LEGEND ANOINTS TITMUS
YOU know you must be doing something right when Australian sporting royalty comes sneaking up to give you a pat on the back.
That’s what happened to Ariarne Titmus after her stunning victory in the 200m freestyle final at the Australian swimming championships on Thursday.
She didn’t know it at the time because her surprise admirer was hiding in the shadows, but it was none other than Dawn Fraser.
Without telling anyone, the living legend quietly made her way down from the VIP seats to the back of the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre to congratulate
Titmus runaway victory.
Praise doesn’t come any higher than getting the royal seal of approval from Fraser but the 20-year-old earned it after she won the final in a slick 1 minute 55.43 seconds — a time only American superstar Katie Ledecky has bettered this year.
That was still more than a second off Titmus’s best but astonishing given that she was having her first competitive race after missing three months of training with a shoulder complaint.
“It’s good to get that out of the way because yesterday I was a little bit nervous,” Titmus said. “I felt like I had a little bit of expectation on me. after her
Even myself, I was wondering where I would be.
“I’ve been training for a month now post everything with my shoulder but it was a different thing to come here and put a race together because I haven’t had much racing practice, so it was something I was worried about but it turned out pretty good.”
Titmus’s job was made a little bit easier after Emma McKeon withdrew from the final after setting the fastest qualifying time but both are expected to take the two individual spots for the 200m in Tokyo. Madison Wilson and Brianna Throssell are among the chasers pushing them hard in a great sign for the women’s 4x200m relay.
Titmus’s best events are still to come but Australian head coach Rohan Taylor was impressed with what he saw from her in the 200m.
“She looked strong, she finished strong, so let’s see how the meet goes for her,” Taylor said.
“The 400m and the 800m will be a good indicator for her but we’re happy with the progress and the depth of the 200m free is really exciting for us, so it was good to see her leading the charge.”
The men’s 200m freestyle is also stacked. Kyle Chalmers won the final in 1:47.03, while Alexander Graham, Elijah Winnington and Thomas Neill also dipped under 1:48.
Like Titmus, Chalmers has
only just returned to racing after a shoulder problem and is still in heavy work, so his times will only get quicker when he’s properly rested – and fully shaved after he pruned his beard but left a moustache.
“In the back of my mind, I just want to do the 100m but we’ve got such a good shot at that 4x200m freestyle relay it’s something I wanted to be a part of,” he said.
“I know that swimming a time like that in season is really good for me so with a shave, I’ll be that little faster as well.
“This is just my second competition back so for me it’s all about building the confidence back up.”