Watch out world: Titmus, McEvoy say Paris prep has been gold standard
By Tom Decent
Paris: Two of Australia’s best gold medal hopes, Ariarne Titmus and Cam McEvoy, have fired a warning shot by declaring they are in better condition than the lead-up to last year’s world championships where they thrashed their rivals.
Just over a week out from the opening night of swimming competition in Paris (July 27), Australia’s swimmers are finalising preparations and keeping a low profile in Chartres, about an hour’s drive away, before they move into the Olympic village on Tuesday.
Titmus is one of the stars of the Games after winning 200m and 400m freestyle gold medals in Tokyo three years ago. She is the world record holder in both events and will also be looking to down American Katie Ledecky in the 800m freestyle – an event in which the Australia won silver at in Tokyo.
The 23-year-old regained her 400m freestyle world record at last year’s world championships in Japan with a memorable win over Ledecky and Canadian teenager Summer McIntosh that she regards as her finest performance.
The trio will almost certainly square off again on the opening night of competition, and judging by Titmus’ comments on Wednesday it won’t be an easy assignment for the rivals who were more than three seconds off her in Japan last year.
“I think I’ve prepared the best I ever have for a swim meet,” Titmus said. “My goal at these Games is to try and get every skerrick out of myself and see what I’m capable of.
Ariarne Titmus chats to the media at Australia’s team base in Chartres on Wednesday. Credit: Delly Carr/Swimming Australia
“This place here is quite isolating and it’s really perfect for the job we’re about to do. I think it’s good not being at home and seeing the hype on TV and in the papers. I really haven’t felt like we’ve been training for an Olympic Games. Now it’s starting to feel real.”
Titmus said her coach Dean Boxall, famous for his post-race celebration in Tokyo, had been in a “good mood” lately and actually decided against watching State of Origin on Wednesday so he wouldn’t get too worked up.
“He’s switched on and ready to go. I think he’s excited,” Titmus said. “He wants to stay nice and calm and collected or he’d get too hyped.”
Australia have four swimmers with a No.1 world ranking going into individual swimming events in Paris. They are Titmus (200m and 400m freestyle), McEvoy (50m freestyle), Kaylee McKeown (200m backstroke and 200m individual medley) and Sam Short (800m freestyle). There are plenty of other gold medal chances across nine days of action.
McEvoy, who now focuses solely on the 50m freestyle, pulled off a stunning victory at the world championships last year in an Australian record time of 21.06 seconds.
The winning margin of 0.51 seconds was the biggest in world championship history for the men’s one-lap dash.
Swimming Australia gave McEvoy permission to arrive in France later than his teammates and the three-time Olympian believes it was the perfect tune-up as he attempts to become the first Australian male to win a medal in the program’s shortest event.
“Things are moving really well. I’m hitting some PBs [personal bests] in the water, swimming as fast as I ever have in training, which is giving me a massive confidence boost at this point,” McEvoy said.
Cam McEvoy addresses the media. Credit: Delly Carr/Swimming Australia
“That three-week period was the most important period of my entire prep. It’s kind of the glue that puts the rest of the 11 months prior to that together. The times are slowly coming down, even relative to leading into Fukuoka. Confidence is sky-high in that sense, and really it’s just going to come down to execution on the day.”
The biggest danger and unknown quantity in the field is USA star Caeleb Dressel, the reigning Olympic champion in the event who didn’t compete in Japan.
Dressel clocked 21.41 seconds at US trials last month, well behind McEvoy’s best this year of 21.13, but is the only man in the field with a faster time than the Australian after posting times of 21.04 in 2019 and 2021.
“With Dressel being out of the water for a little bit, coming back and still making progress every time he swims, I am definitely not going to go into this underestimating him,” McEvoy said. “I’m definitely keeping an eye on him. It’s looking like the 50 freestyle has the most depth that it’s had.
“Having Caeleb there is awesome. I worked out I should be next to him in the heats over there. He’s obviously legendary in the sprint world. Incredible runs on the board with his past Olympics.”
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