Titmus captured Australia’s second gold medal of the Games by winning the 400m freestyle, following cyclist Grace Brown’s victory in the women’s time trial earlier Saturday.

Mollie O’Callaghan, Emma McKeon, Shayna Jack and Meg Harris claimed a third gold for Australia by winning the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay to close out the night.

The women’s relay team claimed gold in an Olympic-record time of 3:28.92, ahead of the USA and China.

The win makes it four consecutive Olympic gold medals for Australia’s women’s 4x100m freestyle relay team.

The 4×100 relay win was the fourth consecutive gold for Australia in the event. Photo: Getty

Emma McKeon, already Australia’s most successful Olympian, added a sixth gold to her career collection.

The Australian men later added to the medal tally with a silver in the 4×100 freestyle, losing to the much vaunted US team.

Australia’s best Olympic performance in the pool was at the Tokyo Games in 2021 when the swimmers claimed nine gold medals.

Kyle Chalmers enhanced his status as Australia’s greatest male relayer with a trademark late surge.

Chalmers dived in with Australia in fourth but steamed to silver – his 100m split of 46.59 seconds was the fastest of any swimmer in the race.

Race of the century

Dubbed the race of the century, Titmus won gold over American great Katie, a seven-time Olympic gold medallist, and Canadian teen Summer McIntosh.

The trio have all held the world record over the distance in the past three years.

In the much-hyped final, the Tasmanian-born Titmus clocked three minutes 57.49 seconds to win from McIntosh (3:58.37) and Ledecky (4:00.86)

“It’s fun racing the best in the world, it gets the best out of me,” Titmus said.

“I hope with all the hype, we have lived up to expectations.”

The 23-year-old led from go to whoa to claim the third Olympic gold medal of her career, after her 200m-400m freestyle double at the Tokyo Games three years ago.

“I just look at myself and I’m so normal … I’m just the same old goofy Tassie girl living out her dream,” she said after clocking three minutes 57.49 seconds to win comfortably from McIntosh (3:58.37) and Ledecky (4:00.86).

Titmus joins the legendary Dawn Fraser as the only Australian women to successfully defend an Olympic title. Fraser won 100m freestyle gold at the 1956, 1960 and 1964 Olympics.

Titmus, the world record holder in both the 200m and 400m freestyle, is also the reigning Olympic 200m freestyle champion – heats and semi-finals of that event will be contested on Sunday with the final on Monday.

Titmus’ triumph followed fellow Australian Elijah Winnington claiming the silver medal in the men’s 400m freestyle, though teammate Sam Short finished fourth.

– with AAP