Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Olympics
Nasir Jabbar
Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus says the conditions at the Olympic village cost her a world record at the 2024 Olympics.
Titmus entered the Paris Games having smashed the world record for the 200m freestyle in Australia's selection trials.
But at the Olympics, she lost out on the gold medal to fellow Aussie Mollie O'Callaghan, who set a new Olympic record of 1:53.27.
The Olympic record was been held by Titmus, who recorded a time of 1:53.50 at the Tokyo Olympics.
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However, this time around she could only manage a time of 1:53.81, bagging a silver medal in the process.
Speaking after the event, Titmus, who already bagged a gold medal in Paris in the 400m freestyle, 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."
However, the 23-year-old hit out at the conditions at the Olympics village, claiming it's not 'made for high performance'.
She added: "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."
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Australian Swimming head coach Rohan Taylor also shared his thoughts on the Olympic village.
"The Olympics has always been a challenge," he explained.
"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."