The 2024 Australian Olympic Trials saw an incredible performance in the women’s 200 free event. After Federica Pellegrini’s world record of 1:52.98 stood for 14 years, it has now been broken three times in the past 11 months. Australian swimmer Mollie O’Callaghan first broke the record last summer with a time of 1:52.85 at the World Championships. At the trials, Ariarne Titmus, the defending Olympic champion, outdid O’Callaghan with a breathtaking swim that knocked more than six-tenths off the world record, finishing in 1:52.23.
Despite O’Callaghan also improving her time and finishing in 1:52.48, she lost the title of the fastest swimmer in history to Titmus. Between the two of them, they now own eight of the 10 fastest swims ever in the women’s 200 free, with Titmus holding five of the top eight spots. The rankings for all-time performances in the event now include Titmus at the top with her new world record, followed by O’Callaghan’s two fastest times and Pellegrini’s previous record from 2009.
In addition to Titmus and O’Callaghan, Lani Pallister, Brianna Throssell, Shayna Jack, and Jamie Perkins also had strong performances in the final of the 200 free at the trials. These swimmers are likely to secure a spot on the Australian team for the women’s 800 free relay at the Olympics in Paris, where they will be strong contenders for the gold medal. Watch the exciting race between Titmus and O’Callaghan on Olympic swimming’s YouTube channel to see their incredible performances.