Ariarne Titmus shatters world record in women’s 200m freestyle at Australian swimming Olympic 2024 trials
Ariarne Titmus broke the record set earlier by compatriot Mollie O’Callaghan. Both swimmers finished inside the previous record at the Australian Swimming Trials 2024.
Ariarne Titmus shattered the world record in the women's 200m freestyle at the Australian Swimming Trials 2024 at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre on Wednesday.
The 23-year-old Ariarne Titmus logged a time of 1:52.23 to win her race ahead of Mollie O’Callaghan, who clocked 1:52.48. Both timings were under the previous world record of 1:52.85 set by O’Callaghan at the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka last year.
Both Ariarne Titmus and Mollie O’Callaghan finished three seconds ahead of the rest of the field in the 200m freestyle in Brisbane. Lani Pallister was third with 1:55.57.
Ariarne Titmus now owns world records in the 200m and 400m freestyle events.
"Looking at the results, that's unbelievable," said Titmus. "I'm just happy to finally produce a swim in the 200 that I feel like my training reflects."
The Australian Swimming Trials are being conducted to select the Dolphins swimming team to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
On Monday, Ariarne Titmus won the 400m freestyle in 3:55.44 ahead of Pallister (4:02.27) and Jamie Perkins (4:04.38).
Titmus also breached Swimming Australia’s Olympic Qualification time for the Paris Olympics in the women’s 200m (1:56.49) and 400m freestyle (4:26.87) races. She won Olympic gold medals at Tokyo 2020 in both events.
Earlier at the Olympic swimming trials, Kaylee McKeown, the Tokyo 2020 gold medallist in the 100m and 200m backstroke events, set a new Australian record in the women’s 200m individual medley and followed it up with a win in the 100m backstroke.
Emma McKeon clinched the top spot in the women's 100m butterfly. Emma, who won four gold and three bronze at Tokyo 2020, is one of the most decorated swimmers competing at the trials in Brisbane.
With the maximum-possible 52 quotas - 26 for men and 26 for women - secured for the Paris 2024 Olympics, Australia is expected to send a full quota of swimmers to Paris.
Tokyo 2020 Olympics gold medallist Zac Stubblety-Cook, Kyle Chalmers, Cameron McEvoy, Sam Short and Elijah Winnington, Cate Campbell, Emily Seebohm, Bronte Campbell and Mitch Larkin are among the top Aussie swimmers in action in Brisbane.