Tokyo Olympics: Ariarne Titmus and Katie Ledecky have unfinished business to sort out.

Ledecky’s sour response to Titmus’ 2019 triumph didn’t go unnoticed with the great duo set to go head-to-head on swimming’s biggest stage.

Frenemies forever, Australia’s Ariarne Titmus and her great American Katie Ledecky have got some unfinished business to sort out.

Both are far too polite and savvy to say it out loud but it’s an open secret that the world’s two best female swimmers aren’t exactly the best of mates.

According to Titmus, their personal relationship could best be described as “civil”.

“Whenever I see Katie and my competitors overseas, there’s always a ‘hello’ and ‘how are you going?’” Titmus said.

“I’m not as close with her as other people from overseas.

“I’m great mates with a backstroker called Kylie Masse from Canada. I talk to her weekly. But it’s not exactly like that with Katie.

“When I do see her overseas, everything’s very civil, very normal. She’s just a person.

“It’s not like there’s this massive rivalry that everyone thinks.”

A Stanford University graduate in psychology and political science, Ledecky rarely acknowledges Titmus, particularly by name, preferring to use the female pronoun instead.

“I think she‘s really shown that she’s really fast at the international meets as well and so I’m sure she’s going to be great in Tokyo and she’s such a great competitor,” Ledecky said.

Their frosty relationship can be traced back to the 2019 world championships in Gwangju, South Korea when Titmus steamed past Ledecky on the last lap to win the 400m freestyle title.

It remains the only time Ledecky has been beaten at an international race but the American did not take the loss well, turning her back on the Australian without congratulating her.

Although she was all smiles and hugs later on at the medal ceremony, Ledecky’s sour response did not go unnoticed by onlookers, including the Australians.

Titmus is the only person to beat Ledecky in an international race. (Picture: Getty Images

Then, when Ledecky claimed she was feeling ill during the race, Titmus never got the full acclaim she deserved for her win, either in 2019 or now.

Asked what she had learnt from that week, Ledecky again made no mention of the woman who beat her.

“We’re all human and we all get sick at different times,” she said.

“It was bad timing but it inspired me to get back to work and train hard.”

Titmus and Ledecky haven’t raced each other since Gwangju but will square off four times in Tokyo – in the 200m, 400m and 800m individual races and the 4x200m relay – the same four events Ledecky won gold medals in at Rio in 2016.

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The odds are stacked against Ledecky winning the same four this time and she knows it, although she also has the 1500m, where she is virtually unbeatable.

The Australian relay, where Titmus will join forces with Emma McKeon, Madi Wilson and possibly Leah Neale, appears to have a big advantage over all their rivals.

And Titmus has emerged as the favourite to win the 200m and 400m after she set the second-fastest time in history in both events during the trials, just missing Federica Pellegrini’s 12-year-old mark for 200m as well as Ledecky’s 400m world record from 2016.

Ledecky was initially dismissive of what Titmus did – saying “medals aren’t won” at trials – but was more forthcoming when asked a week later.

“We haven’t raced each other a tonne, I mean a couple of years. But, I think we’re still bringing the best out of each other,” Ledecky said.

“I know that we’ve both been working hard towards our end goals for Tokyo. I’m sure she’s going to be fast and I’m sure she thinks the same of me.

“It’s always great to see the sport continue to move forward and she’s definitely doing that for our sport and it’s an honour to be able to race against somebody like her.”