James Magnussen breaks down how Ariarne Titmus won Paris Olympics gold against Summer McIntosh and Katie Ledecky

It was billed as the race of the century but Ariarne Titmus destroyed her opposition. JAMES MAGNUSSEN analyses the entire race, explaining just how the Terminator did it.

Ariarne Titmus dominated the ‘race of the century’. Picture: Al Bello/Getty Images

It was billed as the race of the century but in an emphatic performance Ariarne Titmus destroyed her opposition to secure her position alongside Dawn Fraser as one of the greats of Australian Olympic sport.

Here James Magnussen analyses the entire race from start-to-finish, with his live commentary of the race that woke the nation.

First lap

Ariarne will want to beat Ledecky off the start. Ariarne’s skills during the race are a big advantage for her over Katie. She’ll look to turn first at the 50 and then lead for at least the first 200m before she puts the hammer down.

Summer McIntosh, she is the wildcard in this final tonight. We don’t really know where she’s at in this event.

(Titmus 27.31, McIntosh 27.41, Ledecky 27.79)

Ariarne Titmus (front) and Katie Ledecky (C) take off for the final. Picture: Oli Sscraff/AFP

Second lap

Titmus and McIntosh both looking really good down this first 100. Titmus will be breathing away from Ledecky on that last 50m so that is something that is good to know early on in the race.

Ledecky just doesn’t have the speed to go into the first 100m.

(Titmus 56.92, McIntosh 57.03, Ledecky 57.69)

Third lap

This is pretty much where Ariarne wants to be, turning first and swimming in clear water. Ledecky is over onto the lane rope now next to Ariarne, it wouldn’t be a bad tactic for Ariarne to just move further away from that lane rope, over towards McIntosh just to get Ledecky off her wash.

(Titmus 1:26.96, McIntosh 1:27.36, Ledecky 1:27.89)

Ariarne Titmus (L) on her way to gold. Picture: Francois-Xavier Marit/AFP

Fourth lap

Ariarne picks up another stroke length off the turn there.

Summer McIntosh is still the wild card at this point. Just over a body length on Ledecky now, which is exactly where she would want her.

McIntosh is still sitting right with her and they are on world record pace. But this now is where Ariarne makes her move.

(Titmus 1:56.97, McIntosh 1:57.32, Ledecky 1:58.52)

Fifth lap

Now look at Titmus, she has picked up her kick.

She is pulling away from Ledecky and now McIntosh is struggling to stay with her as well.

This is pretty much how Ariarne and Dean Boxall would have planned it. You can see that she’s up to a six beat kick here now. She just dropped the hammer on that lap there and this is her big moment, this is her big accelerating point in the race.

(Titmus 2:26.82, McIntosh 2:27.48, Ledecky 2:28.65)

Ariarne Titmus and coach Dean Boxall’s plan came together perfectly in the final. Picture: Sarah Stier/Getty Images

Sixth lap

This third 100m is what the 400m swimmers talk about – this is where they make their move. The race is won in this third 100m.

McIntosh is still the wildcard here, you can see that she is still hanging on with Titmus with 100m to go.

But Ledecky is too far away. She can’t keep up with this pace, it is a race in two now, between Titmus and McIntosh.

I actually think Ariarne slowed down a little bit in that lap there, so she is starting to feel it a little bit and will need to dig deep for the final 100m.

But Ledecky, she is gone. Katie Ledecky is now racing for bronze and it’s a battle for first between Titmus and McIntosh.

(Titmus 2:56.92, McIntosh 2:57.74, Ledecky 2:59.51)

Seventh lap

Just over 50m to go, Ariarne is starting to pull away from McIntosh. You can see from up here in the stands that Ariarne’s shoulders are bright red. She’s feeling the pinch, but so is McIntosh.

Ariarne still can’t quite shake McIntosh, but Ledecky she is out of it.

It will be hard for McIntosh to swim over the top of Titmus from here, she is almost a full second behind.

(Titmus 3:27.36, McIntosh 3:28.20, Ledecky 3:30.10)

Final lap

Ariarne is really biting down on the mouth guard now, but it’s going to be enough to win gold – they can’t catch her.

McIntosh is having a really brave race but she just can’t quite close that gap from Titmus.

This is the best we’ve seen McIntosh head to head against Titmus as they come into the wall, but Ariarne is a body length clear and she wins the gold medal.

It’s probably not the time Ariarne would have wanted. She was a little bit off her world record, but she broke those other competitors with her strategy and in that third 100m they were just completely demoralised, Ledecky in particular, and it was enough to win the gold medal.

Macintosh swam a brave race to hang in for second, that probably bodes really well for her for the rest of the week, but Ariarne, as we expected, gets the job done and joins Dawn Fraser in becoming just the second woman in Australian history to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals.

(Titmus 3:57.49, McIntosh 3:58.37, Ledecky 4:00.86)

Originally published as James Magnussen breaks down how Ariarne Titmus won Paris Olympics gold against Summer McIntosh and Katie Ledecky