ZwemZa

Aug 15 18

Dublin 2018: Gold medal tie on dramatic day two

by ZwemZa

Bethany Firth of Great Britain celebrates winning the gold medal in the Women’s 100m Backstroke – S14 Final at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. © Buda Mendes/Getty Images

Podium sweeps are rare. A gold medal tie in the pool even more. But Dublin, Ireland, saw both as well as another four new world records on day two of the World Para Swimming Allianz European Championships.

The most dramatic moment of Tuesday (14 August) came in the men’s 50m freestyle S4 as Czech Republic and Slovenia won their first gold medals at exactly the same time. Czech Arnost Petracek and Slovenian Darko Duric clocked 40.40 to tie for first place. France’s David Smetanine finished third.

Triple triumph

There were an astonishing two podium sweeps. The first of the day belonged to Great Britain, in the women’s 200m freestyle S14. Rio 2016 Paralympic champion Bethany Firth took gold (2:05.41) followed by Jessica-Jane Applegate and Louise Fiddes.

“It’s great that we’ve all managed to get on the podium today. I’m so happy that I have been able to retain my European title,” said Firth.

Half an hour later it was Ukraine’s turn to take gold, silver and bronze at the National Aquatic Centre. Five-time Paralympic champion Oleksii Fedyna won the men’s 100m breaststroke SB12 (1:04.16) with Maksym Veraska in second and Danylo Churafov third.

Unstoppable Ukraine

The podium sweep was just the start of another stunning performance from Ukraine. They took five more European titles and two world records to extend the country’s lead in the medal standings to ten golds in total, two more than Italy.

Yaroslav Semenenko won the men’s 50m backstroke S5 (34.95), only 0.15 behind the world record he had set in the morning heats. The 4x50m medley 20 point relay team also took gold and set a new world record (2:39.29).

Maksym Krypak in the men’s 100m backstroke S10, Viktor Smyrnov in the men’s 100m breaststroke SB11 and Anna Hontar in the women’s 200m individual medley SM7 completed the golden day for Ukraine.

Great Britain swimmers were responsible for the other two world records on Tuesday. First with newcomer Maisie Summers-Newton in the women’s 200m individual medley SM6 final (2:59.60), then, with Thomas Hamer in the men’s 200m freestyle S14 (1:55.71).

“It hasn’t sunk in yet. I didn’t think I was going to go that fast, I just wanted to go quicker than this morning and that was a Personal Best. I just can’t believe it,” said Summers-Newton.

“This means everything! To be racing against these swimmers at my first Europeans, and to get a world record is amazing.”

Italians impress again

Italy repeated their day one performance, winning another four gold medals. Xenia Palazzo won her second European title in Dublin, this time in the women’s 400m freestyle S8.

“This is the event I have trained for more than any other with my coach. After so much work success has finally come. First day, one gold. Second day, second gold. I’m giving the best I can here,” said Palazzo.

Vincenzo Boni in the men’s 50m freestyle S3, Arjola Trimi in the women’s 50m freestyle S4 and Simone Barlaam in the men’s 100m freestyle S9 were responsible for the other Italian victories.

First golds

Spain’s national anthem was played for the first time during the Euros and repeated twice thanks to victories from Antoni Ponce Bertran (men’s 200m individual medley SM6), Inigo Llopis Sanz (men’s freestyle 400m S8) and Sarai Gascon (women’s 100m freestyle S9).

Turkey and Hungary topped the podium for first time. Sumeyye Boyaci was responsible for the Turkish gold in the women’s 50m backstroke S5 and Bianka Pap won the women’s 100m backstroke S10 for Hungary.

Belarus Ihar Boki improved his already impressive gold medal collection with a victory in the men’s 100m breaststroke SB13.

Elena Krawzow gave Germany its third gold in the Euros with a victory in the women’s 100m breaststroke SB12 and The Netherland’s Liesette Bruinsma took her first victory and her country’s third gold in the women’s 100m breaststroke SB11.

The European Championships continue on Wednesday (15 August) with 24 finals.

Full results and a complete schedule can be found on the Dublin 2018 website.

You can watch day three live on the World Para Swimming website and Facebook page.

