Tasmanian freestyle swimmer Ariarne Titmus added a 200-metre Olympic silver medal to 400m gold as her clubmate Mollie O’Callaghan led home an Australian one-two in Paris.
Separated by just 0.54 seconds, the Brisbane-based training partners embraced in the pool, walked off arm in arm and shared top spot on the podium before Titmus paid tribute to their shared coach Dean Boxall.
“I think he should be so proud of his efforts,” she said.
“He’s a brilliant coach, I believe the best in the world, and to manage this and have the two fastest girls in the world is a credit to him. And it’s not just us, on the opening night he contributed to every medal we won and I just feel very blessed to have him in our corner. If you want anyone backing you, it’s Dean and we will be forever grateful to him.”
Launceston-born Titmus, who was looking to become the first woman to defend an Olympic 200m freestyle title, now has six Olympic medals with her second silver adding to three gold and one bronze from two Games with the 800m and 4x200m relay still to come at La Defense Arena.
O’Callaghan stormed home to win and claim Titmus’s Olympic record in 1:53.27 as the 23-year-old Tasmanian world record holder clocked 1:53.81 with Hong Kong’s early leader Siobhan Haughey took bronze in 1:54.55.
Twenty-year-old O’Callaghan praised her St Peters Western clubmate.
“It’s such an honour to compete against Arnie,” she said. “She’s an absolute gun - she races like an absolute beast. It’s an honour to train alongside her and have such a great team around us.”
Titmus began swimming with Riverside and Launceston Aquatic Club before moving to Queensland in 2015.
Max Giuliani claimed seventh place in his maiden Olympic final.
The Hobart freestyler’s trademark late surge saw him come 0.85 seconds behind Romanian winner David Popovic in what was the closest finish to an Olympic 200m freestyle final.
Giuliani clocked 1:45.57 with Popovic recording 1:44.72 and the three medallists separated by just 0.07.
“Bit disappointed with that result, but I made a final and can’t complain,” Giuliani said.
Asked if he had a message for Tasmania, the Gold Coast-based 21-year-old replied:
“I do: thank you everyone for the support, it’s absolutely unbelievable. If you believe in yourself and work your ass off you can do anything and I think I’m proof of that. If you’ve got a dream, just work hard, you can achieve it.”
Brit Matthew Richards (1:44.74) won silver and American Luke Hobson bronze (1:44.79).
Giuliani had progressed as the fifth fastest in both his heat and semi-finals, finishing first and third respectively. He will also contest the 4x200m freestyle relay heats at 7pm on Tuesday.
“I can’t wait, it’s going to be awesome,” he added. “I’m going to rest up, get up, swim fast for the team hopefully - very exciting.”
Swapping Hobart Aquatic Club for the Miami Swimming Club when he moved to Queensland in 2022, Giuliani claimed World Cup medals in Hungary, Greece and Germany before announcing himself by qualifying for Paris with 200m victory at this year’s Australian Olympic trials in Brisbane.
Eddie Ockenden and Josh Beltz helped the Kookaburras to a second straight win, defeating Ireland 2-1.
Both Hobartians started the match as the nations met in a hockey international for the first time.
Ockenden, 37, was involved in the build-up to Corey Weyer’s ninth-minute opener but the team conceded their first goal of the tournament when Lee Cole equalised on 25 minutes.
A Blake Govers penalty stroke on the half hour restored Australia’s lead and only a couple of great saves from Irish keeper David Harte prevented Ockenden extending it early in the second half.
The Aussies will relish a repeat of the Tokyo Olympic final when they face reigning champions Belgium on Wednesday at 3.45am.
Hobart’s Maddison Brooks did not feature as the Hockeyroos maintained their 100 per cent start to the Paris campaign with a 4-0 defeat of Great Britain.
The 19-year-old Tasmanian travelling reserve had played in the 2-1 win over South Africa after Alice Arnott withdrew with calf soreness.
However, Arnott made a goal-scoring return as Rebecca Greiner, Tatum Stewart and Grace Stewart completed the scoring.
The Hockeyroos also face USA, Argentina and Spain in Pool B.
Alanna Smith top scored but the Opals began their Paris campaign with a shock 75-62 defeat to Nigeria.
The 27-year-old forward contributed 15 points, which included three three-pointers, plus seven rebounds in the Group B encounter at Pierre Mauroy Stadium.
“This is a learning experience, and we have a chance to play better in the coming games,” Smith said. “That’s what we need to do.”
Smith was born in Hobart, grew up in Melbourne and progressed up to the WNBA where she has played for Phoenix Mercury, Chicago Sky and Minnesota Lynx.
Smith’s father, Darren, played with the Hobart Devils in the NBL between 1994 and 1996 and is now Chief Operating Officer of the Tasmania JackJumpers.
The Opals’ next match will be at 9.30pm on Thursday against Canada.
Huon rower Sarah Hawe’s Australian crew finished second in their heat of the women’s eight.
The 37-year-old began her second Olympic campaign in the seven seat as the Aussie crew contested the first of two heats at the Vaires-sur-Marnes Nautical Stadium.
Great Britain led throughout to win in 6:16.20 and qualify directly into the A-final.
Australia finished second in 6:18.61 and will progress into the repechage. Canada was third in 6:21.31 and Denmark (6:39.30) fourth.
The repechages will take place on Thursday at 6.10pm.
A two-time world champion in the women’s four, Hawe was also part of the Aussie eight crew which finished fifth in the Tokyo Olympic final.