Katie Ledecky shared a message to her Australian counterpart Ariarne Titmus after the latter announced her retirement from swimming. Titmus, 25, bid goodbye to the professional swimming circuit a few days back after a successful career spanning two Olympic Games and several World Aquatics Championships. Across this career, Titmus has scripted numerous rivalries, but none can be more symbolic than the one with the US great, Ledecky.
What did Katie Ledecky say to Ariarne Titmus after the Australian swimmer’s retirement?
Katie Ledecky and Ariarne Titmus’ rivalry has grown from strength to strength in the past few years. Both swimmers shared similar distances on the pool, too, such as the 400m and 800m freestyles, and posed a tough challenge in their face-offs. This competition not only scripted a chapter in the pages of history but also helped them get better.
Ledecky highlighted this element of their rivalry in her message to Titmus after the latter’s retirement. As Titmus revealed during an interview, Ledecky thanked her for being such a fierce competitor while the Australian also returned the favor in return. Titmus said:
“(Ledecky) sent me a message (on Thursday) and thanked me for being such a competitor. I said to her, ‘Undoubtedly, if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have been as successful. I hope I pushed you just as much as you pushed me. She said, ‘Absolutely, but please don’t get eaten by the Sharks.”
The final chapter of Katie Ledecky and Ariarne Titmus’ rivalry came at the 2024 Paris Olympics, that also turned out to be the Australian’s final professional competition. Ledecky and Titmus came face-to-face in two singled events, the 400m freestyle and the 800m freestyle. The Australian came on top in the 400m free while Ledecky struck back with a victory in the 800m free.
Katie Ledecky revealed the element that has helped her succeed across her career
Katie Ledecky shed emphasis on the training that has led her to immense success in her swimming career over the years. Ledecky shared via The Athletic that training helps her to stay determined and the minute improvements in this sessions leads to a boost of confidence in her. She said:
“I really love the training. That always brings me back to that focus. It’s not just about trying to improve times in competitions. It’s about trying to improve times in practice as well. And I think once you start doing that and seeing improvement in training, you gain confidence that you can do some of that in meets as well.”
Katie Ledecky’s 2025 season has been quite successful, courtesy of her performance at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships. The US swimmer clinched two gold medals in the 800m and 1500m freestyles.