IPC

Aug 14 18

New swim system may be key to Dolphins’ bid to topple US

by ZwemZa

Focused: Kyle Chalmers walks onto the pool deck before winning the men’s 100m freestyle final.
Photo: AAP

The introduction of a new analysis system in Adelaide may prove the difference in Australia’s bid to become the world’s No.1 swimming nation at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Australian head coach Jacco Verhaeren says he is excited by the potential of the technology to be unveiled in two weeks’ time in Olympic champion Kyle Chalmers’ program that will fine-tune swimmers’ skills – an area he believes they “can’t win” without.

The Dolphins pushed the Americans early at the four-day Pan Pacs in Tokyo, which concluded on Sunday, but in the end finished with eight golds – 10 short of the US.

Verhaeren said skills such as turns and starts had let some of the Dolphins down during the year’s biggest meet – even former world champion Cate Campbell, who claimed a career-best five golds in Tokyo.

But he was excited by the prospect of the technology to be unveiled under Chalmers’ program in Adelaide.

The analysis system featuring cameras and software to break down the swimmers’ skills will be introduced under Chalmers’ coach Peter Bishop and will be available to the entire Dolphins squad in the lead-up to Tokyo 2020.

“With the new system arriving in Adelaide in two weeks, it is exciting,” Verhaeren said.

“We are going to have a good start/turn analysis system that we can use moving forward, not only for the swimmers in Adelaide but nation-wide.

“You can’t win with poor skills anymore. We know that.

“When the difference (in winning) is getting smaller and smaller some will have to put the emphasis on technique.”

While the program may be in Rio 100m gold medallist Chalmers’ hometown, Verhaeren reckoned rising star Ariarne Titmus may be one of the main beneficiaries as she cranked up her rivalry with American great Katie Ledecky.

Titmus, 17, became only the third woman in history to crack four minutes when she kept the world and Olympic champion Ledecky honest to claim 400m freestyle silver in Tokyo.

“See the skill level between Ariarne and Katie Ledecky,” Verhaeren said.

“They almost swim at the same pace but the turns and underwater work are still a big difference.”

Still, Verhaeren believed Australia were on the right track ahead of the 2020 Games despite coming up short against the Americans in Tokyo.

“I think this meet instils belief in people,” he said.

“You can really see that we are competitive and in some cases win the close races.

“It is about the close races. Almost no one wins with seconds ahead. It is all about tenths and hundredths of seconds.

“We need to be good at that.”

AAP

Aug 14 18

Katie Ledecky offers swimming tips to Tokyo students

by ZwemZa

Katie Ledecky (Getty Images)

The Japanese students let out squeals Tuesday as Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky moved across the swimming pool, ducking under the lane lines.

The 21-year-old American, fresh off a five-medal performance at the Pan Pacific Championships in Tokyo, answered questions about her career and training routine before jumping into the pool with more than 100 star-struck Japanese elementary and junior high school students to give them tips.

“Her strokes were really big and really different from ours, so I could really tell the difference,” said sixth-grader Risako Tomita, who lived in Maryland, Ledecky’s home state, for four years.

“I tend to put my hand too far down in the water,” she said after watching how Ledecky swims. “So I have to lift it up a little.”

Ledecky, who has won five Olympic gold medals, seemed impressed as she watched the students swim past, mouthing to her parents and brother in the stands, “They’re so fast!”

She told reporters afterward that she plans to train hard for the next two years so that she can return to Tokyo for the 2020 Olympics. She cracked a smile when she saw the students, still in their dripping swimsuits, craning their necks behind the journalists.

“Hopefully I’ll see a lot of their faces again in two years,” she said.

The event was part of the U.S. Embassy’s Go for Gold campaign, which brings American athletes and diplomats to participating Tokyo schools.

Ledecky, who met legendary Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps when she was 9, said working with kids is very important to her.

“It’s fun for me to give back to the sport I love so much,” she said.

Associated Press

Aug 14 18

Wilimovsky claims third Pan Pacs medal with 10km gold

by ZwemZa

Jordan Wilimovsky (Team USA)

American Jordan Wilimovsky secured his third medal of the 2018 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships on Tuesday, with victory in the men’s 10 kilometers open water event.

Full Results

The 24-year-old open water specialist had won gold and silver medals in the pool over the weekend and came into Tuesday’s event as favorite.

Compatriot Taylor Abbot held the lead through the first laps of the five-lap race held off Chiba’s Hojo beach before Wilimovsky made his move.

