Article by Phil Lutton, courtesy of the Australian Olympic Committee.
Mollie O’Callaghan has broken through for her first individual Olympic gold medal, surging past teammate Ariarne Titmus as the Dolphins went one-two in a 200m Freestyle final that lived up to its primetime billing at the Paris La Défense Arena.
This was a race that had captivated not just Australian fans but the swimming world. Ariarne was the Olympic champion and world record holder who had already taken out the 400m Freestyle, while Mollie was the 2023 world champion and former world record holder ready to make her mark on the biggest stage.
To add to the mix, both train in the same squad in Brisbane under the guidance of supercoach Dean Boxall.
The contest didn’t disappoint once the swimmers dived into the Olympic pool to the roar of a crowd with a heavy representation of green and gold.
Hong Kong’s Siobhán Haughey pressed hard to lead at every turn through the first 150m and ensured a strong pace as the Australian pair were made to chase.
Ariarne made the first move and went to the lead before Mollie showed a brilliant burst of acceleration midway down the final lap to take gold in a new Olympic record of 1:53.27.
Ariarne (1:53.81) was 0.54s away to win silver, with Haughey (1:54.55) hanging tough for bronze.
Both Australians were emotional after the race with tears of joy and relief.
Mollie had been a “nervous wreck” all day and needed to try and reset mentally and physically for the 100m Freestyle heats on morning.
“I had a few tears but it’s just great to race alongside my teammate (Ariarne) and be on the podium with her, she deserves so much,” Mollie said.
“This medal is for my support team, my coach, my family. There is a whole village behind me getting me to this point.
“Today I was a nervous wreck. I couldn’t nap or do anything, my brain just over thinks. I have a support team behind me that I communicate with.”
A victory for Ariarne would have seen her surpass Ian Thorpe, Dawn Fraser, Shane Gould and Betty Cuthbert to become the only Australian to win four gold medals in individual events at an Olympics.
That may still happen in the 800m Freestyle, while she also stands a strong chance for relay gold in the 4x200m Freestyle.
She kept her composure after her 400m win on the opening night but let the feelings flow this time, saying she was thrilled to see Mollie win a maiden Olympic crown and be able to join her on the podium as the anthem rang out around the arena.
“These are happy tears, honestly. It’s really hard to hold your emotions in these situations. I know what it’s like to be an Olympic champion and I’m honestly happy for her and I’m really happy to be on the podium,” Ariarne said.“
I had nothing to lose tonight. I gave it everything… I don’t actually know why I’m crying. I’m really happy with silver, it’s just all coming out now.”
The Dolphins could be in for another bountiful day on Tuesday with Kaylee McKeown and Iona Anderson racing for medals in the 100m Backstroke final, Elijah Winnington looking to add to his collection in the 800m Freestyle and Mollie and Kyle Chalmers leading the sprint pack as the 100m freestylers strut their stuff through heats and semis.
