Aussie swimming champion Ariarne Titmus makes HUGE call on her swimming future as young rival smashes her world record
Australian swimming star Ariarne Titmus has confirmed she will not compete at the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.
Just days before this announcement, 18-year-old Canadian sensation Summer McIntosh shattered Titmus’s world record in the 400-metre freestyle.
The timing was symbolic – Titmus stepping back as her fiercest young rival surged forward.
McIntosh clocked 3:54.18 at the Canadian trials, slicing 1.2 seconds off Titmus’s 2023 mark.
It was the first time a woman had swum sub-30-second splits in every 50-metre leg of the event.
‘I was really not expecting that time,’ McIntosh said after the race.
Ariarne Titmus confirmed Los Angeles 2028 will mark the end of her decorated Olympic swimming career
Summer McIntosh shattered Titmus’s 400m freestyle world record at Canadian world championship trials
Titmus prioritised life balance over history, choosing not to pursue a home Games appearance in Brisbane
Her emotional response reflected the hard work and frustration she’s channelled since finishing behind Titmus last year.
McIntosh’s achievement drew praise from swimming legends including Michael Phelps and Ian Thorpe.
While the world marvelled at McIntosh’s swim, Titmus quietly reaffirmed her post-Paris plans.
‘I know the LA Olympics will be my last,’ the 24-year-old told Two Am I.
Her decision means Titmus won’t race at her home Olympics in Brisbane in 2032.
She would be nearly 32 years old by then – an age no Australian woman has competed at in Olympic swimming.
Yet for Titmus, life beyond the pool matters more than records or milestones.
‘I don’t want to be an athlete who retires and is lost,’ she said.
After Paris 2024, Titmus took extended time off to experience life beyond elite swimming
The Aussie champion spoke candidly about the emotional toll of non-stop training since her teenage years
Titmus spoke of her demanding training regime since age 13 and how brief breaks gave her perspective.
After Paris 2024, she embraced downtime, including a stint away from elite swimming altogether.
This week, she’ll slide into the icy water for FightMND’s Big Freeze 11, raising awareness for motor neurone disease.
The symbolic plunge comes before she returns to focused training for her final Olympic campaign in Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, McIntosh is preparing for a showdown with American great Katie Ledecky at the 2025 World Championships.
Their three-way rivalry – Titmus, McIntosh, Ledecky – has defined the 400m freestyle in recent years.
Titmus famously dethroned Ledecky in Tokyo and later broke her world record.
McIntosh briefly claimed the record in early 2023 before Titmus reclaimed it at the world championships in Fukuoka.
Titmus will appear at FightMND’s Big Freeze 11 before returning to serious Olympic training
Titmus’s dominance in the 400m freestyle helped redefine women’s distance swimming in the post-Katie Ledecky era
Now, McIntosh has struck again – reclaiming the title with a performance few saw coming.
Australia’s swimming trials begin this week in Adelaide, without Titmus but full of fresh opportunity.
Head coach Rohan Taylor expects a changing of the guard after several Dolphins veterans announced retirement.
That includes Emma McKeon, Australia’s most decorated Olympian, and stalwarts like Mitch Larkin and Bronte Campbell.
Taylor says the post-Olympic cycle always invites new names to emerge, and 2024 is no exception.
‘The inevitability is that some people vacated events,’ he said, ‘and young ones will jump up.’
The trials will determine the Australian team for the 2025 World Championships in Singapore.
Kaylee McKeown, who like Titmus plans to retire after LA 2028, will headline the meet.
Young stars like Mollie O’Callaghan are tipped to step into leadership roles.
McIntosh’s world record has set a fierce benchmark ahead of global competition in July.
She will also compete in multiple other events at the Canadian trials, including medley and butterfly races.
Her versatility and dominance are drawing comparisons to legends before her time.
Titmus, meanwhile, is watching from afar – content with her journey and her place in history.
She may not swim in Brisbane, but her legacy as a two-time Olympic champion and world-record holder is secure.
Her message is clear: finish strong in LA, then embrace life after the pool with confidence.
‘I can take off my hat at the end of this, happy with what I’ve done,’ Titmus said.