The 2015 world champion finished in a time 1:58:50 to win with Eric Hedlin of Canada over six seconds off the pace in second.

Australian Nicholas Sloman was third.

There was further success for the United States in the women’s event, as Haley Anderson came from behind to win a dramatic race ahead of Australian Kareena Lee and Brazil’s Ana Marcela Cunha.

Cunha came into the final lap with a lead of over two seconds but the patient Anderson had the stronger finish to claim gold.

The race concludes the 2018 Pan Pacs, with the United States comfortably topping the medal table with 20 golds.

Reuters

Aug 14 18

Dublin 2018: World records falls on opening day

by ZwemZa

Francesco Bocciardo broke the first world record of Dublin 2018 in the opening final of the competition © • Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Italy’s Francesco Bocciardo set the tone on the opening day of the Dublin 2018 World Para Swimming Allianz European Championships when he broke the world record in the very first final of the competition.

Three other world records fell on Monday (13 August) at Ireland’s National Aquatic Centre with Ukrainians and Italians topping the podium four times each.

“This is really emotional to me. I didn’t expect to come here and break my own world record,” said Bocciardo after winning the men’s 200m freestyle S5 (2:23.65).

“I was very nervous before the race, but from the second lap I started to increase my speed to try to take the first place. It was very difficult but I’m very happy. I hope this European Championships will bring me other good experiences.”

It was an Italian one-two with Antonio Fantin finishing second and Spain’s Antoni Ponce Bertran third.

Italy also took gold in the men’s 100m breaststroke SB9, the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay 34 points and in the women’s 200m individual medley SM8 with an emotional Xenia Palazzo.

“I can barely speak. After the morning session I expected a bronze, maybe a silver, but instead I got gold. My dream has finally come true,” said Palazzo.

Unstoppable Ukraine

The Italians had already won three finals when Ukraine took their first gold. It came in a one-two victory in the women’s 50m freestyle S6 immediately followed by another Ukrainian one-two in the men’s 400m freestyle S12.

Only 0.01 separated gold and silver medallists in the women’s 50m freestyle S6. Yelyzaveta Mereshko clocked 32.78 to set a new world record leaving the previous record holder Viktoriia Savtsova in second (32.79) and Great Britain’s Eleanor Robinson in third.

Iaroslav Denysenko dominated the men’s 400m freestyle S12 (4:08.00) followed by country-mate Danylo Chufarov and Netherlands’ Rogier Dorsman.

It was Ukrainian gold and silver again in the men’s 50m butterfly S7 final with Yevheniy Bohodayko (29.95) first and Andrii Trusov. Germany’s Tobias Pollap finished third.

The final gold of the day for Ukraine came in the women’s 50m freestyle S11. Maryna Piddubna set a new world record (30.22) leaving previous record holder Liesette Bruinsma from the Netherlands in second. Sweden’s Maja Reichard took bronze.

“I really didn’t expect this. I still don’t believe that I broke the world record. I have four more events ahead and I will try to win gold again,” said Piddubna.

Dutch delight

But the Dutch still had a lot to celebrate on Monday. It was gold, silver and a new world record in the women’s 100m breaststroke SB9. Chantalle Zijderveld finished first (1:12.42) with Lisa Kruger second and Belarus’ Aliaksandra Svadkouskaya third.

“I was super excited, I was confident and I saw that I was ahead of Lisa. So when I touched the wall and I saw that I had won and broken my own world record was amazing. I am happy to hear the Dutch national anthem again,” said Zijderveld.

“We train together and we help each other to be the best. It is really difficult to compete against Chantalle but I’m happy and looking forward to win in my next race,” said Kruger.

Thijs van Hofweegen gave the Dutch the second gold of the day in the men’s 50m freestyle S6.

Brilliant Brits

Great Britain also celebrated two gold medals, both in S14 races. Scott Quin won the men’s 100m freestyle in a nail-biting finish with 0.67 separating the three medallists.

Quin clocked 1:07.21 ahead of fellow Briton Conner Morrison and Ukraine’s Vasyl Krainyk.

In the following race, 2018 World Series winner Louise Fiddes took gold in the women’s 100m freestyle (1:14.17) with silver to Spain’s Michelle Alonso Morales and bronze to Great Britain’s Rio 2016 winner Bethany Firth.

