Australian favourite Ariarne Titmus was edged out by American Katie Ledecky in a spectacular 400m freestyle heat on the opening day of the Olympics.
Titmus, who won the event at the Tokyo Olympics, looked set to win but her arch rival came from behind to take the honours in the final 50 metres.
Ledecky posted a time of 4:02.19, just ahead of Titmus’ 4:02.46, and the pair posted the two fastest times of the three heats.
Titmus, the world record holder and five-time gold medalist, will now swim in lane five in Sunday’s final.
“Just watching Arnie at the end of that race, she didn’t really seem that pressured,” Giaan Rooney said on Channel Nine.
‘He didn’t look comfortable in that last 100 (meters) but I also wonder if that was a bit of a play of ‘I don’t want to burn everything I have this morning, if you want to post that time, post that time, I don’t need to do it.’
Katie Ledecky of the United States (left) and Ariarne Titmus of Australia (right) react after a 400m freestyle heat at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games
Another Australian also made it to the final, with Jamie Perkins qualifying fifth fastest.
New Zealand’s Erika Fairweather (third fastest in qualifying) and Canada’s Summer McIntosh (fourth fastest) also swam well, setting the stage for an exciting final tomorrow.