Double Olympic gold as Titmus wins 200m thriller

3 years ago 471

Australian superstar Ariarne Titmus won golden and claimed an Olympic grounds successful the 200m freestyle last astatine the Tokyo Olympics connected Wednesday, giving her a historical 200-400 treble and a spot among the greats.

The fastest qualifier into the final, Titmus clocked 1:53.50 to bushed Hong Kong's Siobhan Haughey and Canada's Penny Oleksiak.

US megastar Katie Ledecky fell to a daze fifth-placed finish, portion Aussie Madison Wilson was past of the finalists. It was the archetypal clip that Ledecky had not medalled successful an Olympic event.

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Ariarne Titmus of Team Australia reacts aft winning the golden medal successful the Women's 200m Freestyle. (Getty)
Katie Ledecky and Ariarne Titmus stock a infinitesimal aft the Women's 200m Freestyle Final. (Getty)

True to form, Titmus terminated Haughey's pb successful a thrilling last lap. She won by 0.42.

"I was trying to mow Siobhan down successful the 3rd 50 and I had nary thought wherever she was connected the past lap," Titmus said connected excavation platform afterwards.

"I had Katie covered but Siobhan was the idiosyncratic that was there. I felt it astatine the end, my legs started to spell a small spot but I was blessed to get it done."

Titmus, 20, had already won the 400m freestyle implicit Ledecky successful an instantly iconic aquatics for Australia. She has present emulated Aussie fable Ian Thorpe astatine Athens 2004 with the 200-400 aureate double, positive women's icon Shane Gould astatine Munich 1972.

Ariarne Titmus of Team Australia poses with the golden medal for the Women's 200m Freestyle. (Getty)
Ariarne Titmus of Team Australia reacts aft winning the golden medal successful the Women's 200m Freestyle. (Getty)

"I don't deliberation it volition settee successful until I get location and person a rest," Titmus said.

"When you're successful this situation, you benignant of person to compartmentalise everything. I deliberation erstwhile I halt racing, I'll benignant of merchandise everything.

"On to the (4x200m) relay present and the 800. I don't privation to ruin the remainder of my conscionable by celebrating excessively hard but I'm precise arrogant of what I've achieved."

Titmus was told that she had already been honoured backmost location with an Australian Post stamp, showing her with her 400m golden medal.

Ariarne Titmus of Team Australia reacts with her manager Dean Boxall aft winning the golden medal successful the Women's 200m Freestyle. (Getty)

She said that she was blessed to supply immoderate joyousness for the millions of radical nether lockdown successful Australia.

"It's truly bittersweet but I'm blessed that the Olympics are present and we tin hopefully bring immoderate excitement to loungerooms," she said.

"I consciousness truthful fortunate to beryllium here, to beryllium capable to bash what I love. I'm conscionable from a tiny municipality successful Tassie and this goes to amusement that if you judge you tin bash something, you tin 100 per cent bash it if you enactment for it."

Ariarne Titmus swims successful the Women's 200m Freestyle Final. (Getty)

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