Ariarne Titmus becomes first woman to win distance treble since Linda McKenzie in 2004

ARIARNE Titmus has become just the sixth woman in Australian title history — and first since Linda McKenzie in 2004 — to win the distance treble.

Ariarne Titmus (right) is seen celebrating after winning the final of the womens 800 metre Freestyle during day three of the 2018 Australian Swimming Trials at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre at Southport on the Gold Coast, Friday, March 2, 2018. (AAP Image/Darren England) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

AGAIN, the man driving one of the most exciting prospects in world swimming has found a way to motivate his charge.

Ariarne Titmus may be the first woman in more than a decade to seal the distance treble but when she touched the wall in the 800m freestyle in a personal best time, coach Dean Boxall had seen a small fault.

Titmus had set herself the goal of dipping under the 8min 20 sec mark in Friday night’s 800m after winning the 200m and 400m earlier in the meet.

She duly won the gold, set a personal best time and conquered a marathon program to become just the sixth woman in Australian title history — and first since Linda McKenzie in 2004 — to win the distance treble.

“It’s bittersweet. I thought I’d be able to go under the 8:20 mark tonight,” said Titmus, who finished just 0.06 sec outside her goal.

“As soon as I finished the race, I saw Dean say to me: ‘You breathed at the flags’.”

Ariarne Titmus celebrating after winning the final of the womens 800 metre Freestyle during day three of the 2018 Australian Swimming Trials.

Titmus had committed the cardinal sin of taking a breath 5m out from the wall and the man that fuels her motivation with equal doses of praise and niggle had noticed.

Titmus has not become one of the rising stars of world swimming by being content with her performances.

And she responds to Boxall’s hard-nosed methods.

“He always says the faster I get, the harder he has to push,” Titmus said.

“He pushes me harder than anyone in the squad, he’s always on my back and I can never have a moment where I can relax, I’ve always got to be on, on, on.

“I think that’s why I’ve improved.”

She improved again on Friday night, leapfrogging 1988 Olympic medallist Julie McDonald, as well as Kylie Palmer and Katie Goldman on the Australian all time list, to sit behind only national record-holder Jess Ashwood, who was second on Friday night.

She still wants more and hopes that can come at next month’s Commonwealth Games.

“I’ve got something to work on in each race,” she said.

“It’s better being that way than going into the Games thinking: ‘How am I going to get faster’.”

Earlier, Sunshine Coast teen Kaylee McKeown won the 200m backstroke, pipping world champion Emily Seebohm by a hundredth of a second to win her first national senior title.

The 16-year-old, who set a junior world record to finish fourth in the event at last year’s world titles, pushed over the top of Seebohm in the final lap to win by the narrowest of margins.

Emily Seebhom and Kaylee McKeown embrace after the final of the Women's 200m Backstroke.

Despite getting caught on the lane rope in the closing stages as she battled to keep course in the outdoor pool, McKeown managed to hang tough to touch out her older rival — but unable to see the result on the distant scoreboard, had to wait to have the win confirmed.

“I actually didn’t see my time because the board’s a long way away and I don’t have the best eyesight,” she said.

“I didn’t want to ask Em (Seebohm), so I had to wait for it to come up on the board behind us.”

Seebohm was unfazed, saying what mattered most was the Games next month.

“It doesn’t really matter what happens at trials because by the time the major meet comes around, it’s anyone’s game again,” Seebohm said.

“(McKeown) was always going to be a good challenger because she did so well at worlds.

“We knew it was going to be between us two and she’s just going to keep me on my toes.

“It definitely keeps me pretty motivated when I go back to training and this is no different.”

Seebohm’s partner Mitch Larkin clinched the 200m backstroke and only narrowly failed to take the 200m individual medley as well, finishing second to St Peters Western squamate Clyde Lewis.

“I had high expectations always,” Larkin said.

“I’m happy to get the double (completed) and hopefully go better at the Games.”

Originally published as Ariarne Titmus becomes first woman to win distance treble since Linda McKenzie in 2004