Ariarne Titmus is not just chasing faster times, she’s chasing a legend in Katie Ledecky

ARIARNE Titmus has never watched “The Terminator” movies which spawned her catchy nickname yet no one is missing her shake-up of Australian middle-distance swimming.

GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA — MARCH 01: Ariarne Titmus after winning the final of the Women's 400m Freestyle event during the 2018 Australia Swimming National Trials at the Optus Aquatic Centre on March 1, 2018 in Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

ARIARNE Titmus has never watched “The Terminator” movies which spawned her catchy nickname yet no one is missing her shake-up of Australian middle-distance swimming.

“Arnie” is a throwback to the Tracey Wickham days with her catch-me-if-you-can style and mentality for racing in the toughest of women’s events.

At 17, the Year 12 Brisbane schoolgirl is the counter to those greats of the pool bemoaning the thinning ranks of kids willing to do the tough mileage to be a distance champion.

She literally logged thousands of training kilometres under coach Dean Boxall to produce the standout swim of the Commonwealth Games trials on the Gold Coast.

It wasn’t even that her 4 min 02.36 sec swim to win the 400m freestyle on Thursday night was the first Australian record of the meet.

You could see in the eyes of the Launceston product in the moments after she touched the wall that she expected better, wanted to go even faster.

Ariarne Titmus after winning the final of the Women's 400m Freestyle.

Titmus is not just chasing faster times, she’s chasing a legend.

American marvel Katie Ledecky owns five Olympic gold medals and has redefine women’s freestyle world records like no other.

You never hear Titmus talking of racing for second in her long-term vision. It’s about closing the gap and one day pulling off the great upset.

“It was cool to meet Katie in the flesh in Budapest (at the world championships) and race against her last year,” Titmus said.

“She is an amazing swimmer but she’s just like me and has got to where she is on hard training and dedication.

“For me that means doing my best every session so there is nothing left in the tank.

“Dean pushes me harder, maybe, than anyone else in my squad (at St Peters Western) but that’s how it has to be.”

It’s the quality of work she does which means she is unsurprised by dropping into Olympic medal territory.

“On my training times, I know how I’m going to race ... I don’t really do any surprise swims,” said the matter-of-fact teen who keeps posting personal bests.

That connection to the Arnold Schwarzenegger movies makes her laugh and the Arnie T-shirts worn by her fan club in the grandstand at the Southport pool did again.

“I’ve been called Arnie since I was a baby ... Ariarne’s too posh and harder to say,” she said.

“It’s so funny, I haven’t even seen those Terminator movies I keep hearing about.”

With 200m and 400m freestyle swims already booked for the Commonwealth Games next month, everyone is going to be hearing a whole lot more about swimming’s Terminator.