Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus, 21, holds the women’s 400-meter freestyle record breaker. She is considered the best middle-distance swimmer in the world since last summer’s Tokyo Olympics, beating U.S. athlete Katie Ledecky who is referred to as the G.O.A.T. in female swimming. It’s impossible to think that Titmus would intentionally stall this everlasting chain of success. Unfortunately, reality reveals that the star swimmer will be withdrawing from the upcoming international swim meet of the year, at the World Championship’s, and instead will be cozily sleeping halfway around the world.
In an early interview this month, Titmus casually commented, “I’ll definitely be asleep…probably look up the results, look at the splits, but I really won’t pay too much attention to it.” In other words, the decision was simply because she doesn’t care to be one of the fellow competitors. “I just really wanted to think about the long term,” she said. “And I really don’t care — it doesn’t bother me that I’m not going to be in the headlines or the media or the spotlight when the world championships are on…” Yet at the same time, what female swimmer wouldn’t want to take the chance to strike at the ultimate decade-long champion, Katie Ledecky, especially if she has already done so before? “Definitely when we’re in the pool racing, she’s my biggest rival,” Titmus said. “It doesn’t really matter who she is: I want to beat her…[However], I swim because I love it and I want to perform on the biggest stage, which for me is the Olympic Games.”
Titmus was passionate about swimming from the very start. Despite living in Australia with the shortage of swimming facilities and professional swimming coaches, Titmus managed to improvise by detecting a small pool in Launceston, and took lessons by following the instructions of a faraway coach. That was when she was clear about her dream of becoming a professional swimmer. “I just thought, I really have no choice,” she said. “Like, if I really want to make something of myself, I have no choice.”
Nevertheless, Titmus is still appraised as one of the best female swimmers in the world. Taking a break might also be a cue to all swim fans that once she is up, she will continue to wow us all, specifically on the biggest stage at the Olympics.
Link:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1655669386983x978043245684276900/Why%20Is%20Ariarne%20Titmus%20Not%20Swimming%20at%20the%20Worlds_%20-%20The%20New%20York%20Times.pdf
In an early interview this month, Titmus casually commented, “I’ll definitely be asleep…probably look up the results, look at the splits, but I really won’t pay too much attention to it.” In other words, the decision was simply because she doesn’t care to be one of the fellow competitors. “I just really wanted to think about the long term,” she said. “And I really don’t care — it doesn’t bother me that I’m not going to be in the headlines or the media or the spotlight when the world championships are on…” Yet at the same time, what female swimmer wouldn’t want to take the chance to strike at the ultimate decade-long champion, Katie Ledecky, especially if she has already done so before? “Definitely when we’re in the pool racing, she’s my biggest rival,” Titmus said. “It doesn’t really matter who she is: I want to beat her…[However], I swim because I love it and I want to perform on the biggest stage, which for me is the Olympic Games.”
Titmus was passionate about swimming from the very start. Despite living in Australia with the shortage of swimming facilities and professional swimming coaches, Titmus managed to improvise by detecting a small pool in Launceston, and took lessons by following the instructions of a faraway coach. That was when she was clear about her dream of becoming a professional swimmer. “I just thought, I really have no choice,” she said. “Like, if I really want to make something of myself, I have no choice.”
Nevertheless, Titmus is still appraised as one of the best female swimmers in the world. Taking a break might also be a cue to all swim fans that once she is up, she will continue to wow us all, specifically on the biggest stage at the Olympics.
Link:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1655669386983x978043245684276900/Why%20Is%20Ariarne%20Titmus%20Not%20Swimming%20at%20the%20Worlds_%20-%20The%20New%20York%20Times.pdf
