Titmus to hold fire against Ledecky

ARIARNE Titmus will sacrifice the sugar- hit of a showdown with American Katie Ledecky in the 200m freestyle in an attempt to close the gap on the world record- holder in the race she dominates.

Titmus has been a revelation over the past year, pushing to fourth place in the 400m freestyle at last year’s world championships in her first international campaign before winning three gold medals and a silver at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

But the Queensland- based teenager trains under the virtual shadow of Ledecky, the woman who won the 200m, 400m and 800m freestyle at the Rio Olympics and who holds the world record for the 1500m – the event that will be added to the Olympic program for Tokyo 2020.

Titmus swam a world- class 200m at the Commonwealth Games and could push Ledecky in the event at this week’s Pan Pacific Championships in Tokyo, but its scheduling – less than an hour after the 800m on tomorrow’s opening day of competition – means she has been forced to axe it from her program.

While she has been solid in the 800m, Titmus has not yet produced a swim that would be on Ledecky’s radar and wants to announce herself in the event at the Pan Pacs in a crucial step on the road to Tokyo 2020.

“I wasn’t quite happy with it ( the 800m) at Comm Games, so we said we should drop the 200m, focus on the 800 and swim a better time,” Titmus said. “I haven’t quite done what I want to do in the 800, so that’s the reason why I’m targeting it more here.”

Ledecky won the 800m at the US nationals in 8min 11.50sec, almost nine seconds faster than Titmus’s best.

It’s a massive gap and one Titmus is out to bridge – at least a little – at this meet.

“I’m just going to do the best I can and see how I go,” she said.