‘Brain fart’ or mind games? Titmus spills on viral moment with rival Katie Ledecky

Ariarne Titmus was perfect in her race win over rival Katie Ledecky, but not so beforehand, revealing all about her awkward moment with her long-time rival before the race.

It’s become one of the viral moments of the Games, but Olympic gold medallist Ariarne Titmus insists it was a mistake and not mind games that prompted her pre-race eviction from lane four in the 400m freestyle final.

After qualifying second fastest for her 400m freestyle final, Titmus accidentally set herself up in lane four and not lane five after being introduced to the crowd.

It was only when US legend Katie Ledecky approached the blocks as the fastest qualifier and last swimmer out that Titmus was told she was in the wrong spot and had to quickly move lanes.

“Oh my god, total honest mistake,” Titmus said after her 200m freestyle heats, where she thankfully walked to the right lane.

“I just saw that that one was the free one, usually like you walk out the one on the left is the one you go to and I totally didn’t even realise and look at the number and we had a bit of a laugh in the medal ceremony room.

“But yeah, honest mistake, honestly. But I went to the right block this morning, which is nice work.”

Ledecky had a laugh about it at the time and again after the event.

Titmus and Ledecky laughed about the incident. Pic: Michael Klein

While it would be easy to assume it was a Titmus mind game, a way to tell Ledecky she was the No. 1 now and not her before the race start, the Australian was adamant there was no sinister subplot to her brain fart.

“I think she just said, ‘Hey Arnie, I think that’s my lane.’ And I was like, ‘oh my god, I’m so sorry.’ I just picked up my stuff and moved over,” Titmus said.

“And then she said to me in the medal ceremony room ‘don’t worry I think it’s instinctive for us to go over to lane four these days.’

“Like, if anyone thinks it was on purpose. That’s not true. It was totally an honest mistake.”

Originally published as ‘Brain fart’ or mind games? Titmus spills on viral moment with rival Katie Ledecky