The swimming events at the Tokyo Olympics 2021 were eventful, to say the least, with debutants triumphing over veterans and new world records being broken.
Here are the top five moments from the Tokyo Olympics at the poolside.
Ariarne Titmus’ 400m freestyle victory:
Ariarne Titmus reacts after winning the gold medal in the women’s 400m freestyle final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
As one of the most hyped-up clashes in the Tokyo Olympics, the women’s 400m freestyle final certainly met all expectations.
Australian Ariane Titmus was pitted against the reigning Olympic champion in the event, Katie Ledecky of USA.
Titmus, also known as ‘The Terminator,’ overtook the American at the 150m mark, and stayed a stroke ahead until the final touch.
Titmus had silenced all her doubters, who questioned whether she would be able to repeat her 2019 World Championships win over Ledecky. Tokyo 2020 marked one of Australia’s greatest ever Olympic performances in swimming, with nine gold medals and 21 overall.
Titmus, alongside seven-medal winner Emma McKeon and backstroke double champion Kaylee McKeown, formed the backbone of the Aussie team.
Katie Ledecky winning first-ever women’s 1500m freestyle gold:
Katie Ledecky reacts after winning the women’s 1500m freestyle final at the 2020 Summer Olympics. | Photo Credit: AP
Katie Ledecky may have lost her 200m and 400m freestyle Olympic titles to Titmus, but the American left Japan as the reigning distance swimming queen. Just over an hour after finishing fifth in the 200m, she won the first ever women’s 1500m Olympic gold.
As the reigning world champion and world record holder, she was the heavy pre-race favourite.
Even so, the Stanford-based swimmer’s relief was palpable at the end, crying tears of joy as she landed her sixth Olympic gold medal for USA.
Ledecky took that momentum into the 800m final, where she beat Titmus to add a seventh gold. With that, Ledecky became the most decorated female Olympic swimmer in distance swimming.
Dressel’s 100m fly world record:
Caeleb Dressel scorched through the water to land the 100m butterfly with a new world record of 49.45 at the Tokyo Olympics. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
Caeleb Dressel made no secret of the pressure he felt in the run-up to Tokyo 2020.
Expectant American public were looking to the Florida man to be their new Michael Phelps and bring back a multitude of gold medals.
But, when Dressel scorched through the water to land the 100m butterfly with a new world record of 49.45, comparisons were forgotten. American swimming had a new champion in his own right. Dressel’s Olympic schedule was intense, and he eventually finished with five Olympic gold medals, three of those coming in individual events( 50m and 100m freestyle, 100m butterfly).
Ahmed Hafnaoui’s shock 400m gold:
Ahmed Hafnaoui of Tunisia celebrates after winning the gold medal in the men’s 400m freestyle final on day two of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
Ahmed Hafnaoui’s goal for Tokyo 2020 was to gain experience, with a goal to win a medal at the Paris 2024 Games.
Therefore, when he won the men’s 400m freestyle final, no one was more surprised than the teenager himself in one of the most shocking moments of the Games.
It is not always that a swimmer from lane eight finishes first, but the Tunisian touched home in 3:43.36 to win his nation’s first gold medal in the event, and its fifth Olympic gold ever.
Great Britain’s mixed medley relay win on debut:
(L-R) Gold medallists Kathleen Dawson, Adam Peaty, James Guy, Anna Hopkin won the 4x100m mixed medley relay’s first ever Olympic gold with a new world record time. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
The 4x100m mixed medley relay made its Olympic debut in style. Great Britain came out victorious to win the event’s first ever gold medal with a new world record time of 3:37.58.
Backstroker Kathleen Dawson did as best as she could to keep pace with the men on her leg, before handing over to breaststroke king Adam Peaty and butterfly specialist James Guy, who both swum excellent splits to give Anna Hopkin a head start on the freestyle leg, which she never relinquished.
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