Ariarne Titmus breaks world record in women's 400m freestyle

Australian swimmer makes history at Tokyo Olympics

Titmus becomes first woman to break 4-minute barrier in the event

TOKYO, Japan - Ariarne Titmus of Australia set a new world record and won a gold medal in the women's short course 400-meter freestyle competition at the 2018 FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) in Hangzhou, China, on Friday, December 14, 2018.

Titmus clocked a time of 3:53.92, breaking the previous world record of 3:56.46 set by Katie Ledecky of the United States in 2014. Titmus also became the first woman to break the 4-minute barrier in the event.

In the lead-up to the race, Titmus had been seen as a potential challenger to Ledecky, who had won the gold medal in the 400m freestyle at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Titmus did not disappoint and put in a storming performance to take the gold medal ahead of Ledecky, who finished second in 3:57.36.

Titmus's victory is a significant moment for Australian swimming and will give her a major boost ahead of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.