Ariarne Elizabeth TitmusOAM (born 7 September 2000) is an Australian formerswimmer. She is the reigning Olympic champion in the women's 400-metre freestyle, having won the event at the2020 Summer Olympics and the2024 Summer Olympics and theworld record holder in thelong course200-metre freestyle. Titmus is widely considered one of the greatest middle-distance swimmers of all time.[4] In 2019 and 2020, she competed representing theCali Condors in theInternational Swimming League. She retired from professional swimming in October 2025.
In 2015, when Titmus was 14 years old, she and her family, including fatherSteve Titmus, moved fromTasmania toQueensland for better training opportunities.[5] She initially attended secondary school at St Patrick's College Launceston[6] before switching toSt Peter's Lutheran College inBrisbane.[7] Titmus first trained as a swimmer atLaunceston Leisure and Aquatic Centre. She is coached byDean Boxall, who formerly coachedStephanie Rice andLeisel Jones.[8] Titmus is a supporter of theHawthorn Hawks in theAustralian Football League.[9]
At the2016 Junior Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, held in August inHawaii, United States, Titmus won a silver medal in the 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay, splitting a 2:00.13 for the lead-off leg of the relay to contribute to the final time of 8:05.43, and a bronze medal in the 400 metre freestyle with a time of 4:09.81, which was 2.29 seconds behind gold medallistLi Bingjie of China.[10]
Titmus competed in thewomen's 200-metre freestyle event at the2017 World Aquatics Championships, finishing in 17th place.[11][12]
At the2018 Commonwealth Games, Titmus won three gold medals; in the 400 metre freestyle, 800 metre freestyle and the 4 x 200-metre freestyle relay. She also won a silver medal in the 200 metre freestyle.
On 14 December 2018, Titmus set a new world record and won a gold medal in the women'sshort course 400-metre freestyle competition of the2018 FINA World Swimming Championships with a time of 3:53.92, breaking the record set byWang Jianjiahe two months earlier by 0.05 seconds. She won a further gold medal in the 200 metre freestyle and two bronze medals in relay events at this competition.
Titmus was selected as one of the 27 swimmers to represent Australia at the2019 World Aquatics Championships inGwangju, South Korea. After finishing second in her heat of thewomen's 400-metre freestyle, she won the gold medal and broke theOceania record in the final with a time of 3:58.76, a full second ahead of American swimmerKatie Ledecky.[13] In the4 × 200 metre freestyle relay the Australian team broke theworld record setting a time of 7:41.50 with Titmus swimming the first leg.[14]
In 2019, Titmus was a member of the inauguralInternational Swimming League, representing theCali Condors, who finished in third place in the final match inLas Vegas, Nevada, in December. Titmus won the 400-metre freestyle several times throughout the season, including the final.[15]
In 2021, Titmus won two gold medals for Australia at the2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Posting a time of 3:56.69 in the400-metre freestyle final, she edged out world record holder Ledecky by less than a second.[16][17] Posting a new Olympic Record of 1:53.50 in the200-metre freestyle final, she trailed behind Hong Kong'sSiobhán Haughey for most of the race then came home strongly to push herself in front on the last lap. Titmus earned a silver medal in the800-metre freestyle final, this time finishing 1.26 seconds behind Katie Ledecky.[18] Titmus was also part of the relay team that won bronze in the 4 × 200 metre women's freestyle relay, finishing behind China and the US.[19]
At the2022 Australian Swimming Championships in May, Titmus set a newworld record in the long course 400-metre freestyle with a time of 3:56.40, breaking the former record of 3:56.46 set by Katie Ledecky in 2016.[20][21][22] She lost the record toSummer McIntosh in 2023,[23] before regaining it at the2023 World Aquatics Championships with a time of 3:55.38.[24]
At the2024 Australian Swimming Trials in June, Titmus set a newworld record in the long course 200-metre freestyle with a time of 1:52.23, breaking the former record of 1:52.85 set byMollie O'Callaghan in 2023.[25][26]
At the Paris 2024 Olympics, Titmus won Gold in the Women's 400 metres freestyle, finishing ahead of CanadianSummer McIntosh and AmericanKatie Ledecky. On 16 October 2025, Titmus announced her retirement from swimming at the age of 25.[27]
