Ariarne Titmus entered Paris 2024 with immense hype as the 400m world record holder and favorite to win the event. Yet, former 400m queen Katie Ledecky spiced things up in the qualifying heats leaving Titmus behind. However, the Team Australia’s star lived up to the hype in the finals edging out her legendary American rival in the race of the century.

Titmus and Ledecky weren’t the only ones in contention for the 400m gold. The presence of Canadian wonder kid Summer McIntosh made the 400m finals in Paris, the race of the century. Ledecky, Titmus, and McIntosh have all responded to one another by setting world records in different categories since Tokyo 2020. So the pressure they felt going into the finals was immense.

Ariarne Titmus explained how the pressure nearly got to her during the race. “My legs are a bit tired, but I’m just relieved more than anything,” the 23-year-old said during the post-final interview. “I probably felt the expectation and pressure for this race more than anything in my life,” said the now three-time Olympic gold medalist.

Despite being “pretty good at handling the pressure,” the 5x Olympic medalist was on the verge of getting cold feet even before jumping in the water. However, the 400m world record holder took the lead early and didn’t let up. Summer McIntosh trailed close but fell short, clocking 3:58.37 against Ariarne Titmus’ 3:57.49. Meanwhile, Ledecky couldn’t crack the sub-4:00.00 mark.

The 400m finals marked the end of Katie Ledecky’s dominance in the event. After earning gold in 400m gold in Rio, Ledecky came up short against Titmus in Tokyo. However, this time fans thought that Titmus and McIntosh made Ledecky look like a “novice” as the 27-year-old finished 0.43s behind the Australian. Yet, the ESPY winner’s rival had nothing but respect for her.

Ariarne Titmus’ glowing testimonial of Katie Ledecky

The race of the century mirrored the historic 2004 200m free contest between Michael Phelps, Ian Thorpe, and Pieter van den Hoogenband. Although the younger Phelps couldn’t defeat Thorpe in that race, Titmus triumphed over her more experienced opponent. Yet despite defeating the American legend, Titmus explained their rival was only limited to the pool.

“I feel so honored to be a part of the race and be alongside legends like Katie,” Ariarne Titmus said about the most decorated female swimmer in history. “I look up to her so much as an athlete, and it’s certainly not a rivalry beyond the races,” the 400m world champion clarified. The 23-year-old also told the media that she truly respects Ledecky as a person.

While Ariarne Timus walked away with gold in the 400m, Ledecky still has a shot at redemption. Ledecky and Titmus will once again go head-to-head in the 800m, where the 27-year-old is still the dominant force. If she wins gold in the 800m event, the 21x World Championship medalist will be one step closer to becoming the woman with the most Olympic gold medals.