AUSTRALIAN SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS 2022
Ariarne Titus was the first to hit Katie Ledecky in the 400 Free at a major international meet and defeated her at the 2019 World Championships and 2021 Olympics. Today she became the first to break one of Ledecky’s world records.
Titmus swam a time of 3:56.40 at the 2022 Australian Swimming Championships, just 0.06 seconds faster than Ledecky’s 3:56.46. Ledecky set her world record five years ago at the 2016 Olympic Games.
With her swimming, the 21-year-old Australian now has three of her four fastest times in the women’s 400 to date. She startled the world record when she swam a time of 3:56.90 in last year’s Olympic trials, and then came closer to it when she beat Ledecky in Tokyo with a time of 3:56.69. Tonight she finally accomplished the feat of being the fastest in history after coming so close for so long.
Top 5 performances in women’s 400m freestyle history:
Titmus is known for her rear half, having run over Ledecky in the final 100 yards the last two times she hit her. However, this time she was actually stronger in the first 200 meters of the race. She turned the 200 mark in 1:56.99 compared to Ledecky’s 1:57.11, but Ledecky actually had a stronger finish. Titmus went into the last 200 in 1:59.41 while Ledecky finished in 1:59.35.
Titmus vs. Ledecky: Comparative Splits
| Ariarne Titus2022 Australian Trials (New World Record) | Katie Ledecky2016 Olympic Games (former world record) | |
| 50m | 27.58 | 27.73 |
| 100m | 29.55 (57.13) | 29.32 (57.05) |
| 150m | 29.70 (1:26.83) | 29.94 (1:26.99) |
| 200m | 30.16 (1:56.99) | 30.12 (1:57.11) |
| 250m | 30.11 (2:27.10) | 30.30 (2:27.41) |
| 300m | 30:27 (2:57.37) | 30.21 (2:57.62) |
| 350m | 29.75 (3:27.12) | 29.92 (3:27.54) |
| 400m | 29:28 (3:56,40) | 28.92 (3:56.46) |
| In total | 3:56.40 | 3:56.46 |
With her world record, Titmus is now Olympic champion (2021), short course world champion (2018), long course world champion (2019), short course world record holder (2018) and long course world record holder (2022). the women 400 free. With a clean sweep of all major international awards at this event, she most likely cements herself as the greatest female 400 freestyler in history.
This race adds another chapter to what is probably the biggest rivalry in our sport right now. Although Titmus broke Ledecky’s world record, she will not face her at next month’s FINA World Championships, instead focusing on the Commonwealth Games. If Ledecky wants to regain her record, she’ll probably have to swim the 400m free in a single race. Also, the American hasn’t been under 3:57 in five years, meaning she’ll have to go at her fastest pace in a long time to beat Titmus’ new mark.
The next potential showdown between Ledecky and Titmus could be the match between USA and Australia in the pool, which will take place at the end of August after the World Cups and the Commonwealth Games.
Titmus’ swim was the second world record set at that meeting Zac Stubblety Cook broke the world record for 200 men’s breaststroke on Wednesday.