Touted as the race of the century, the event lived up to its hype, showcasing an intense competition. Yet, much like in previous encounters, the Australian known as the Terminator emerged victorious once more, an Olympic champion yet again.
It’s a rarity to witness three world record holders, all nearing their prime, compete in the same Olympic final. This was exemplified in the women’s 400m freestyle event, where these elite athletes were side by side, each fixated on clinching gold.
The favorite, Ariarne Titmus, the defending Olympic champion and world record holder in this discipline, was in lane four. Canada’s sensational 17-year-old talent, Summer McIntosh, occupied lane five, while Katie Ledecky, widely regarded as the greatest female swimmer in history, swam in lane six. However, as the race progressed, Ledecky fell behind the blistering pace of Titmus and McIntosh, leaving the race a battle between the two.
Up until the midpoint, the race was extremely close, but gradually, Titmus began to stretch her advantage.
At the 250m mark, she had established a clear lead. By the time they reached 300m, it appeared she was on her way to securing the gold. She finished with a time of 3min 57.49sec, while McIntosh earned silver with 3:58.37 and Ledecky took bronze at 4:00.86.
“Honestly, I felt more pressure for this race than anything in my life,” admitted Titmus. “I excel at managing pressure, but this time it was definitely palpable.
“Racing against the best in the world is exhilarating,” she commented. “It brings out the best in me; it brings out the best in them. I hope the expectations were met and that I delivered an entertaining performance tonight.”
Titmus’s narrative remains compelling. Born with her umbilical cord wrapped around her neck, her family believes that her struggle for survival during those critical early hours shaped who she would become over 23 years. As her father noted before the Olympics: “We truly feel that first hour laid the foundation for her mental resilience. It’s almost as if she was destined never to give up.”
Fortunately, this fierce competition unfolded in a venue that matched its significance. Over the past few weeks, event organizers transformed the La Défense indoor rugby stadium, home to Racing 92, into an exceptional swimming arena. It boasts a remarkable engineering feat, featuring two pools filled with 2.5 million liters of water and accommodating 15,000 spectators.
However, one critical element was lacking: speed. Most believe this is due to the pools’ depth being 2.30m, whereas faster pools typically have a depth of three meters. But tonight’s focus was less on records and more on competitive spirit.
As Titmus noted afterward, “The Olympics are unique. It’s unlike anything else. It’s not about your speed; it’s about reaching the wall first. I’m thrilled to have achieved that tonight.”
“I started to feel it in the final hundred meters,” she continued. “But I left it all in the pool, giving everything I had. My time may not represent my true potential, but living in the village poses challenges for peak performance. It’s about who can maintain their mental stability.”
For Ledecky, there were silver linings. She secured her eighth individual medal, placing her level with Carl Lewis and Ray Ewry. In fact, only Michael Phelps, with 16, has earned more individual Olympic medals in any sport.
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On the first day of swimming competitions, Team GB did not secure any medals, but Adam Peaty from Britain and China’s Qin Haiyang set up an enticing showdown in the 100m breaststroke after winning their respective semi-finals.
Peaty, aiming to be the first swimmer to win three consecutive gold medals at the distance, made a subtle declaration of intent by qualifying fastest with a time of 58.86sec, finishing ahead of American world champion Nic Fink by 0.30sec.
Though Qin’s time of 58.93 was just slightly behind, Peaty feels he can improve further in the final with fine-tuning. “There’s still much to refine technically,” he reflected. “The closing stages are particularly challenging. While this field has been relatively slower, I have immense respect for them. The Olympics are about racing rather than times.”
“This sport is immensely testing, yet you can’t beat that,” he expressed enthusiastically. “I’m thoroughly enjoying it again; what more can I ask for except a chocolate cake?”
Earlier in the evening, Lukas Märtens claimed the first gold medal in swimming at these Games in the 400m freestyle, becoming the first German since the legendary Michael Gross to achieve an Olympic title in this event since 1988.
The inaugural session concluded with another Australian gold in the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay, as they defeated the United States in an Olympic record time of 3:28.92, with China finishing third. Britain, however, finished sixth, trailing by nearly seven seconds.
Cheers of “US-A! US-A!” resonated throughout the arena as the American team clinched gold in the men’s event with a time of 3:09.28, outperforming Australia and Italy, with Team GB placing fifth.
