Swimming star Ariarne Titmuss says she has never prepared so well for a competition of this magnitude before and that she is in better shape now than when she won gold medals in the 200m and 400m freestyle at the Tokyo Olympics.
The Australian broke the 200m world record last month and heads to Paris with the second-best 400m time of all time behind his own world record.
This made her the overwhelming favorite to win both events, and in the 200 metres her task was made easier by the fact that her main rivals, American standout Katie Ledecky and Canadian teenager Summer McIntosh, chose to focus on other races.
Titmuss won silver behind Ledecky at the COVID-19 postponed Games in Japan and is also scheduled to compete in the 800m.
“I think I have grown a lot in these three years as an athlete and even more as a person,” the 23-year-old said late on Wednesday at the Australian swimming team's training camp outside Paris.
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“Mentally, I think I learned a lot from the last Olympics.
“I know it'll be different because there will be a big crowd and I'm really looking forward to it. But I think as an athlete and overall I'm in a better position than I was three years ago.”
“I think this is the best preparation I've ever had for a swim meet,” she added.
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Ledecky, who suffered shock defeats to Titmus in the 200 and 400 metres in Tokyo, will compete in the 400, 800 and 1,500 metres in Paris but will skip the sprints.
McIntosh has also cut back on her freestyle schedule to allow her to focus on other events.
Titmuss said he's not disappointed about not being able to play against them.
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“No, not really, because my toughest rival and I train together every day and that's a challenge in itself,” she said of teammate and former 200m world record holder Molly O'Callaghan.
“The fact that those two withdrew doesn't change anything for me. It doesn't change the way I want to swim the race.”
Titmuss' form will be put to the immediate test in Paris, with the 400m title on the opening day at La Défense Arena.
She beat Ledecky in a thrilling final in Tokyo and then went on to break the American's long-held world record in 2022, which was surpassed by McIntosh last year.
A few months later, the Australian fought back to reclaim the world record, and the battle between the three was a huge hit.
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“Of all the races I've run, the 400m is the one I know best and I'm looking forward to seeing how I can perform on the world stage,” Titmus said of the 400m.
“I'm not thinking about the Olympic result or the importance, I'm just thinking about doing eight great laps.”
Titmus will enter the race as the favorite to win, owning two of the fastest times in history. She swam about three seconds faster than Ledecky and about four seconds faster than McIntosh this year.
But Ledecky is the undisputed queen of the 800 meters and will be seeking her fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal.
“I know Katie is an incredible 800m swimmer – the greatest of all time. It's my last Olympic race so I want to give it my all,” Titmus said.
