World Swimming Championships: Australian Titmus punches his 400m ticket in style | TV5MONDE

Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus swam the second-fastest 400m freestyle of the year on Tuesday to book her place at next month’s world championships, as did two Australian swimming superstars, Emma McKeon and Kaylee McKeown.

Titmus, whose world record was taken down by Canadian teenager Summer McIntosh in March, easily beat Lanny Pallister in Australia’s trials for the world championships in Fukuoka (Japan) in July, winning in 3:58.47 in Melbourne.

“It’s not the best 400, but all the swims under four minutes are fast swims,” ​​said Titmus, who beat American Katie Ledecky, who won Tokyo Olympics gold in the distance.

McIntosh’s 3:56.08 this year obliterated the world record of 3:56.40 set by Titmus in 2022, who bested Ledecky’s mark of 3:56.46 at the Rio Olympics in 2016.

The 16-year-old Canadian’s appearance promises an exciting 400m clash between the three swimmers at Worlds next month.

Titmus will also line up in the 100m, 200m and 800m freestyle in Melbourne.

The very versatile Kaylee McKeown won the 200m medley in an impressive time of 2:07.60, second fastest of the year, again, McIntosh.

She edged out Olympic 100m and 200m backstroke champion and two-time world record holder Jenna Forrester, who also qualified.

“I’m really relieved to qualify on the first night of competition. It’s always good to shake off the cobwebs in the first race,” said McCune, who will compete in all three backstroke events and the 200m freestyle in Melbourne.

For her part, seven-time Tokyo Olympic medalist Emma McKeon punched her ticket to Fukuoka by finishing first in the 100m butterfly in 56.74 ahead of Brianna Throssell.

McKeon would also compete in the 50m butterfly and the 50m and 100m freestyle during these trials, but chose to skip the 200m freestyle. “I was hoping to be a little faster, but obviously that was part of the team,” McKean explained. “This year is another step towards Paris and the Olympics,” he said.