2021 SWIMMING AUSTRALIA OLYMPIC TRIALS
- Saturday, June 12th – Thursday, June 17th
- South Australia Aquatic & Leisure Centre, Adelaide, Australia
- Sole Olympic-Qualifying Opportunity
- 2021 Swimming Australia Olympic Nomination Criteria
- Meet Site
- Final Start List
- Live results
- Qualifying Criteria
- Day 3 Finals Live Stream (Amazon Prime required)
Ariarne Titmus collected gold in the women’s 200 freestyle at 2021 Australian Olympic Trials with a 1:53.09. That time is also an improvement upon her own Australian record in the event of 1:54.27 which she set back in 2019. Along with it being an Australian record, the swim for Titmus is also a new Australian All-Comer and Commonwealth record.
Ariarne Titmus 200 Freestyle Split Comparison:
| 2021 Australian Olympic Trials | 2019 World Championships | |
| 50 | 26.81 | 26.90 |
| 100 | 55.55 | 55.84 |
| 150 | 1:24.64 | 1:25.01 |
| 200 | 1:53.09 | 1:54.27 |
Not only is Titmus the fastest Australian in the history of the event, but she is also now the second-fastest woman in the world in history. She has jumped up from her former 5th place rank and now sits at #2 behind world record holder Federica Pellegrini who holds the mark at a 1:52.98 from over a decade ago at the 2009 World Championships.
All-Time Long Course Women’s 200 Freestyle Performers
- Federica Pellegrini – 1:52.98 (2009)
- Ariarne Titmus – 1:53.09 (2021)
- Allison Schmitt – 1:53.61 (2012)
- Katie Ledecky – 1:53.73 (2016)
- Sarah Sjostrom – 1:54.08 (2016)
With the 2nd fastest time in history, Titmus now sits atop the world ranking this season in the event and is more than a second faster than Katie Ledecky‘s 2nd ranked swim of 1:54.40.
Titmus was well under the Olympic qualifying mark of 1:56.82 which means that she has now added her name to the 2021 Australian Olympic roster in the 200 freestyle. That means that she’s now qualified for 2 events at the Games, having won the 400 freestyle in Australian record time of 3:56.90.
Titmus won the silver medal at the 2019 World Championships with a 1:54.66 to Federica Pellegrini‘s 1:54.22 but was faster as she swam the opening leg of the 4×200 freestyle relay. Titmus opened up the Australian relay with a 1:54.27 record which set up Emma McKeon, Brianna Throssell, and Madi Wilson to continue on and lower the world record in the event to a 7:41.50.
At 2021 Olympic Trials, Emma McKeon followed Titmus in the final with an Olympic-qualifying swim of 1:54.74 while Madi Wilson looks to have qualified for the 4×200 relay in Tokyo with a 1:55.68 for bronze. Considering that they can take up to 6 women in the event to give them prelim relay swimmers, 4th place finisher Leah Neale (1:56.08) and co-5th place Meg Harris (1:56.29) and place Mollie O’Callaghan (1:56.29) could also be named to the team considering their sub-qualifying time swims.
No doubt about it – an utterly awesome swim. Had not expected anyone that close to Pellegrini’s SS record for a while yet. Oh well… happy that another SS record could go down soon.
Holy crap! That would have been about a 1:51 in one of those polyurethane suits (like pellegrini was wearing at the time of the world record). In my mind I had always considered Allison Schmidt the world record holder since she had gone 1:53 something in a textile. (Kind of like I consider Ryan lochte’s 4:05 400IM in a textile suit the real world record) Katie Ledecky is really going to have her work cut out for her!
I like your point, but I wouldn’t include the men’s 400 IM in this. Phelps wore legs, not a full body suit when he went 4:03, so he didn’t get near the benefit of the full polyurethane suits of 2009. Phelps’s 2008 swim > Lochte’s 2012 swim.
Years ago, Ariarne and her coach put a target on Katie L ‘s back and it looks like they are ready to knock Katie off her pedestal.
The last 100 of that race Titmus looked like she had superpowers.
It sure looks that way! Ledecky isn’t going down without a fight, but she’s going to have to be at her very best to beat Titmus in the 400 and/or the 200
After 2019 Worlds, I thought Titmus had a very legit chance to beat Ledecky at the 2020 Olympics and this extra year has just given her an even better shot. I don’t think Ledecky is winning the 200 or 400 this year.
Somethings in the water
What a race! Her reaction at the end of the race is priceless. “F*%k!”
Imagine once she figures out her underwater dolphin kick…
I know McKeon’s a sprinter and has great skills, but she fully took about half a bodylength off Titmus on the start. Ariarne’s a true distance swimmer hehe. Kinda reminds me of Lochte racing someone like Sun Yang.
Obviously not everyone can develop a Dressel-esque start, but you gotta think that’d there’s some room there for Titmus to drop a little time and get that WR.
OMG! The Way Titmus Swam is absolutely incredible. (28.45 closing, is that real? )
I remember Ledecky finished the last 50 with 28.4 in 800m in Kazan 2015 or Sun Yang closed 1500m with 25.6 in London 2012
But a 28.45 here is unreal
What an amazing race from Titmus! No words!
After the 150 I thought it was impossible giving Pellegrini’s last 50 but she kept it close. Wow
And the rest of the field? Insane depth. Race of the championships for me.