In one sense, Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus knows what’s coming.
She’s expecting pressure of potentially winning four gold medals to become Australia’s most successful athlete at the one Olympics.
And she knows her duels in the pool with American megastar Katie Ledecky will be cast among the Tokyo Games’ greatest rivalries.
But in another sense Titmus, a contender in the 200m, 400m, 800m freestyles and key plank in Australia’s 4x200m freestyle relay, doesn’t know what’s coming.
“I’m going into my first Olympic Games, I’m unsure what to expect,” Titmus said.
But the 20-year-old expects the pressure to be like water off a swimmer’s back.
“The pressure that I put on myself and Dean (Boxall) my coach puts on me to perform is higher than the pressure that I feel from the public.
“Honestly, I don’t know if it’s something in my mind or the way I am, but I don’t feel the pressure too much.
“I see things and read them but I just kind of go ‘oh yeah, whatever’.
“Pressure is a privilege. And I have to use it to help me swim fast.
“And I have use my nerves as well.
“I know that when I am nervous and excited it means that the race matters and I am going to get the best out of myself when I feel that energy, so I am going to take it all in utilise it as best as I can.”
She’s also unfazed at being a central character the narrative, Titmus versus Ledecky.
The American is the greatest middle-distance freestyler ever: Ledecky has five Olympic golds; 15 world championship golds and is the world record holder in the 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyles.
At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Ledecky captured gold in the 200m, 400m and 800m freestyles – the events Titmus will race in Tokyo.
And the Australian delivered a rare defeat to Ledecky in the 2019 world titles over 400m.
“I’m definitely still saying I am the hunter,” Titmus said.
“She has way more experience than me … this is her third Olympic Games.
“She has dealt with the pressure before and I am coming into unknown territory.
“I have obviously been to world championships and become world champion but I think Olympics is another level.”
And Titmus said the rivalry between the pair was “a nice story”, but overblown.
“I obviously have to look at Katie and see what she is doing,” she said.
“And I am her number one competitor at the moment.
“But for me, I just think about what I have to do to be able to perform my best – she is another swimmer in the field that I am going to be racing.”
Titmus is firm friends with many of her overseas competitiors – she speaks weekly with Canadian swimmer Kylie Masse.
“But it’s not exactly like that with Katie,” she said.
“There’s always a hello and how you going and everything is very civil and I get along with her.
“I am not as close with her as with other people from overseas.
“It’s not (that) there’s this massive rivalry that everyone thinks.”
Six Australian swimmers – Stephanie Rice (Beijing 2008), Jodie Henry (Athens 2004), Petria Thomas (2004), Ian Thorpe (Sydney 2000), Shane Gould (Munich 1972) and Murray Rose (Melbourne 1956) – have won three gold medals at the one Olympics.
And Titmus must knock Ledecky of her perch to join them – and possibly add another gold in the 4x200m freestyle relay.
At Australia’s Olympic selection trials, Titmus was an arm’s length – 0.44 seconds – from Ledecky’s 400m freestyle world record.
And Titmus had entered the trials wary of a niggling shoulder injury.
“I didn’t expect to swim as fast as I did,” Titmus said.
And ominously, she warned of more improvement to come.
“We have just looked back at all the races (at the trials) thoroughly with my team,” Titmus said.
“And there are a few little things that I can hopefully fix.
“One thing was that I was slightly circling the lane which is really stupid.
“So I am sure I can pick up a little bit of extra time there.
“My skills have been something that I have been trying to fix for the past few years and they are definitely on the improve – they were better at trials but I still think I can squeeze a bit more out of them.
“I also think when I have someone next to me in the race, hopefully it will help me swim faster … having someone next to me I hope will push me along even more.”
AAP
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