- Mollie O’Callaghan and Ariarne Titmus will face each other in Paris
- Australian swimming superstars to battle it out
- The couple is mentored by the same swimming coach.
All eyes will be on Ariarne Titmus and Mollie O’Callaghan in Paris as Australia’s swimming superstars go head-to-head in a 200m freestyle final for the ages.
The Australian horses are by far the strongest in their field in what is expected to be a two-horse race when they take to the starting ring in Paris on Monday evening (local time).
But in an intriguing twist, Titmus and O’Callaghan share the same coach, cult hero Dean Boxall, who became a fan favourite due to his madcap antics during the Tokyo Games three years ago.
This has raised questions about what he is teaching his two star pupils, and former Olympian James Magnussen has shared how he would approach the dilemma.
“Dean needs to go to Mollie and say, ‘This is your game plan for tonight to beat Ariane.’ And then he needs to go to Ariane and say, ‘Ariane, this is your game plan to beat Mollie,'” Magnussen said.
“I’m not sure how it works. It’s never happened to me in my career, but it’s fascinating.
“It’s fascinating. Who is your favorite? I don’t know. I’m sure you can’t have a favorite…”
But Magnussen believes Titmus already has the psychological advantage over O’Callaghan, with her strong swim in the semi-final putting her in his favourite lane number four for the final.
Ariarne Titmus and Mollie O’Callaghan will face each other at the Olympic Games
Australian swimmers are expected to battle for gold in the 200m freestyle final.
He also suggested Titmus would employ a similar strategy to the one she used in her 400m final victory over Kate Ledecky, in which she confronted the American before the race began.
“If I were Ariarne, I would stare at her. I would get into her head because I want to win at all costs,” Magnussen said.
“But, that being said, I’ve never competed with one of my best friends in the Olympic final in front of the world’s media, have I? But if I were Ariarne, I’d be trying to get into Mollie’s head.
“I’m not sure what their relationship is. They must be close friends. They spend six hours together every day of the week, every day of the year. So they must be close friends. That’s what makes it even more intriguing.”
However, Magnussen warned that O’Callaghan should not attempt a similar strategy against Titmus.
“I would say Ariarne is the person to say ‘don’t tease the bear’. Don’t agitate Ariarne. Don’t give Ariarne motivation because she is the person who will rise to the challenge,” Magnussen said.