“It’s absolutely insane, I never thought it would happen. There were such incredible athletes racing against me, like Bethany Firth and Alonso. It’s just can’t believe it,” Fiddes said.

Greece, Belarus, Germany and Israel also celebrated two victories on day one.

Inbal Pezaro gave Israel its first gold in the Euros since Berlin 2011 in the women’s 200m freestyle S5. Ami Omer Dadaon made it two with a victory in the men’s 100m freestyle S4.

Dimosthenis Michalentzakis in the men’s 200m individual medley SM8 and Aristeidis Makrodimitris in the men’s 50m backstroke S2 took golds for the Greeks.

Rio 2016’s most successful swimmer Ihar Boki gave Belarus its first gold in Dublin in the men’s 100m butterfly S13. Hryhory Zudzilau won the men’s 50m freestyle S11.

German victories came with Maike Naomi Schnittger in the women’s 400m freestyle S12 and Denise Grahl in the women’s 50m butterfly S7.

The European Championships continue on Tuesday (14 August) with 22 finals in Dublin.

Full results and a complete schedule can be found on the Dublin 2018 website.

You can watch day two live on World Para Swimming website’s and Facebook page.

Aug 14 18

Josh Prenot blogs about his time exploring Tokyo and competing at Pan Pacific Swimming Championships

by ZwemZa

Josh Prenot is a swimmer who won silver in the 200-meter breaststroke at his first career Olympic race in 2016. Prenot competed for Cal from 2012-16, during which he was named Pac-12 Newcomer of the Year in 2013, won the 400 IM at the 2016 NCAA Championships and claimed two golds and a silver at the 2015 World University Games. The American record holder in the 200 breaststroke, Prenot is blogging for TeamUSA.org during his journey at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Tokyo, site of the 2020 Olympic Games.

Want to learn to curl like the pros? Looking for breaking news, videos, Olympic and Paralympic team bios all at your fingertips? Download the Team USA app today.

Well, I didn’t have the performances I wanted, but Tokyo was still a blast. Here’s a quick rundown of how the week went for Team USA:

The several days leading up to the meet consisted of a struggle to get adjusted to the eight-hour time change from California, and some good training work in the competition venue. During breaks between workouts some teammates and I managed to do some exploring! We visited the Sensoji temple at Asakusa for some shopping and tourist activities on one of our first days in Tokyo. A few days later we went to the Daikanyama T-site – three buildings connected by bridges, containing a bookstore, record store, coffee shop and lounge (not to mention some really neat architecture). Being able to explore and appreciate so much of the world is one of my favorite things about swimming – the sport has taken me to five continents so far! – so I’m really glad I was able to see at least a little bit of the beautiful city that is Tokyo.

The lounge at Daikanyama T-site

Once the competition got started, the team settled into meet mode. Eating, sleeping, cheering for teammates and swimming is just about all we did for the past four days! The competition was intense, as Australia and Japan gave us a tough battle in the medal table and the points standing. The Japanese swimmers were especially passionate, swimming in front of their home crowd in the 2020 Olympic city. The noisemaker-wielding fans went crazy for the Japanese athletes when they were announced before their races, and the arena got even louder whenever a Japanese swimmer earned a gold medal, making it a pretty fun environment to race in.

The worlds busiest intersection, Shibuya Crossing

Overall, I think Team USA had a solid performance. There were definitely ups and downs, as one would expect since we had our nationals just two weeks ago, but we ended up with over 40 medals – a nice haul. Of special note was the men’s 400 medley relay, the final event of the meet. It was a hard-fought battle between the U.S. and Japan, with Japan leading the entire way by just a few tenths of a second at every turn. With about 5 meters to go, our anchor Nathan Adrian was able to pass the Japanese leader and get his hand on the wall 0.05 seconds ahead of him. It felt fantastic to finish the meet that way and proudly sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” alongside all my teammates who contributed to the team’s victory.

Me and my friend Keita Sunama (R) – we’ve been competing against each other since 2015

Personally, my meet wasn’t great. I swam the 100 and 200 breaststroke, and I was slower than my times from nationals in Irvine. My goal was to be better than I was at nationals and see how close I could get to the world record. Not being able to accomplish that was frustrating, but that’s how swimming goes sometimes. At the very least, I’ll take information away from this meet that will help me be more consistent in my training and competition for the next year as I built towards the FINA World Championships in July, as well as some great memories with teammates and friends. At the end of the day, Team USA came away with the victory and that’s what matters. A huge thank you goes out to all the coaches and staff members who positively contributed to the team and helped us maintain our swimming dominance.

