American swimmer Katie Ledecky and Australia’s Ariarne Titmus after a heat of the women’s 400-meter freestyle on Saturday in Paris. The final, which takes place on Saturday afternoon, is one of the most anticipated events of the entire Summer Olympics.
Manan Vatsyayana/AFP via Getty Images
hide caption
convert caption
Manan Vatsyayana/AFP via Getty Images
PARIS — Less than 24 hours later Olympic opening ceremony one of the most anticipated events of the entire Paris Summer Olympics: 400 meter freestyle for women.
The race was billed as a clash of the giants, featuring three women who have collectively held world records over the past decade: Australian standout Ariarne Titmus, Canadian rising star Summer McIntosh and Katie Ledecky, the greatest female swimmer in U.S. history.
Titmus, who currently holds the world record, is the favourite for the gold medal after her incredible performance. comeback finish against Ledecky at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. However, Ledecky, now 27, said at a press conference this week that she likes her chances.
“I feel prepared and ready to race, and that’s all you can ask for. I’m going to give it my best shot,” Ledecky said.
The 400-meter freestyle final will take place at 4:52 p.m. ET at Paris’ La Défense Arena. All three will be entering after qualifying in the morning, with Ledecky leading the way with a time of 4:02.19.
How the stage is set for Saturday’s match
Ledecky, now 27, first came to prominence at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, where she won four gold medals, including the 400-meter freestyle in which she broke the world record by nearly two seconds. Her record of 3:56.46 stood for nearly six years.
Then came the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, where Titmus won gold and Ledecky took silver. The following year, at the 2022 Australian Championships, Titmus, now 23, broke Ledecky’s world record.
Now, McIntosh has a third contender. The 17-year-old Canadian broke Titmus’ world record last year at a Canadian swimming trial event, holding the record for four months before Titmus reclaimed it with a 3:55.38 win at the World Championships when McIntosh failed to medal.
Speaking to reporters earlier this month, Titmus said she expected McIntosh to recover “close to a world record” at the Olympics. “She’s probably never been in an environment where the pressure is on her like that,” Titmus said. “I expect her to come in and be a challenge for me.”
Titmus said earlier this month that there was a particular appeal to the event, which was scheduled on the first day of the swimming competition. “Everyone is new. No one knows what form anyone is in,” she told reporters at the Olympic training camp in Paris.
“Those two guys kept raising their game, raising my game. I knew I had to be at my best. I think they knew they had to be at their best. I think that’s what you want in an Olympic race,” Ledecky said.
“I think I’m the best prepared I’ve ever been for a swim meet. More than anything, I’m excited to see what I can do,” Titmus said.
NPR’s Brian Mann contributed reporting from Paris.
