This visual story was originally published in the lead-up to the Paris 2024 Olympics, breaking down the rivalry between Ariarne Titmus and Mollie OCallaghan.At the time of publication, OCallaghan had snatched the 200m freestyle world record from Titmus with a brilliant swim at the 2023 world championships in Fukuoka. In June 2024, at Australia’s Olympic trials, Titmus took back the record. She still holds it, despite O’Callaghan winning 200m freestyle gold in Paris.Here, we take a look at one of the events that defined Titmuss stunning career, and how one of the biggest threats she faced emerged from within her own team.Swimming might appear a simple craft, but there is so much that goes into executing the perfect race. There were 14 different individual races on the swimming program in Paris. Of the four swimming strokes – breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly and freestyle – the latter is the fastest. Many believe the 200-metre freestyle event is the most tactical of all. Four laps of a 50m pool is the ultimate examination of skill, speed, tactics and endurance. “In every event, there’s a couple of different ways you can swim it,” says dual Olympian Giaan Rooney, who will commentated at the Olympics for Nine. “But the 200 freestyle really highlights whether you’re a 200-400 swimmer or a 100-200 swimmer. The 200 freestyle is one of the most tactical races because it brings together that middle ground of two quite different athletes.” Rooney, a 200m freestyle world champion in 2001, was in commentary in 2023 when Australian duo Mollie O’Callaghan and Ariarne Titmus battled it out for supremacy at the world swimming championships in Fukuoka, Japan. In 2021, Titmus won 200m freestyle gold at the Olympics in Tokyo, becoming the first Australian female to do so since Shane Gould in 1972. Her training partner, O’Callaghan, then emerged as a major gold medal threat in Paris. O’Callaghan edged out Titmus for the women’s 200m freestyle gold medal at last year’s world championships in world record time. It was a memorable race. “The amazing thing about the race in Fukuoka … I never thought Id see the day where someone would swim over the top of Arnie. I just didnt think Id see it,” Rooney says. The 200m freestyle is a race where everything needs to come together perfectly. At Paris 2024, Titmus and O’Callaghan have a big chance of finishing first and second. Titmus regained her world record at Australia’s Olympic swimming trials in June, 2024. O’Callaghan’s time that evening would have also been a world record, had it not been for her teammate in the next lane. The scene had been set for a tantalising battle in Paris.It lived up to expectations, with O’Callaghan setting a new Olympic record and claiming gold in Paris. Titmus was forced to settle for the silver medal. pointer: pointer data;title: More from this series