In one of the most anticipated duels of the swimming of the Paris 2024 Olympic Gamesthe Australian Ariarne Titmus revalidated this Saturday his Olympic gold of the Women’s 400m freestyle ahead of the Canadian prodigy Summer McIntosh and the American figure Katie Ledecky.
World record holder Titmus dominated the race from the start and won in 3:57.49 seconds to a standing ovation from the 13,000 fans in the La Défense arena.
McIntosh, 17, was the only one to threaten Titmus’ victory, finishing 0.88 seconds behind, while Ledecky, aiming for her eighth Olympic gold, hit the wall at 3.37 seconds behind and settled for bronze.
The race, which pitted the three fastest women in history against each other over the distance, was the highlight of the first of nine days of swimming, which will offer 35 finals until August 4.
The clash between Ledecky, Titmus and McIntosh – all world record holders at one point – drew comparisons with the so-called “Race of the Century”, the 200m freestyle at Athens 2004, in which Ian Thorpe prevailed over Pieter van den Hoogenband and giant Michael Phelps.
Ledecky, 27, was aiming to reclaim the throne that Titmus snatched from her in an electric final at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
A win would have drawn Ledecky level with compatriot Jenny Thompson, who with eight gold medals remains the most decorated swimmer in Olympic history, but she will still have two more chances in Paris in the 800m and 1,500m freestyle.
On the first night of action, it was Titmus who made a statement with a race that he dominated from start to finish.
The 23-year-old Australian remains unbeaten in this event since 2019 and has extended her Olympic record to three golds, one silver and one bronze.
The duel between Titmus and Ledecky also marked the beginning of a battle between the United States and Australia for victory in one of the most iconic Olympic sports.
Team USA has been at the top of the medal table in this sport since its last defeat in Seoul 1988, but the Oceanic team surprised them by claiming more crowns at the 2023 World Cup.
Neither powerhouse took home the first gold of the competition, which was won by Germany’s Lukas Maertens in the men’s 400-meter freestyle.
Maertens, who started as the favourite, set a time of 3:41.78 seconds to finish ahead of Australian Elijah Winnington (3:42.21) and South Korean Woomin Kim (3:42.50).
Brazilian Guilherme Costa, winner of five gold medals at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games, was fifth with 3:42.76.
Source: Ambito
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