That’s it from Tokyo until 2020; I hope to be back here competing for Team USA in two years! Thanks to everyone for following and supporting, and go USA!

By Josh Prenot, 2016 Olympic Silver Medalist Swimmer

Aug 14 18

Para-swimming European Championships: Quin retains SB14 100m breaststroke title

by ZwemZa

Quin also won gold at the 2016 European Championships in Madeira (Getty Images)

Scott Quin lived up to his tag as the Flying Scotsman to retain his men’s SB14 100m breaststroke title at the World Para-swimming European Championships in Dublin.

The 28-year-old from Edinburgh led home team-mate Conner Morrison as Great Britain won six medals on day one.

“I have swam better but sometimes you have to dig deep,” Quin told BBC Sport.

“The work I have done with my sport psychologist has helped me and I am a fighter.”

Quin’s last major international was the 2016 Rio Paralympics where he finished second behind GB team-mate Aaron Moores.

This time around, he was in third at the halfway point and it looked like he could be heading for disappointment again.

But he finished strongly in one minute 7.21 seconds with 20-year-old Morrison from Aberdeen 0.32secs behind.

Elsewhere, GB debutant Louise Fiddes won her first major international title beating Spanish Paralympic champion Michelle Alonso Morales to gold in the women’s SB14 100m breaststroke.

The 17-year-old, who had the fastest time in Europe going into the race, had turned for home in third but, like Quin, finished strongly to beat Morales by 1.38secs with GB team-mate Bethany Firth winning bronze.

“I normally go out slowly and I got nervous when I saw Morales ahead,” admitted the teenager.

“But I came back strongly and it is incredible to win gold at my first major international.”

Earlier, 17-year-old GB debutant Megan Richter got the better of the fast-finishing Claire Supiot of France to win Britain’s first medal of the competition – silver in the SM8 200m individual medley.

Richter led at halfway following a strong backstroke leg and saw Italy’s Xenia Francesca Palazzo go past her on the breaststroke leg but she held off Supiot, who represented her country at the 1988 Olympics, by 0.21 seconds.

“My breaststroke isn’t so strong so I knew they would come past me but I managed to hold on as much as I could.”

“I had to work so hard out there – my legs are just dead now,” she said.

Britain’s other medal on day one went to Ellie Robinson who won bronze in the women’s S6 50m freestyle.

BBC Sport

Aug 13 18

Gold rush sees hosts Australia top medal standings at Pan Pacific Para Swimming Championships

by ZwemZa

Rebecca Meyers set a new world record on the first day of the Para Pan Pacific Championships © • Getty Images

Hosts Australia secured their place at the top of the medal standings as action concluded today at the Pan Pacific Para Swimming Championships in Cairns.

The home nation finished with a tally of 43 golds, 30 silvers and 21 bronzes after another successful day in the Tobruk Memorial Pool, proving they will be a force to be reckoned with at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

Rio 2016 Paralympian Rachael Watson set the tone on the final night of competition, winning the first gold medal on offer in the women’s 50 metres freestyle S4 event.

Watson finished in a time of 40.00sec with Brazil’s Patricia Santos second in 41.91 and the United States’ Leanne Smith third in 44.28.

The 26-year-old was thrilled to triumph on home soil with a roaring crowd cheering her along the way.

“It feels amazing to get the win in my pet event, but to win it on home soil is an incredible feeling,” Watson said.

“It’s been really nice to do an international meet here in Australia, representing our own country on home soil with so many people watching and supporting us.”

London 2012 Paralympian Taylor Corry also impressed today, displaying career-best form and finishing the Championships with four gold medals from four events.

Competing in the women’s 100m butterfly S14 final, she led from the start and finished 4.31 seconds ahead of Canada’s Justine Morrier in a time of 1:08.77.

“I’m so happy with my swim tonight but I’m even happier with the meet in general,” Corry said.

“I missed out on Rio by half a second, I missed out on the World Champs last year by two seconds and I’m just so glad to be part of the Australian team again.

“I didn’t take much notice of how far ahead I was in that race because for me, it’s just about what I can do for this family – my swimming family.”

oday also saw four-time Paralympian Matt Levy claim the gold medal in the men’s 50m freestyle S7, touching the wall in 28.94.

