To see all of our 2019 Swammy Awards, click here.
2019 OCEANIAN FEMALE SWIMMER OF THE YEAR: ARIARNE TITMUS (AUSTRALIA)
Ariarne Titmus (photo: Mike Lewis)
In 2019, Australian teen distance star Ariarne Titmus accomplished something no one had accomplished before. Titmus, the 2nd fastest 400 freestyler in history, dethroned reigning Olympic Champion Katie Ledecky in the 400 free at the FINA World Championships. That made her the first woman to defeat Ledecky in a distance race (400 meters or longer) at a major international meet.
Titmus was within half a second of Ledecky’s Championship Record in that event. She’s one of only 3 women to have ever broken 4:00 in the 400 free. She racked up 2 more individual medals throughout the meet. Titmus nabbed bronze in the 800 free with a new Oceanian Record, becoming the 7th fastest performer ever in that race. She also earned silver in the 200 free. However, that wasn’t her fastest 200 free performance of the meet.
In the 800 free relay, Titmus led off for the Aussies with a new Oceanian Record in the 200 free. The squad went on to top the podium in a new World Record. Titmus now has 5 career long course Worlds medals, including 2 golds.
This is Titmus’ 2nd-straight Swammy Award as Oceania’s Female Swimmer of the Year.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
In no particular order
- Minna Atherton (AUS)- At 2019 Worlds, Atherton earned 3 medals. Individually, she placed 2nd in the 100 back. She was a part of the prelims team of the mixed 4×100 medley relay, earning a gold as the finals team won the event. Atherton led off the women’s 4×100 medley to get a silver. In the ISL’s inaugural season, she became the first woman to break 55 seconds in the 100 back (SCM), setting a new World Record. She took down the Australian Record in the 200 back, coming within hundredths of the World Record.
- Cate Campbell (AUS)- Campbell was once again a staple of Australia’s relays at the World Championships. She helped the Aussies to gold in the women’s 4×100 free relay and the mixed 4×100 medley relay. In the women’s 4×100 medley relay, she anchored the squad to silver. Individually, Campbell earned a silver in the 100 free and a bronze in the 50 free. That was her first Worlds medal in the 50 since 2013. Campbell was also the 2019 FINA World Cup champion.
Previous Winners:
- 2013 – Cate Campbell, Australia
- 2014 – Cate Campbell, Australia
- 2015 – Emily Seebohm, Australia
- 2016 – Cate Campbell, Australia
- 2017 – Emily Seebohm, Australia
- 2018 – Ariarne Titmus, Australia
- 2019 – Ariarne Titmus, Australia
My top 5:
1)Ariarne Titmus. 2)Cate Campbell. 3)Minna Atherton. 4)Emma McKeon. 5)Kaylee McKeown.
Titmus seems to be struggling of late. She hurt the Condors by dropping the 200 Free to Charlotte Bonnet at the ISL finale, and her 400 Free time was slower than Ledecky’s time back in October. It wasn’t like she undertook that big a schedule in Las Vegas either.
It could be that the situation of her teammate and friend Shayna Jack has impacted Titmus. In the radio interview attached here, Titmus says it was a devastating situation. And around the 6:50 mark of the interview Titmus also says she (Titmus) has to think a lot now and be careful about the supplements she puts into her body, that “it’s really tricky and you know, you kind of second guess things”
https://www.abc.net.au/radio/hobart/programs/breakfast/ariarne-titmus-says-teammate-shayna-jack-will-be-ok/11377314
Titmus is obviously quite a believer in caffeine since she has talked openly about drinking three cups of espresso right before her big races–which is a bit dodgy. Fortunately for her health and for her competitors, caffeine is at least a “monitored” substance by WADA. Her coach, Dean Boxall, seems to be big on caffeine–hopefully a watchful eye is being kept on his swimmers post-Shayna Jack so that none will have problems.
https://www.2gb.com/five-coffees-before-sunrise-thats-what-fuels-australias-next-super-coach/
I imagine there will be a fair bit of caffeine use in Tokyo with morning finals…..when I used to do marathons with 5-6AM starts it was the only way to get up and moving in time..
Titmus winning that race wouldn’t have changed the final standings at all but I agree that if she was fully tapered she slower than I thought she would be. What hurt the Condors was having the second swimmer come last or second last time and time again negating great performances by the first swimmer.
Impressive performances, especially in 200 and 400 free, and I think there is plenty of room for improvements for Titmus in start and turns. About the 200 free final at last Worlds, it would be extremely interesting reading the exact data, like for the 1500 free final among Wellbrock, Romanchuk and Paltrinieri, in the different sections of the race.
What is Titmus’ best in 100 this season. It looks like she did it in relays only. But it was first legs.
54.28 in April.
Tnx.
I think they both will be better next year, makes for an exciting matchup once again!
Well deserved. Looking forward to her rematch against Ledecky at Tokyo where Ledecky’ll no doubt be stronger.
Congratulations Ariarne. As Katie Ledecky herself said, “being sick doesn’t take away anything” from great swims [by Ms. Titmus]. Further, as Troyy says next time Katie will presumably not be sick next year. She wasn’t feeling well as soon as the team arrived at worlds, & a stomach bug or virus “just kind of wiped me out during the meet”. This year, for the first time in some time, not only did Katie pull her accustomed routine of breaking (or in this case, nearly breaking) the WR for 400 SCM in her first & only ISL meet, not even tapered or rested, but we can also remember her saying that she had trained so well before Worlds last summer (link… Read more »
This article is about Titmus. 3:58 with beating Ledecky or without that is an outstanding time. It’s better than suit record of Pellegrini. Because of this race in 400 her achievement in 800 went almost unnoticed. 8:15 is very scary stuff. A swimmer who can do 1:54.2 – 3:58 – 8:15 is a swimmer who can intimidate anybody.