Ariarne Titmus addresses Olympics pre-race controversy with Katie Ledecky

Ariarne Titmus’ pre-race error on Saturday turned out to be her solely mistake of the night time in profitable a second consecutive gold medal within the 400-meter freestyle.

And, the Australian swimmer defined, it was not some form of intimidation tactic when she lined up in Katie Ledecky’s lane — merely an trustworthy error.

“I simply noticed that that one was the free one,” Titmus mentioned, per the Herald Solar. “Normally such as you stroll out the one on the left is the one you go to and I completely didn’t even understand and have a look at the quantity and we had a little bit of fun within the medal ceremony room.

“I feel [Ledecky] simply mentioned, ‘Hey Arnie, I feel that’s my lane.’ And I used to be like, ‘Oh my god, I’m so sorry.’ I simply picked up my stuff and moved over.

“After which she mentioned to me within the medal ceremony room, ‘Don’t fear, I feel it’s instinctive for us to go over to lane 4 lately.’

“Like, if anybody thinks it was on objective, that’s not true. It was completely an trustworthy mistake.”

2024 PARIS OLYMPICS

Ledecky completed third within the occasion to take bronze, behind Titmus and Canadian Summer time McIntosh.

“I informed her, ‘All good, all good,’ as a result of she was freaking out,” Ledecky mentioned, per the Herald Solar. “I didn’t need her to really feel dangerous or something. I joked together with her earlier than the medals, you’re getting a bit comfy there in lane 4.

“That was no huge deal. I didn’t need both of us to be disqualified for swimming within the flawed lane. We received it taken care of.”

Titmus and Ledecky will face off once more within the 800-meter freestyle, with Ledecky the favourite over the higher distance.

Titmus can also be swimming the 200-meter race, whereas Ledecky is competing within the 1,500-meter occasion.