Launceston swimmer Ariarne Titmus has clinched silver in the 800m freestyle in a national record time on the opening night of the Pan Pacs swimming in Tokyo.
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Olympic and world champion Katie Ledecky, of the United States, set a championship record of eight minutes, 09.13 seconds to claim gold, but Titmus showed her wares and what may lay ahead at the 2020 Olympics.
Titmus, 17, clocked 8:17.07 to eclipse Jess Ashwood's 2016 national mark by more than a second to hold off American Leah Smith for second and claim Australia's first medal of the four-day meet.
“I started to feel it in the back end but I'm finally happy to get that breakthrough,” Titmus said.
“I started to see Leah come, which pushed me along a little bit. She had a great back end but I feel like I took the race out the way I wanted to.
“I'm glad I can finally do a good PB.”
The result follows a breakout home Commonwealth Games in which see finished with three golds and a silver earlier this year.
She will next take to the pool in 400m on Saturday.
- With AAP