Swimming star Ariarne Titmus reveals pressure that led to Tokyo collapse

Despite a stunning medal haul, swimming superstar Ariarne Titmus suffered a dramatic collapse away from the cameras.

Ariarne Titmus emerged as a true superstar of the pool after her four-medal haul at the Tokyo Olympics back in 2021.

But the 23-year-old has revealed the extent of the pressure she felt competing at her first Games, which led to a complete “collapse” away from the cameras.

Watch selected NRL & AFL games, along with every F1 race live in 4K on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial today

Titmus finished with gold medals in the 200m and 400m freestyle, along with silver and bronze medals in a stunning first appearance on swimming’s biggest stage.

But the mental and physical toll of the meet, when Titmus was involved in repeated heats and finals in a gruelling schedule, eventually boiled over.

After her final race, when she took silver in the 800m behind American great Katie Ledecky, the magnitude of the Games hit her all at once.

“My Olympics last time was such a blur to me … it was probably the most gruelling and exhausting week of my life,” Titmus told the En Route to Paris podcast.

Ariarne Titmus in mixed moments from the pool. Photos: Getty Images/AFP

“I was probably most proud of my performance in the 800m to be honest.

“When that race was over, it was like you’re in a pressure cooker and you release the valve. I collapsed, my mind and body relaxed for the first time in nine days.

“I just collapsed. It was the most unreal feeling it was over and done.

“You look forward to an Olympic Games your entire life and you train your whole life for it and then when you’re in it, you just want it to be over.

“I think that is the most bizarre feeling, but the sense of relief I was done was unreal and just overcame me.”

Titmus gave the world a glimpse of her potential when she won three gold medals at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast as an 18-year-old.

Titmus was most proud of her silver medal in the 800m behind Katie Ledecky (centre). (AAP Image/Matt Roberts)

Titmus, posing in the Australian uniform for the 2024 Olympics, will be one of the main Aussies to watch in Paris. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

The Tasmanian-born swimmer had to wait until 2021 to make her Olympics debut after the Tokyo Games were delayed due to the Covid pandemic.

Titmus, a multiple world record-breaker who is preparing for next month’s Olympic selection trials in Brisbane, said the rush of those huge races in the pool is unlike any other experience in her life.

“When you’re in such a high-pressure environment, your body does incredible things,” she said.

“Being in those races where everything kind of comes together and the ability of your body to find something extra, I think I will probably miss that the most when I retire.

“You can’t ever replicate that in everyday life.

“I just wish there was something else in the real world that could make you feel that euphoric energy feeling.”

You can listen to Titmus’ full discussion in the En Route to Paris podcast here