‘Oh my god’: Titmus explains viral blunder after Paris Olympics gold

Rumours have swirled about Ariarne Titmus’ viral gold medal act. Now the Aussie has come forward to reveal what really happened.

Titmus accidentally put her gear behind the wrong block.

It’s Ariarne Titmus’ world. Everyone else, including her biggest rivals, are just living in it.

Titmus on Sunday morning cemented her position as one of Australia’s greatest swimmers, defending her 400m freestyle crown in the so-called “race of the century”.

The Tasmanian superstar claimed her third gold medal when she showed her class with a dominant swim against red-hot rivals Katie Ledecky and Summer McIntosh at the Paris La Defense Arena.

It was supposed to be a battle between three titans at the peak of their powers, but Titmus’ stunning swim shows there is only one 400m freestyle queen.

The world has been singing Titmus’ praises, but tongues have also been wagging about her pre-race mistake where she walked onto the pool deck and lined up behind the Lane 4 blocks — where Ledecky was supposed to be as the fastest swimmer in the heats.

Swimming commentators around the world giggled when the vision first emerged, but there were also suggestions Titmus’ act was a deliberate tactic. A champion’s mindset.

Oi that’s my lane! Picture: Adam Head

After the American came out last, she politely let Titmus know she was in her spot and the pair shared a quiet chuckle as the Aussie moved her clothes across to behind lane 5.

Titmus and Ledecky said post-race there was no mind games at play with the mix up, and the two great rivals were all class, embracing post-race.

Titmus on Sunday night (AEST) spoke out to reveal the truth.

“Oh my god, total honest mistake,” Titmus said after her 200m freestyle heats, per News Corp.

“I just saw that that one was the free one, usually like you walk out the one on the left is the one you go to and I totally didn’t even realise and look at the number and we had a bit of a laugh in the medal ceremony room.”

She went on to say: “I think she just said, ‘Hey Arnie, I think that’s my lane.’ And I was like, ‘oh my god, I’m so sorry.’

Ariarne Titmus lined up in Katie Ledecky's lane before the final race by accident.

She then moved into her correct lane and beat Ledecky for the third time in four head-to-head Olympic races 😮 pic.twitter.com/rjRlZ6YYEM

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 27, 2024

“I just picked up my stuff and moved over.

“And then she said to me in the medal ceremony room, ‘Don’t worry I think it’s instinctive for us to go over to lane four these days.’

“Like, if anyone thinks it was on purpose. That’s not true. It was totally an honest mistake.”

Titmus and Ledecky were seen chatting happily in the marshalling room before the showdown.

“I had to tell her, you’re in lane 5,” Ledecky later explained.

“I told her, ‘all good, all good,’ because she was freaking out. I didn’t want her to feel bad or anything.

“I joked with her before the medals, you’re getting a little comfortable there in lane 4.

“That was no big deal. I didn’t want either of us to get disqualified for swimming in the wrong lane. We got it taken care of.”

Three champs. One queen. Picture: Adam Head

Ariarne Titmus on top of the world. Photo by Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP.

Titmus was almost a full second clear of silver-medallist McIntosh while Ledecky never challenged them and finished more than three seconds behind Titmus.

Titmus’ time of 3mins 57.49secs was nowhere near her world record, but it didn’t have to be.

Titmus said on the pool deck after the race: “The girls threw everything at me. I’m really happy to go and defend my title.”

It was the 23-year-old’s third Olympic gold medal after she did the 400m and 200m double in Tokyo.

Her swim on Sunday is the first time in 96 years that an Aussie woman has defended the 400m freestyle crown in an Olympic pool.

The lack of emotion in Titmus’ face reflected her dominance and the ease at which she made it look so easy.

“Oh my legs are a bit tired, but I’m just relieved more than anything,” she said after the race.

“I probably felt the expectation and pressure for this race more than anything in my life to be honest and I’m pretty good at handling the pressure but I’ve definitely felt it.

“I’m just happy to get the result for myself and I feel so honoured to be a part of the race and be alongside legends like Katie.”

Titmus will also swimming the 200m and 800m in Paris.