Tokyo Olympics 2020 swimming preview: Katie Ledecky-Ariarne Titmus duel may stir the pool

Ledecky has four golds and a silver from the Rio 2016 Games, on top of the 800m freestyle gold she won as a 15-year-old at London 2012.

Three more golds would lift the 24-year-old alongside retired compatriot Jenny Thompson as the most successful female Olympic swimmer with eight.

Five more golds, not out of the question with Ledecky qualifying in four individual events - the 200, 400, 800 and 1,500 freestyle - and relays on top, would be a record for any female athlete.

Ledecky holds the world records in 400, 800 and 1,500 free, with the latter a new addition to the women’s programme, and another 800m gold would be her third in a row in the distance.

Only three swimmers, one of them retired US great Michael Phelps, have pulled off such a hat-trick.

Titmus, however, can see a different storyline.

She caused a sensation at the 2019 world championships when she beat an unwell Ledecky to the 400m gold, and the Tasmanian destroyed the opposition in the 200, 400 and 800m freestyle Australian qualifiers in Adelaide in June.

“She’s not going to have it all her own way I guess,” said Titmus after clocking the second fastest 400m time ever and promising to leave everything in the Tokyo pool.

“I cant control what she does, I can only control myself and if I do the best I can and put myself in that position to win a gold medal, it is going to be some race.”

Australia’s excitement was fuelled further by newcomer Kaylee McKeown breaking American Regan Smith’s 100m backstroke world record on day two of the national trials.

“I think the Olympics are not going to be all Americas way,” said Titmus.

The United States topped the swimming table in Rio with 33 medals, including 16 golds. Australia came second, with 10 and three golds.

Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom, the 100m butterfly Olympic champion, has made it to Tokyo after breaking her elbow in February.

Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu, who won three golds in Rio, is aiming to defend her 400 individual medley title and Canada’s Penny Oleksiak her 100m free title.

On the men’s side, Caeleb Dressel is targeting a haul of gold in the first Summer Games in a quarter of a century without compatriot Phelps.

Phelps, winner of a record 28 career Olympic medals including 23 golds, is in Tokyo as a television pundit only.

Dressel won two relay golds in Rio but his eight medals at the 2019 world championships sent hopes soaring and he remains the favourite in the 50 and 100m freestyle as well as 100m butterfly.

At a Games where the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted training for many, there is a question mark over how many records might be broken.

Expect Britain’s reigning champion and world record holder Adam Peaty to try and beat his 56.88 benchmark in the 100m breaststroke.

“We’ve done the sums and I think if it went absolutely perfectly, and I am talking the fastest parts that I’ve done in a physical race and you put them all together, its 56.2 or 56.3 which is absolutely ridiculous,” he said.

“Im not saying Im going to go that...but I do believe I can get faster than the world record.”

Hungarian Kristof Milak is another to watch after taking possession of Phelps’ 10-year 200m butterfly world record.

What’s new in the swimming competition?

* A total of 111 medals will be handed out in 37 events with new distances, a new relay.

* The time-tested swimming schedule in Olympics had qualifying heats to take place in the morning, followed by finals in the evening. Tokyo will, however, feature a flipped schedule with finals in the mornings - allowing prime time telecast in US.

* A women’s 1500 m freestyle to keep parity with men; 800 m freestyle for women and a new mixed 4x100 medley. The relay will have teams with two men and two women, and each swimmer will race a single stroke — backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly or freestyle. The relay made its debut at the 2015 world championships and has proved to be a fan favourite.