Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus adds world title and record

In what may be the defining race of her life, the Olympic champion claimed a world title and world record off her nearest rivals to become the first woman to swim the 400-metre freestyle in under 3 minutes 56 seconds.

Two years after winning four medals at her maiden Olympics in Tokyo, the 22-year-old returned to Japan and was left reflecting on a journey which began with Riverside and Launceston Aquatic Clubs in the swimming pool which now bears her name.

"I came here and just tried to be fearless and race like I was that little girl again and it paid off," said Titmus, who has the word 'fearless' tattooed on her right foot..

"I can see it right before I dive. To swim like that and swim really free and fearless, I feel really over the moon to get that one."

Titmus said re-capturing her world record was more satisfying than her two Olympic titles as she led from start to finish to blow away long-time American rival Katie Ledecky and Canada's 16-year-old sensation Summer McIntosh.

"Summer and Katie are both class acts and there's hardly any faults in their racing so I knew the only way to try and take the win was to take it out and I guess whoever had the most fight in the end, whoever had the most in the tank, was going to break the wall, so I had to really go for it.

In what Ian Thorpe dubbed "a race for the ages", Titmus led from start to finish and clocked three minutes 55.38 seconds, bettering McIntosh's world mark of 3:56.08 set in March.

The much-hyped showdown in Fukuoka had seen the three favourites all hold the world record in the past 18 months.

However, the two-time Tasmanian Athlete of the Year turned it into an exhibition, leading by more than a body length at the final turn by which time Thorpe had already predicted the world record.

"What a brilliant performance by Ariarne Titmus, the best I've ever seen her swim," he said.

Titmus won by a huge margin of 3.35 seconds from Ledecky with New Zealander Erika Fairweather pipping McIntosh to the bronze.

The Tasmanian, whose family moved to Queensland in 2015 to chase her swimming dreams, was delighted to share the success with St Peter's Western coach Dean Boxall, who celebrated in trademark style in the stands.

"It's been a tough year for us and I feel like it's all come together at the perfect moment," she told Channel Nine post-race.

"He's really helped me through this year and this means a lot. I feel like this victory is probably my most satisfying and this is great.

"I was really excited for this race. I put in a lot of work in the past six weeks I've been happy with and took a lot away from trials."

In 2021, Titmus became the first Tasmanian to win an individual Olympic gold medal and then its first multiple Olympic champion.

The freestyle specialist took Tasmanian swimming, and indeed sport in general, into unchartered waters with golds in the 200 and 400m, silver in the 800m and bronze in the 4x200m relay.

Having been unable to travel to Tokyo due to COVID, parents Steve and Robyn were in the stands in Fukuoka to celebrate their daughter's success.

"Wow we are shaking," Steve posted on Facebook moments after the race. "Thanks everyone for your support and messages. So proud beyond belief.

"It never gets old and the nerves don't get any better when I arrive at a major swim meet and reflect on the amazing journey it has been so far. We are so proud of Arnie and cherish every time she represents our great country Australia."

Titmus also won three gold medals and one silver at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast and added four more golds in Birmingham last year.

She now has three long-course world titles and two short-course.

Titmus will next contest the 200m freestyle at the world champs with her heat scheduled for 12.08pm on Tuesday. She will also compete over Ledecky's prefered distance of 800m.

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