‘Goofy’ Aussie girl Titmus lives the Olympic dream
PARIS—Ariarne Titmus said on Saturday she can’t believe “a goofy girl” from Australia could win back-to-back Olympic 400-meter freestyle titles, while lavishing praise on rival Katie Ledecky.
The down-to-earth 23-year-old held off Canadian teenager Summer McIntosh and American great Ledecky to join Dawn Fraser as the only Australian female swimmers to retain an Olympic crown.The world record holder was in full control to touch in three minutes and 57.49 secs, ahead of McIntosh (3:58.37) and Ledecky (4:00.86), who faded badly in the final 50 m of the final hyped as the women’s “Race of the Century.”“I can’t believe that’s me, to be honest,” she said when asked about what the feat meant. “I look at myself and I’m so normal. I love swimming, and I love getting out and representing my country and having fun.
“I hope nobody looks at me any differently. I’m just the same old goofy Tassie (Tasmanian) girl out here living out her dream,” she went on. “I hope it goes to show anyone can do what they want to do if they work hard and believe in themselves. And here I am, from little old Launie (Launceston), a town of 90,000, and I’m out here living the dream.”
Titmus, who dethroned Ledecky in Tokyo, came to France in red-hot form after shattering the 200-m world record and swimming the second-quickest 400 m ever in the Australian trials. INQ
