Diving into the pool for the Women’s 200m Freestyle, 20-year-old Mollie O’Callaghan did not expect to take home her first Olympic gold medal.
Beating out former Olympic champion and gold medal-favourite Ariane Titmus, O’Callaghan charged home in the final 50 metres to set the fastest time in Olympic Games history and deliver a 1-2 for Australia.
Now, as O’Callaghan prepares to go for gold in the Women’s 100m Freestyle, Australian swimming fans are eager to learn more about their newest Olympic champion.
Who is Mollie O’Callaghan?
20-year-old Mollie O’Callaghan is a member of the Australian Olympic swimming team.
Born and raised in Queensland, O’Callaghan’s international swimming career began at the age of 15, with the Freestyle specialist representing Australia for the first time at the 2019 World Championships in Hungary, taking home a silver medal for the Women’s 400m Freestyle Relay.
After making a name for herself on the world stage, O’Callaghan joined the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games as the youngest member of the Australian Dolphins Swim Team. Competing in the Women’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay, 4x100m Women’s Medley Relay, and the 4x200m Freestyle Relay, the then-17-year-old swam her way to two gold and one bronze medal at her first Olympic Games.
Did Mollie O’Callaghan beat Ariane Titmus?
In a nail-biting final, Mollie O’Callaghan out-swam reigning Olympic champion Ariane Titmus to take home the gold medal in the Paris 2024 Women’s 200m Freestyle event.
Speaking after their podium ceremony, Titmus celebrated her silver medal while praising O’Callaghan’s performance, sharing, “I know what it’s like to be Olympic champion. I’m honestly happy for her, and I’m really happy to be on the podium.”
Celebrating her win, O’Callaghan also commended Titmus on her teammate’s second-place performance, telling reporters, “She races like an absolute beast and it’s an hour to train alongside her and have such a great team around us.”
The Australian swimming stars, who are both coached by Dean Boxall, have consistently been fierce competitors in the pool, with their Olympic Games meet being touted as the first of many Australian Olympic showdowns.
Prior to the Olympics, both O’Callaghan and Titmus broke the world record times for the 200m and 400m Freestyle at the Australian Olympic trials in early 2024, however, Titmus’ narrow lead meant that she took home the title of world record holder.
Despite Titmus’ staggering performances in the pool, O’Callaghan has remained one of her toughest competitors for several years, with O’Callaghan taking home her first win against Titmus at the 2023 Australian World Championship Trials.
