Teens Ariarne Titmus and Shayna Jack break into Australia swim team

Teenagers Ariarne Titmus and Shayna Jack have both taken the hard road to the Australian team.

Ariarne Titmus reacts to her stunning time in the 800m freestyle final. ‘I really don’t know how I did that,’ the 16-year-old said.

Teenagers Ariarne Titmus and Shayna Jack have both taken the hard road to the Australian team, but they were celebrating yesterday after breaking through at the national championships in Brisbane.

Distance swimmer Titmus, 16, and her family moved from Tasmania to Brisbane two years ago so she could pursue her dream of swimming for Australia, while former sprint prodigy Jack hung in through three rough years when puberty sent her career pear-shaped, but she also emerged triumphant on Sunday night.

Both are now the fastest female swimmers of their age that Australia has ever known, in events that have seen a succession of champions over the years, Jack in the 100m freestyle and Titmus in the 800m freestyle.

That means 18-year-old Jack is faster through the water than Jodie Henry, Libby Trickett and the Campbell sisters, Cate and Bronte, were at the same age.

Among 16-year-olds, Titmus has risen above the likes of Tracey Wickham, Michelle Ford, Julie McDonald and Hayley Lewis.

Jack, who trains with the Campbell sisters, took down Bronte’s national 18-years record twice on Sunday. She clocked a huge personal best of 53.60sec in the heats and then improved again in the final to finish fourth in 53.40sec and clinch a place on the 4x100m freestyle relay team that is the reigning Olympic and world champion.

Jack reached her first national open final when she was just 13, but when her body shape changed at puberty she stopped improving, became paranoid about her weight and diet and almost quit the sport, before joining coach Simon Cusack, who has gently guided her back to health and fitness.

“This has definitely been the best day I’ve had in the pool,’’ an ecstatic Jack said after the 100m freestyle final.

“I can’t believe it and to make the relay team with all these girls, is a dream.’’

“In the end it shows that anyone can do it. I’ve seen a lot of girls go through it (a difficult puberty) and even ones before me as swimmers, and they didn’t push through or they just couldn’t get there and that was the scary thing for me but in the end I’ve gotten there.’’

Not only has Jack survived what is likely to be the greatest test of her career but she is now thriving. She said she was amazed that she had been able to break an age record held by the current world champion Bronte Campbell.

“Having my training partner Bronte come before me and knowing that I could be on the same track as her is absolutely astounding to me,’’ she said.

Meanwhile, Titmus upset Olympic finalist Jess Ashwood to win the 800m freestyle in 8:23.08, a 14-second personal best that ranks her No 1 in the world so far this year.

She swam a bold race, taking command from the gun and was stunned by the result.

“I really don’t know how I did that,’’ Titmus said. “I definitely didn’t think that was possible.

“I looked around (at the scoreboard) and thought, ‘Oh my God’. I was so in shock. I didn’t even know the qualifying time to make it on the team because I didn’t really think I had a chance in the 800 but then I was like, oh I think that’s under and I was pretty happy. The 400, which is on the last day, I thought that would be my best shot at making the team. But to come out and do that in the 800 and do that, I’m pretty surprised.”

Titmus made her senior international debut at the world short-course championships in December, finishing fourth in the 800m.

“I got used to racing the older girls and I kind of brought that here and I taught myself not to be scared if I was in front of them,’’ she said. “Now I can go out and do my own thing.’’

Titmus will now get the chance to test herself against the best swimmers in the world, including Olympic champion and world record-holder Katie Ledecky at the world championships in Budapest in July.