He led an Australian one-two finish with Rohan Bright securing the silver medal in 30.71.

Brazil’s Talisson Glock rounded out the podium in 32.19.

“It was great to finish the meet off with a decent swim tonight,” Levy said.

“It’s been a great atmosphere here, it’s great to be in Cairns and it’s been great to get so many PBs (personal bests) during these last five days.”

In other results today, Australia’s Lakeisha Patterson secured the second gold medal on offer in the women’s 50m freestyle S8, shaving more than a second off her heat time to finish in 30.39.

The men’s 50m freestyle S10 final was the nail-biting event of the evening, and although Brazil’s Phelipe Rodrigues took the title, Australia’s Rowan Crothers made the race one to remember, finishing 0.07 seconds behind in 23.78.

In the men’s 100m butterfly S13, Australia’s Braedan Jason won his second gold medal of the night in 59.64, while compatriot Jacob Templeton raced just over in 1:00.56.

Jason had earlier won the 50m freestyle S13 title in 24.64.

The clear champions of the Pan Pacific Para Swimming Championships, Australia were unrelenting until the end, with the women’s 4x100m freestyle 34-point relay team grabbing the last gold medal of the meet.

The team consisting of Paige Leonhardt, Ellie Cole, Patterson and Tiffany Thomas Kane took the lead from the start but were pushed all the way by the US.

Kane, however, widened the small gap in her final strokes to touch the wall first.

Daniel Etchells | Inside the Games

Aug 13 18

Emily Seebohm takes aim at ex Mitch Larkin after winning gold at Pan Pacs

by ZwemZa

Aussie Swimmer Emily Seebohm.Source:No Source

Just when the dust appeared to have finally settled on her very public breakup with Mitch Larkin, Emily Seebohm has taken a not so subtle dig at her Australian teammate after a golden finish to the Pan Pacs in Tokyo.

World champion Seebohm and Larkin kept it cordial at the Pan Pacs just months after their messy split to help Australia grab second with eight gold — well behind world No.1 the United States’ haul of 18 wins.

But Seebohm didn’t waste time taking aim at fellow champion backstroker Larkin on social media after ending the four-day meet with two gold and a silver.

“You made this harder then (sic) it had to be but you made me stronger then (sic) I’ll ever be!” she posted on Instagram in an apparent dig against Larkin.

The post appeared to be edited from “you” to “this” shortly after.

Seebohm had largely bitten her tongue on the issue in Tokyo. But an emotional week appeared to catch up with Seebohm when she was relegated to a shock sixth placing in the 200m backstroke final on Sunday’s last night.

American Kathleen Baker won in a championship record of 2:06.14 seconds — almost half a second slower than Seebohm’s 2017 world titles 200m winning time. She bounced back to feature in the 4x100m medley relay team’s stirring win in a new championship record.

She also featured in the 4x100m freestyle relay win and won 100m backstroke silver.

Seebohm admitted afterwards she had been struggling as she came to terms with the split that almost forced her to pull out of the year’s major swimming meet. But in the end, Seebohm was sure glad she hadn’t.

The 11-year team veteran said she was more motivated than ever to tackle Tokyo 2020 thanks to the strength drawn from her Pan Pacs campaign.

“It’s been a different battle to deal with every day (but) I pulled through and I swam and I swam better than what I thought — I am extremely proud,” she said. “So if I can do this, then I feel like 2020 will be a breeze.”

The world 200m backstroke champion was in and out of the Dolphins camp in the lead-up to the Pan Pacs due to the breakup and at one stage contemplated not returning.

“It’s pretty much a confidence boost leading into next year knowing that if I did that off what I did, then next time around it should be a lot better,” Seebohm said.

The 26-year-old said she would not be short of motivation ahead of 2020 thanks to the presence of Pan Pacs female swimmer of the meet Kylie Masse of Canada and American world record holder Baker.

“I think that just makes us work so much harder when we go up against each other because we’re all so even,” she said.

Laine Clarke | news.co.au

Aug 13 18

‘We’ve woken the giant’: Titmus ready to ramp up rivalry with Ledecky

by ZwemZa

Big improver: Ariarne Titmus appears dejected after finishing second in the women’s 400m freestyle final.
Photo: Delly Carr / Swimming Australia

Ariarne Titmus has gone and done it now.

