- Australian champion faces big challenge from clubmate
- The pair went neck-and-neck in the semi-finals of the women’s 200m freestyle
- Set up a huge final with the Aussies to battle for gold
Ariarne Titmus insists it was not her intention to fire a warning at her compatriot and clubmate Mollie O’Callaghan.
Titmus says she had only one plan when she ran against her compatriot in a thrilling semi-final in the 200-meter freestyle at the Paris Olympics on Sunday evening.
Australia failed to add to the two gold and two silver medals it had won in the pool 24 hours earlier.
Emma McKeon was the only Dolphin to reach a final, finishing sixth in the women’s 100m butterfly.
Titmus and O’Callaghan both reached the final of the 200m freestyle on Monday evening as the top two qualifiers.
Titmus narrowly beat O’Callaghan, but he did not consider the result that important.
“You always want to be in the middle of the pool during a final and put yourself in a good position,” she said.
“But that was really the only plan for tonight, I tried to save as much as possible.”
Titmus finished in 1 minute 54.64 seconds, six hundredths of a second faster than O’Callaghan in second place.
Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus faces a tough challenge within the Australian ranks
Titmus’ clubmate Mollie O’Callaghan pushed her to the limit in the semi-final of the 200m freestyle
Six weeks ago Titmus broke O’Callaghan’s world record in this event and the final in Paris will be a match race between the swimmers, both coached by Dean Boxall.
Titmus aims to become the first swimmer to successfully defend the 200-meter and 400-meter freestyle titles at the Olympic Games.
On Saturday night she won the first leg of the double by winning the 400m freestyle. O’Callaghan also took gold with the Australian relay team in the 4x100m freestyle.
McKeon, Australia’s most successful Olympic athlete, was unable to add to her medal haul in the 100m butterfly final when she finished sixth in a race won by American Torri Huske.
McKeon finished in 56.93 seconds, while Huske (55.59) took gold, ahead of her compatriot and world record holder Gretchen Walsh (55.63).
“I was pretty slow, not what I expected, but that’s swimming,” McKeon said.
The medal race was McKeon’s final individual swimming performance in his Olympic career, during which he won six gold medals, more than any other Australian.
The 30-year-old, who was also part of the Australian relay team that won gold in the 4x100m freestyle, will compete in the medley relay later in the Paris programme.
Emma McKeon finished sixth in the 100-meter butterfly final, her last individual Olympic swimming performance
Australian Olympic debutant Max Giuliani qualified for the final of the men’s 200m freestyle on Monday evening by finishing fifth fastest through the semi-finals.
“It was amazing, my first Olympics and now I’m going into my first final, which is great,” he said.
Giuliani’s Dolphins teammate Thomas Neill failed to advance and the Australians did not compete in the other two medal races on Sunday night.
French superstar Leon Marchand won the men’s individual 400 metres to the delight of a sold-out crowd.
“I also had goosebumps before and during the race,” Marchand said.
‘I tried to focus on myself, but that’s very difficult when 15,000 people are cheering me on.’
Italy’s Nicolo Martinenghi won the men’s 100m breaststroke.