Titmus beats Ledecky's 400m freestyle swimming world record

Titmus was under world record pace for the entire race, turning at the halfway mark in 1:56.99 before bringing it home to huge cheers from the crowd.

Titmus also clocked a personal best in the 100m in Adelaide, but opted out of the 800m.
AFP

Titmus also clocked a personal best in the 100m in Adelaide, but opted out of the 800m.

Ariarne Titmus has smashed American great Katie Ledecky's 400m freestyle world record at the Australian championships, touching in 3mins 56.40 secs to reinforce her dominant status after a breakout Tokyo Olympics.

The 21-year-old upset Ledecky in the Olympic pool last year to claim gold and has now bettered her arch rival's 3:56.46 world best set at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

"Oh my God, I've just loved swimming the past six months, just going to training with no pressure and just enjoying the sport," Titmus said in Adelaide on Sunday.

"Coming here with no pressure, apart from the pressure I put on myself, which is still pretty high, it's just fun."

Focus on Commonwealth Games

Titmus was under world record pace for the entire race, turning at the halfway mark in 1:56.99 before bringing it home to huge cheers from the crowd.

"I never thought this meet, post-Olympics, I'd be swimming faster than Olympic trials and the Olympic Games. I guess if you keep surprising yourself it keeps the sport interesting," Titmus said.

Ledecky won the 400 freestyle at the US trials last month in 3:59.52.

But Titmus is not expected to defend her world title against her rival in Budapest in June, opting to skip the event and focus on the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in July.

It capped an impressive meet for the Australian who won the 200m freestyle in 1:53.31, the third fastest time ever. She beat Ledecky to win Olympic gold in that event too.

Titmus also clocked a personal best in the 100m in Adelaide, but opted out of the 800m.

It was the second world record of the meet after Olympic 200m breaststroke champion Zac Stubblety-Cook smashed that mark on Thursday, hitting the wall in 2:05.95.

READ MORE: US swimmers Dressel, Ledecky win gold again at Olympic pool

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