“I think we’ve woken up the giant,” said her coach Dean Boxall after his 17-year-old star rattled the cage of American icon Katie Ledecky.

“It’s either going to make her [Ledecky] go absolutely crazy in training or Arnie is in her head. One or the other.”

It could end up being both. After being tested like never before in the 400m freestyle final at the Pan Pacs meet in Tokyo, Ledecky will be unlikely to forget Titmus in a hurry, with their next date the 2019 FINA World Championships in Korea.

You can also bet the multiple world and Olympic champion will find fresh motivation to take her domination of the event to new levels. For her, Titmus finally represents a worthy rival. Elite athletes can only subsist for so long racing a clock.

In riding the bow wave of Ledecky in the 400m, Brisbane schoolgirl Titmus gave Ledecky the closest international 400m race she’s ever endured. The American touched the wall at 3:58.50s, a swim that represented the sixth-fastest of all time.

Just 1.16s back was Titmus, who refused to fall away as Ledecky turned the screws in the latter stages. Her time of 3:59.66s made her just the second swimmer to break the four-minute mark in a regulation textile suit.

Work remains to be done and Ledecky can go much faster, as her Rio world-record mark of 3:56.46s suggests. But Titmus is at the age and stage where she too can shed time in a hurry, while Ledecky knows the gap has started go close.

Four years ago at the Pan Pacs on the Gold Coast, she had more than six seconds to contemplate life before the second swimmer touched the wall. In Rio, she won by almost five seconds. With Titmus in play, the rout looks to be over.

After firing such a substantial shot, Boxall knows the challenge for Titmus will be greater than ever, as will be the pressure to repeat the dose every time she gets into a pool with Ledecky. They expect a clinical response from the woman already regardless as the greatest female swimmer of all time.

“We knew that was going to happen. Look at Nadal or Federer. When someone comes up against them, they go to another level. She is an absolute champion. She is the number one swimmer for females… ever,” Boxall said.

“We finally saw a bit of a dog fight. It was like a rabbit and a greyhound. For Arnie to stand up, she swam a very mature race.”

Titmus had the luxury of being the outsider in Tokyo. For her, the only way was up, providing she swum up to her immense potential. That stage of her career has now gone into fast-forward.

Beginning of a fine rivalry: Katie Ledecky hugs Ariarne Titmus on the podium.
Photo: AAP

Boxall knows he must keep Titmus grounded, focused and as of this week, finally take the foot off the pedal after a massive year that started with the Commonwealth Games. Plus, she has the small matter of graduating high school from St Peters in Brisbane, where she has to make up for 10 weeks’ worth of missed schoolwork.

“You just hope Arnie stays the grounded person she is,” Boxall said. “We have to make sure she can go to another level and not just talk about Katie, keep reverting back to Katie. If Arnie can keep being Arnie, I think the dream is a possibility.

“I think we have to get back to taking a bit of the intensity off her … it’s been very intense this year prepping for Comm Games and Pan Pacs. She’s finishing school. Technically she will be away from school for 10 weeks this year. She has some catch-up to do.

“She’s just a kid. She turns 18 in a couple of weeks. And she wants to achieve at school. She wants to achieve at anything that she does. She wants to get good marks at school and we have to support that.”

Boxall, one of the star coaches in the ranks of Australian swimming, is acutely aware that the next two years must be navigated with the utmost care and caution for Titmus. Performance equals hype which equals distractions, the kind of which he’s seen destabilise young swimmers in the past.

Real deal: Ariarne Titmus celebrates after winning gold at the Women’s 800m freestyle.
Photo: RICK RYCROFT

Even for the likes of Ledecky, now a professional swimmer with a $7 million swimwear company TYR Sport, the weight of expectation can be telling. It may have been the same with another recently turned pro American star Caeleb Dressel, who was well below his best at the Pan Pacs

“Now that she’s swum very well, there will be more sponsorship, media, she may see herself in a different light. And that’s when I think you have to keep her grounded,” Boxall said of what Titmus can expect.

“Different athletes change during this stage. You look at Dressel and Katie, they’ve just turned professional and I think that’s just slightly changed them at the moment, they’re trying to iron out a few things and their daily training environment is slightly changed. That’s the most important thing, to try and keep that the same.”

Phil Lutton | The Sydney Morning Herald

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