The Terminator downs Ledecky agai
At first glance, Ariarne Titmus’s nickname “The Terminator” seems a poor fit for the personable, self-effacing swim sensation from Australia. But put the 20-year-old in the Tokyo Olympic pool and “Arnie” acquires the relentless killer instinct of Schwarzenegger’s laser-eyed robotic assassin.
Her target? US freestyle great Katie Ledecky, who until these Games had never been defeated in an individual Olympic final. Titmus and Ledecky have faced off twice so far in Japan and on both occasions the upstart Australian has emerged victorious.
She found another gear when Ledecky attempted to mow her down in the closing stages of the 400m freestyle, clocking the second fastest time in history, 3:56.69s. Titmus then pulled out an Olympic record on Wednesday to claim the 200m in 1:53.50s while her 24-year-old American rival finished fifth with 1:55.21s.
The pair will also face off in 800m freestyle and the 4x200m relay to complete a “duel in the pool” that has long been among the most anticipated contests of the Tokyo Games.
Ledecky has had to console herself in Tokyo with gold in the 1,500m—an event not contested by Titmus—hours after the 200m medal-less finish on Wednesday.
“After the 200, I knew I had to turn the page very quickly,” Ledecky said. “In the warmdown pool I was thinking of my family. Kind of each stroke I was thinking of my grandparents.”
Her voice choked with emotion. She crunched her eyes trying not to cry. “They’re the toughest four people I know,” Ledecky said,
“and that’s what helped me get through that.”
Titmus too allowed two moments of emotion to seep out on Wednesday: On the podium, and also in an intimate exchange with coach Dean Boxall, whose strutting, thrusting, fist-pumping celebrations in the stands have been a feature of her victories.
“I feel like I’m pretty good at containing my emotions,” she said. “I knew that was something I had to do very well.”
Even the absence of fans at the Tokyo Olympics because of the pandemic—while a shame— doesn’t make much difference to Titmus once she’s in the pool and hunting gold medals: “When you’re in your zone, it doesn’t really matter.”
Her reaction to possible distractions from social media is simple, and seems highly effective. She deleted every social media app off her phone while she’s at the Olympics, she said. Nothing gets in the way.
“I am only speaking to my family a tiny bit, not that much either,” she said. “I’ve just tried to not read anything (on social media). It’s good to be able to be off that when you’re racing. It’s another thing you don’t have to worry about.”
After her second gold, Titmus and Boxall stood close together and talked, both seemingly with tears in their eyes.