Ariarne TITMUS

In the 200m freestyle, Titmus won gold in a new Olympic record of 1:53:50 ahead of Siobhan Haughey from Hong Kong, China. Ledecky was only fifth in the 200, but retained her 800 free title with Titmus taking silver.

While they are great rivals, there is plenty of mutual respect between the pair. "I wouldn't be here without her," Titmus said of Ledecky after her first Tokyo win. "If I didn't have someone like her to chase, I definitely wouldn't be swimming the way I am."

Ariarne Titmus: The making of a legend

At the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka, Titmus continued to rack up the honours. She clocked 3:55.38 to break Summer McIntosh's 400 free world record in the final with Ledecky taking silver. 'Arnie' then had to settle for silver in the 200m freestyle, behind team-mate Mollie O'Callaghan's world record swim, before the pair helped Australia's 4x200m freestyle relay team take gold in a new world record.

In August 2023, doctors found a large growth on an ovary when she had an MRI scan on an ongoing hip injury. Titmus had surgery to remove two benign tumours and returned to training within weeks, setting the stage for a new chapter of the Titmus-Ledecky rivalry at Paris 2024.

Titmus vs Ledecky: Paris 2024 showdown

Another 'Duel in the Pool' between Titmus and Ledecky was one of the most eagerly awaited swimming showdowns at Paris 2024.

It was Titmus who won the first chapter, storming to gold in the women's 400m freestyle ahead of Canada's Summer McIntosh with Ledecky relegated to third position.

However, in the 800m freestyle final, Ledecky's dominance continued. The US swimmer became the only female swimmer to claim four Olympic golds in the same event as she captured the crown in the endurance event ahead of silver medallist Titmus.

Mollie O'Callaghan also prevented Titmus from retaining her 200m freestyle title, having to settle for silver as O'Callaghan blazed a new Olympic record en route to gold.

The pair though combined as part of the Dolphins' 4x200m women's freestyle relay team who kept a Ledecky-led US team at bay to capture gold - also in a new Olympic record time.