Ariarne Titmus is dominating the swimming world, and her rivals are left playing catch-up. Titmus cemented her status as one of Australia’s greatest swimmers by defending her 400m freestyle crown in the “race of the century.” She has received a lot of praise lately. But there’s been chatter about a slip-up before her race. She walked onto the pool deck and accidentally lined up behind the Lane 4 blocks. That’s where Ledecky was meant to be, as the fastest swimmer in the heats. Titmus later clarified this incident before she beat Ledecky and won her third medal.

The Australian swimmer explained that the lane mix-up was just a mistake; it wasn’t done on purpose. The race was a rematch between Titmus and Katie Ledecky, especially after Titmus beat Ledecky at the 2020 Olympics. Summer McIntosh also competed but didn’t take the top spot. Even with the lane mix-up, Titmus won gold, and Ledecky ended up with bronze. Before the race, Titmus made a small mistake that stirred up some criticism. It almost put both her and Ledecky in danger of being disqualified.

Ariarne Titmus owns up to her mistake for lane mix-up

On July 28, 2024, Ariarne Titmus spoke with News.com.au. She said there were no mind games involved in the lane switch-up. This happened before the 400m freestyle at the Paris Olympics. The lane switch was not meant to cause any trouble. Katie Ledecky was set to stand in Lane 4 with the fastest heat time. Before the race, Titmus accidentally took the wrong spot. Ledecky asked her to move to Lane 5. After the match, Titmus talked to reporters about what happened: “Oh my god, total honest mistake. I just saw that that one was the free one, usually like you walk out the one on the left is the one you go to and I totally didn’t even realise and look at the number and we had a bit of a laugh in the medal ceremony room.”

She continued with a laugh, “We had a bit of a laugh in the medal ceremony room… I think she just said, ‘Hey Arnie, I think that’s my lane.’ And I was like, ‘oh my god, I’m so sorry.’” Though it can be a sincere mistake, some spectators are calling it a master move on Titmus’ part and saying it distracted Ledecky just ahead of the race, potentially hampering her focus. They dub it the champion’s mindset. However, both Titmus and Ledecky have rubbished this claim. They happily chatted in the marshaling room before the countdown. The two even laughed about it later when Ledecky said, “I joked with her before the medals, you’re getting a little comfortable there in lane 4.”

She had even assured Ariarne Titmus that it was “all good” so she wouldn’t feel bad. Ledecky asked Titmus to move to prevent their races from being canceled due to the small mistake. Sports Center posted on X about the incident later on, stating, “Ariarne Titmus lined up in Katie Ledecky’s lane before the final race by accident. She then moved into her correct lane and beat Ledecky for the third time in four head-to-head Olympic races 😮.”

Ariarne Titmus later achieved a big milestone. She became the first Australian woman in 96 years to defend the 400m title at the Olympics. She won the race with a time of 3:57.49 seconds. Beating second-place finisher Summer McIntosh and bronze medalist Katie Ledecky by 1 and 3 seconds respectively. This only fanned the flames of rivalry between the two swimmers.

The epic rivalry between two middle-distance swimmers 

Ariarne Titmus and Katie Ledecky are often compared because they both have amazing swimming skills. These legends’ rivalry began when Titmus, who is 3.5 years younger, beat Ledecky at the 2019 World Championships. Titmus later opened up about the experience: “I still remember touching the wall and it was so exciting. It wasn’t the fact that I’d beaten Katie, it was the fact that I’d won. I think everyone that’s a swimmer dreams of becoming a world champion and to be that year crowned the best in the world was something that I was really proud of.” In 2020, Ariarne beat Katie Ledecky in the 400m event while also winning gold in the 200m. Unfortunately, this led to ending Ledecky’s streak; Katie had won both events at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Titmus went on to set a new world record at the Australian Swimming Trials by completing the 400m in 3:56.40. Ledecky had set the previous world record at the same time in Rio. She, however, has dispelled the rumors of any bad blood, saying, “We have a lot of respect for each other… we love competing against each other.” Further adding, “It brings the best out of each of us, and I’m sure, you know, pushes each of us in training, knowing that we have each other to race at these kinds of meets. So, yeah, it’s just competing against the best in the world.” Though they frequently compete, Titmus and Ledecky always call each other competitive friends, reflecting their mature sportsmanship beyond the boundaries of the pool.

Katie Ledecky, now standing as the first swimmer to win three medals in the event, reflects, “I’m grateful for that. Grateful for the effort that I put in, happy with the medal and looking forward to my next races.” Now, she will compete in the 800-meter and 1,500-meter freestyles, while Titmus will race in the 200-meter. Despite the lane mix-up, Titmus cemented her top status, while Ledecky’s bronze enhanced her Olympic legacy, both showcasing exceptional skill and the true spirit of swimming.