| Meet | 200 freestyle | 400 freestyle | 800 freestyle | 4 × 50 freestyle | 4 × 200 freestyle | 4 × 100 medley |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PACJ 2016 | 6th |  | 5th |  | ||
| WC 2017 | 17th | 4th | 14th | | ||
| CG 2018 | |  | | | ||
| PAC 2018 | | | | |||
| SCW 2018 | | | DNS | | | DQ |
| WC 2019 | | | | | ||
| OG 2021 | | | | | ||
| CG 2022 | | | | | ||
| WC 2023 | | | | | ||
| OG 2024 | | | | |
| Event | Time | Meet | Location | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 m freestyle | 26.08 | 2022 Australian Swimming Championships | Adelaide, Australia | 18 May 2022 | |
| 100 m freestyle | 53.68 | 2022 Australian Swimming Championships | Adelaide, Australia | 18 May 2022 | |
| 200 m freestyle | 1:52.23 | 2024 Australian Olympic Swimming Trials | Brisbane, Australia | 12 June 2024 | WR |
| 400 m freestyle | 3:55.38 | 2023 World Aquatics Championships | Fukuoka, Japan | 23 July 2023 | OC, formerWR |
| 800 m freestyle | 8:12.29 | 2024 Olympic Games | Paris, France | 3 August 2024 | OC |
| 1500 m freestyle | 16:09.87 | 2018 Australian Pan Pacific Championships Trials | Adelaide, Australia | 30 June 2018 | |
| 400 m individual medley | 4:46.61 | 2018 Australian Pan Pacific Championships Trials | Adelaide, Australia | 1 July 2018 |
| Event | Time | Meet | Location | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 m freestyle | 26.43 | 2018 World Championships (25 m) | Hangzhou, China | 15 December 2018 | |
| 100 m freestyle | 53.32 | 2019 International Swimming League – Final | Las Vegas, United States | 20 December 2019 | |
| 200 m freestyle | 1:51.38 | 2018 World Championships (25 m) | Hangzhou, China | 11 December 2018 | FormerCR,OC |
| 400 m freestyle | 3:53.92 | 2018 World Championships (25 m) | Hangzhou, China | 14 December 2018 | FormerWR |
| 800 m freestyle | 8:13.41 | 2018 Australian Swimming Championships (25m) | Melbourne, Australia | 25 October 2018 |
| No. | Event | Time | Meet | Location | Date | Status | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4x200 m freestyle relay[a] | 7:41.50 | 2019 World Aquatic Championships | Gwangju, South Korea | 25 July 2019 | Former | [14] |
| 2 | 400 m freestyle | 3:56.40 | 2022 Australian Swimming Championships | Adelaide, Australia | 22 May 2022 | Former | [20][21][22] |
| 3 | 4x200 m freestyle relay[b] | 7:39.29 | 2022 Commonwealth Games | Birmingham, United Kingdom | 31 July 2022 | Former | [28] |
| 4 | 400 m freestyle | 3:55.38 | 2023 World Aquatics Championships | Fukuoka, Japan | 23 July 2023 | Former | [29][30] |
| 5 | 4x200 m freestyle relay[c] | 7:37.50 | 2023 World Aquatics Championships | Fukuoka, Japan | 27 July 2023 | Current | [31] |
| 6 | 200 m freestyle | 1:52.23 | 2024 Australian Swimming Trials | Brisbane, Australia | 12 June 2024 | Current | [25] |
a split 1:54.27 (1st leg); withMadison Wilson (2nd leg),Brianna Throssell (3rd leg),Emma McKeon (4th leg)
b split 1:52.82 (4th leg); with Madison Wilson (1st leg),Kiah Melverton (2nd leg),Mollie O'Callaghan (3rd leg)
c split 1:52.41 (4th leg); withMollie O'Callaghan (1st leg),Shayna Jack (2nd leg), Brianna Throssell (3rd leg)
| No. | Event | Time | Meet | Location | Date | Status | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 400 m freestyle | 3:53.92 | 2018 World Championships (25 m) | Hangzhou, China | 14 December 2018 | Former | [32] |
| No. | Event | Time | Meet | Location | Date | Status | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 200 m freestyle | 1:53.50 | 2020 Summer Olympics | Tokyo, Japan | 28 July 2021 | Former | [33] |
| 2 | 4x200 m freestyle relay[a] | 7:38.08 | 2024 Summer Olympics | Paris, France | 1 August 2024 | Current | [34] |
a split 1:52.95 (4th leg) withMollie O'Callaghan (1st leg),Lani Pallister (2nd leg),Brianna Throssell (3rd leg)
| Records | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Women's 200-metre freestyle world record-holder (long course) 12 June 2024 – | Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Preceded by | Women's 400-metre freestyle world record-holder (long course) 22 May 2022 – 28 March 2023 23 July 2023 – 7 June 2025 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Women's 400-metre freestyle world record-holder (short course) 14 December 2018 – 27 October 2022 | Succeeded by |
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