This year, Katie Ledecky has stated her clear intentions for the Paris Olympics: “I would love to qualify in multiple events for Paris and bring home some medals.” But her path is no walk in the park, especially with fierce swimming competition coming from down under in the form of the 23-year-old Ariarne Titmus.

Titmus, the reigning Olympic champion in the 200m and 400m freestyle, has repeatedly outpaced the seven-time Olympic gold medalist Ledecky in thrilling showdowns—from the 2019 World Championships in the 400m freestyle to their nail-biting 400m freestyle clash at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and the 400m freestyle at the 2023 World Championships. With Titmus adding another record to her resume and intensifying the challenge for Katie to secure multiple golds in Paris, let’s explore their heights and who stands taller between these two swimming sensations.

How does Ariarne Titmus stack up against Katie Ledecky in height?

According to the Yale Daily News, taller athletes typically enjoy advantages in speed and reach, which can propel them to strong finishes in swimming. Katie Ledecky, standing tall at 6 feet 0 inches (183 cm), exemplifies this advantage. However, smaller swimmers can excel by feeling and adjusting to the water’s flow.

Ariarne Titmus, at 5 feet 10 inches, exemplifies this with her stellar records, showing that size does not matter in swimming. Speaking of her stellar records, let’s dive into how Ariarne Titmus is solidifying her dominance and gearing up to defend her Tokyo titles in Paris.

During Australian Olympic swimming trials on June 12 at Brisbane’s Chandler Aquatic Center, Ariarne Titmus smashed the world record in the women’s 200-meter freestyle. With an impressive time of 1 minute, 52.23 seconds, she bested Mollie O’Callaghan’s previous record of 1:52.85 from last year’s world championships. In May at the 2022 Australian Swimming Championships, Titmus set another world record in the 400-meter freestyle, clocking 3:56.40, surpassing Katie Ledecky’s 2016 record by a hair (3:56.46).

Although she briefly lost the 400-meter record to Summer McIntosh in 2023, Titmus reclaimed it at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships with an even faster time of 3:55.38. Remarkably, she now holds world records in both the 200- and 400-meter freestyle events. After her latest 200-meter freestyle world record, Ariarne Titmus said, “Looking at the results, that’s unbelievable.”

She continued, “I’m just happy to finally produce a swim in the 200 that I feel like my training reflects,” emphasizing her readiness to challenge Katie Ledecky again in the 200m and 400m freestyle events. As Katie Ledecky gears up to secure her ticket to Paris this weekend at the trials, what are your thoughts on their rivalry in the pool? Share your opinions below!