Australia

Titmus versus Ledecky 2.0 done. And we’ve still got 3.0 to come


No wonder we love these Titmus versus Ledecky races.

Barrackers like us are usually left to scratch our heads comparing dominant athletes from different eras.

It’s a fun but tricky business.

Coming into these Games, American Katie Ledecky was perhaps best measured against the Australian Shane Gould MBE.

In 1972, Gould held all the freestyle world records: 100 metres, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1,500m, and don’t forget the 200m individual medley, winning three gold, one silver and one bronze at the Munich Olympics.

She was only 15 when she passed comet-like through our sporting orbit.

Ledecky, 24, boasts a similar resume, brimful of world records: 400m, 800m, and 1,500m.

Her list of accomplishments is almost identical to fellow American Janet Evans, Olympic champion of Seoul 1988 and Barcelona 1992.

Ariarne Titmus has beaten Katie Ledecky in the two finals they’ve met in at Tokyo.(

Getty Images: Al Bello

)

Evans won four gold medals and only lost one race in her favourite events between 1986 and 1994.

She would’ve won two more gold medals if the International Olympic Committee had staged 1,500m races for women.

Belatedly, the longer distance was included in the Tokyo schedule.

For eight years Ledecky has been by far the world’s best over 1,500m, but she woke up this morning knowing she would have to race in the history-making final about an hour after the 200m final — an unthinkable feat for any other swimmer.

Enter Ariarne Titmus, the fastest qualifier over four laps with 1:54.82 (Ledecky was third fastest).

In the 400m, the Tasmanian had been the first rival to beat Ledecky in an Olympic final.

In doing so, she became The Undefeated.

Ariarne Titmus stands with her gold medal after winning the women's 200m freestyle final at the Tokyo Olympics.
Ariarne Titmus will be chasing further gold at the Tokyo Olympics.(

AP: Charlie Riedel

)

It was a head-spinning moment that caused the 20-year-old to deliver the most delightful 2021 quote: “I don’t know if this year’s gone fast or slow.”

Speed, of course, was the question hanging over the 200m decider, promoted by the broadcaster as “Showdown 2.0”.

Seeking clarity through analysis, we turned to our new favourite guru, Ian Thorpe, who reckoned Titmus had “another gear” Ledecky could not quite match.

He also pointed out the final had other contenders, including Hong Kong swimmer Siobhan Haughey and Italian Federica Pelligrini, the world recorder (1:52.98) since 2009.

All of a sudden, they were on the blocks again: Hold your breath.

By halfway, Titmus was no longer chasing Ledecky.

She was after Haughey, the bolter.

On the final lap, you could see the Australian was starting to glow in her golden cap.

Power. Precision. Poise.

Off she went, another comet. Breathe out.

Haughey finished second, Ledecky fifth.

Olympian Shane Gould recognised in the Australia Day honours for 2018
Shane Gould once held all the freesyle world records.(

ABC News: Damian McIntyre

)

Only two other Australian swimmers have achieved the 200m-400m Olympics double: Thorpe and Gould.

Incidentally, Gould was interviewed on ABC News Breakfast before the race.

Living happily in Bicheno, the modest mentor pointed out that she “only” won silver in the 800m in Munich.

“I saw there was a little story in one of the newspapers about Ariarne going to emulate my 200-400 wins,” she said.

Could the Australian beat Ledecky to win gold in the 800m?

OK: Showdown 3.0.

PS, shortly after Titmus got her second gold medal, Ledecky became the world’s first female Olympic 1,500m champion.



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