American swimming star Katie Ledecky hits Ariarne Titmus with a sly snub ahead of their battle for Paris Olympics gold
- Rivalry between Katie Ledecky and Ariarne Titmus will be highlight of the Games
- Swimming legend hasn’t beaten Australian in 400m freestyle since 2019
- American star says she expects her chances against Titmus
The rivalry between swimmer Katie Ledecky and Australia’s Ariarne Titmus has escalated further as the American has cunningly ignored her rival in the run-up to their battle for Olympic gold.
Ledecky, the most successful swimmer ever with seven Olympic gold medals and 21 world championship gold medals, refused to name her Australian rival Ariarne Titmus during a packed press event in Paris.
The American superstar has not beaten the Australian superstar in the 400m freestyle for five years, so she was unable to thank Titmus in person.
“I think I’ll get a chance, but yeah, that’s who I am and I feel like I’m ready to race. That’s all you can ask for,” Ledecky said.
‘So I’m going to give it my best shot and it’s obviously a great field from start to finish. A lot of people who have a chance, so I’m just going to put in a great race in the morning and in the evening and see where I end up.
“They are great athletes and I have had the opportunity to compete against them quite a few times over the years. Summer in particular was in the US training and the last couple of years we have competed a lot.
“It’s always fun to race against the best and we had the three best times ever in that race. It makes for a great field and a great race.”
‘Those two have continued to improve my game, improve my play.
American swimmer Katie Ledecky (pictured) refused to name her Australian rival Ariarne Titmus during a press conference in Paris
Ledecky and Ariarne Titmus (pictured) battle for Olympic gold in the 400-meter freestyle in one of the most anticipated showdowns of the Games
“I know I have to do my best. I think they know they have to do their best.”
Ledecky also said Olympic swimmers are still demanding answers about Chinese doping cases.
“They want transparency, they want more answers to the questions that are still outstanding,” Ledecky told reporters.
“At this point we’re here to race. We’re going to race whoever is next to us on the track.
“We’re not the ones who get paid to do the testing. So we hope that the people who do it follow their own rules and that applies now and in the future.
“We want something to change in the future so that you don’t have to ask us that question anymore.”
Ledecky has not defeated the Australian superstar in the 400m freestyle since 2019
In April, The New York Times reported that 23 Chinese swimmers were allowed to compete in the Tokyo Olympics three years ago despite testing positive earlier in 2021.
Eleven swimmers who tested positive for trimetazidine, a substance banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), have been selected for the Chinese swimming team for the Olympic Games in Paris.
WADA accepted the findings of a Chinese investigation which showed that the test results were the result of contamination in a team hotel kitchen.
An independent investigation by WADA this month found no evidence of abuse or favoritism.