Olympic champion furious at Paris 2024 village conditions saying they potentially cost her world record
Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus has claimed the conditions in the Olympic Village are to blame after she lost out on a gold medal.
Titmus, who shattered the world record for the 200 metre freestyle in Australia's selection trials, ended up losing out to fellow Aussie Mollie O'Callaghan in Paris, picking up silver.
O'Callaghan set a new Olympic record of 1:53.27. The previous Olympic record had been held by Titmus, who in Tokyo 2020 set a record of 1:53.50, but this time around in Paris could only manage 1:53.81.
I say 'only', I couldn't swim that distance in that time and there's basically only a couple of people in world who could.
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A difference of little more than half a second separated gold and silver in the Olympic event and afterwards Titmus said she was shedding 'happy tears'.
When asked if she was disappointed not to break her world record, she said: "It’s really hard to hold your emotions in, in these situations. I know what it’s like to be Olympic champion – I’m honestly happy for her, I’m really happy to be on the podium. I had nothing to lose tonight."
She had already won gold in the 400 metre freestyle at Paris 2024, so it's already been a good Olympics for Titmus.
However, speaking after her silver she expressed her disappointment that she wasn't able to break the record she set back in Tokyo, and suggested the Olympic village itself might be an issue.
She said: "It probably wasn't the time I thought I was capable of, but living in the Olympic village makes it hard to perform.
"It's definitely not made for high performance, so it's about who can really keep it together in the mind."
The village has come in for some criticism from athletes according to Reuters, with some Olympians finding issue with the food available and the comfort on offer.
A group of South Korean swimmers even moved out of the Olympic village and into a local hotel.
Meanwhile, Australian water polo athlete Tilly Kearns said her bed was 'rock solid' while her roommate Gabi Palm said her 'back is about to fall off' from sleeping in the cardboard bed.
It's not been completely uniform praise for the living conditions at Paris 2024, and while the athletes have found the beds sturdy enough to survive plenty of punishment they might be a bit too sturdy.
Titmus' comments drew a response from Australian Swimming head coach Rohan Taylor, who said: "The Olympics has always been a challenge.
"Every Olympics I've been a part of, every Olympic Games that you see, is a test of athletes' ability to come here, compete and perform when it matters.
"It's about how you manage yourself and whatever environments are presented, whatever the beds are, whatever the food is, everybody deals with it.
"The Olympics has always been this way and that's the way it is. And that's the beauty of it."
Titmus is very adept at longer distance swimming, so will be targeting the chance for another medal in the 800m freestyle, with the heats scheduled for 2 August and the final the following day.
Team GB's current medal count - 10
Gold medallists
- Rosalind Canter, Laura Collett, Tom McEwen: Equestrian - Eventing team
- Tom Pidcock: Mountain Bike - Men's cross country
Silver medallists
- Anna Henderson: Cycling - Women's individual time trial
- Adam Peaty: Swimming - Men's 100m breaststroke
- Tom Daley and Noah Williams: Diving - Men's synchronised 10m platform
- Adam Burgess: Canoe Slalom - Men's canoe single
- Matthew Richards: Swimming - Men's 200m freestyle
Bronze medallists
- Yasmin Harper and Scarlett Mew Jensen: Diving - Women's synchronised 3m springboard
- Kimberley Woods: Canoe - Women's slalom
- Laura Collett: Equestrian - Eventing individual
Joe Harker