"A bit of extra fire in the belly" - Ariarne Titmus teases 2024 Paris Olympics matchup against new 400 freestyle WR holder Summer McIntosh

Ariarne Titmus is another great swimmer to have been a part of the sport of swimming. Not only is she one of the finest swimmers in the world, but Ariarne is also one of the best swimmers to have represented Australia in recent years.

She held the world record in the 400 meter freestyle event, but most recently her world record time of 3:56.40 was surpassed by Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh. McIntosh clocked a time of 3:56.08 in the 2023 Canadian Trials.

Ariarne set her world record at the 2022 Australian Swimming Championships. Most recently, Ariarne Titmus spoke to 9Now. Reacting to her world record being broken, the Australian swimmer said,

"I think so, I mean this week, suddenly having your world record broken is a tough pill to swallow, but I think you have to look at the good in everything. And probably, it was a good thing that it was broken now gives me a little bit of extra fire in the belly. And I think that it is naive to think that the world of swimming is just gonna stop. It's exciting for us, the sport, it's exciting for the 400 freestyle."

She further continued:

"The matchup between Summer, Katie and I is going to be as strong as ever in Paris (2024 Olympics). Yeah, and time is flying, it's (2024 Olympics in Paris) only a year and a half away. Yeah, it's exciting for the sport."

Although Ariarne has stated that the matchup between her, Summer McIntosh and Katie Ledecky will be as strong as ever. It looks like McIntosh's first face-off against Titmus and Ledecky could come sooner than expected.

(L-R) Bronze medalist, Kiah Melverton of Team Australia, Gold medalist, Ariarne Titmus of Team Australia and Silver medalist, Summer McIntosh of Team Canada pose with their medals during the medal ceremony for the Women's 400m Freestyle Final on day six of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games

McIntosh was recently named to the Canadian World Championships Team for this summer's World Championships in Fukuoka. Both Katie and Ariarne will have a chance to qualify for the World Championships in the coming months.

Both Katie Ledecky and Ariarne Titmus have a high chance of winning the 400 meter freestyle event at their respective World Championships Trials. If the duo succeed in doing so, the swimming enthusiasts might witness McIntosh, Titmus and Ledecky face off against each other this year itself.

Meanwhile, the Australian swimmer is expected to compete later this month at the 2023 Australian Swimming Championships in Queensland. She has entered the 200 meter, 400 meter and 800 meter freestyle as the top seed and Australian record holder in all three events, according to Swimswam.

After the conclusion of the 2023 Australian Swimming Championships, Ariarne Titmus will have a few more weeks to train before competing for a spot in the World Championships Team at the Australian Trials in June 2023.

Ariarne, Katie and McIntosh have already competed against each other on one occasion. They faced off against each other during the 400 meter freestyle finals at the Tokyo Olympics. The Australian swimmer emerged victorious with a time of 3:56.69.

American swimmer Katie Ledecky finished second, followed by Li Bingjie in third place. Summer McIntosh finished in fourth place at the Tokyo Olympics.

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How many medals did Ariarne Titmus win at the Tokyo Olympics?

Representing Australia at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Ariarne Titmus won a total of four medals. The four medals include two gold medals, one silver medal and one bronze medal.

Ariarne Titmus of Team Australia poses with her gold medal on the podium after winning the Women's 200m Freestyle Final on day five of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Tokyo Aquatics Centre on July 28, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.

She claimed the gold medal in the 200 meter freestyle event with a time of 1:53.50. Ariarne claimed another gold medal in the 400-meter freestyle event by clocking a time of 3:56.69.

The Australian swimmer won the silver medal in the 800-meter freestyle event and a bronze medal in the 4x200-meter freestyle event. She will be looking forward to increasing her medal tally at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.