, knocking three seconds off her PB in the 800m freestyle final, just missing the Australian record.

Titmus is not just chasing faster times, she’s chasing a legend.

American marvel Katie Ledecky owns five Olympic gold medals and has redefined women’s freestyle world records like no other. You never hear Titmus talking of racing for second in her long-term vision.

It’s about closing the gap and one day pulling off the great upset.

“It was cool to meet Katie in the flesh [at the world championships] in Budapest and race against her last year,” Titmus said.

“She is an amazing swimmer but she’s just like me and has got to where she is on hard training and dedication. For me that means doing my best every session so there is nothing left in the tank.

“Dean pushes me harder, maybe, than anyone else in my squad [at St Peters Western] but that’s how it has to be.”

It’s the quality of work she does that means she is unsurprised by dropping into Olympic medal territory.

“On my training times, I know how I’m going to race. I don’t really do any surprise swims,” said the matter-of-fact teen who keeps posting personal bests.

That connection to the Arnold Schwarzenegger movies makes her laugh and the Arnie T-shirts worn by her fan club in the grandstand at the Southport pool did again.

“I’ve been called Arnie since I was a baby. Ariarne’s too posh and harder to say. It’s so funny, I haven’t even seen those Terminator movies I keep hearing about,” she said.

With 200m, 400m and 800m, freestyle swims already booked for the Commonwealth Games next month, everyone is going to be hearing a whole lot more about swimming’s Terminator.

I’ve been called Arnie since I was a baby. Ariarne’s too posh and harder to say. I haven’t even seen those Terminator movies I keep hearing about ARIARNE TITMUS