Young gun Ariarne Titmus hungry for more success as she prepares for pet events

ARIARNE Titmus is hungry. Forget about coach Dean Boxall rating her silver-medal winning effort in the 200m “one of the most amazing swims I’ve seen”.

Ariarne Titmus is hungry for more success on the Gold Coast.

ARIARNE Titmus is hungry.

Forget about coach Dean Boxall rating her silver-medal winning effort in the 200m “one of the most amazing swims I’ve seen”.

Or the fact that she’s stripped seven seconds from her time in that race over the past two years to now rate 10th fastest of all time.

The ferocious racer was disappointed at being touched out by Canada’s Taylor Ruck and wants to bounce back strong in her pet distance events, the 400m and 800m freestyle.

After watching St Peters Western squadmates Mitch Larkin, Clyde Lewis and Jack Cartwright all collect gold this week, Titmus’s competitive qualities have again come out.

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Ariarne Titmus is hungry for more success on the Gold Coast.

And she’s determined not to let her team down.

“She’s got to be disappointed because she’s trying to do her best for Australia, so she’s got to be hungry, hungry,” Boxall said.

“Hungry for the four and the eight.

“I don’t want to be jumping up and down going, ‘woo hoo, silver’.

“I want to be going: ‘hey, bloody hell, come on’. She’s hungry. She’s bloody hungry.”

Titmus takes to the water in the heats of the 800m on this morning ranked the fastest in the Commonwealth over the past 18 months.

And she and Boxall are expecting big things. While she’s taken time from her 200m, she’s manufactured herself into a contender in that event.

Titmus has her pet events still to come at the Commonwealth Games.

She’s a natural distance swimmer and is excited to see what she can do in the 800m, where she’s carved an amazing 18 seconds from her best in the past year to be among the world’s best.

Ironically, being told she was not the most talented swimmer has reinforced the notion that she will have to fight for every victory, something that aligns with Boxall’s training philosophy.

“I was told that I was never the most talented swimmer ... not the most naturally gifted swimmer,” Titmus said.

“I think the reason why I’ve gotten where I am is through determination and hard work.

“Certainly a couple of years ago moving to Dean I didn’t think I’d be in the position I am now.

“I would have been happy to still be ticking it through, swimming well on the junior teams.

“Obviously I wanted to make the Dolphins team but for it to happen this quickly and for me to have a rapid improvement like I have is incredible.”

Titmus rated her 800m at trials, where she stripped three seconds from her best time, “the most controlled swim I’ve ever done”.

Titmus finished second behind Taylor Ruck of Canada with Emma McKeon third.

“I had a bit of a lull last year with the 800m not improving but I’m glad I could have that breakthrough (at trials),” she said.

“Hopefully I can get under the 8:20 mark at the Games.”

Boxall knows his swimmer will respond after the 200m.

“People were saying about her being disappointed in that 200m ... that was just one of the most amazing swims I’ve seen,” he said. “She was two years ago, a 2:01. She’s now the 10th fastest of all time — that’s through the suit era.

“She’s just a remarkable athlete.”

Originally published as Young gun Ariarne Titmus hungry for more success as she prepares for pet events