Such is the legendary status of American swimmer Katie Ledecky that beating her was almost as significant as claiming a world title for Ariarne Titmus.
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In what will go down as one of the most impressive achievements in Tasmanian sport, the Launceston-born teenager finally got the better of a rival who was also an idol.
At the Swimming World Championships in Gwangju, South Korea, on Sunday, Titmus stormed home to overtake Ledecky on the final lap of the 400m freestyle final.
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"Her performance was one for the ages," reported Swimming Australia after 18-year-old Titmus set a new Commonwealth and Australian record of 3:58.76, ahead of Ledecky's 3:59.97.
While Titmus has won two individual golds at short-course world championships and a relay gold at Pan Pacifics, it was the first time she had defeated the American whose medal record is virtually mono-coloured.
In 15 previous world championship races, Ledecky had only failed to win gold once. It is a similar story at Olympic Games where the 22-year-old has claimed five golds and one silver (in the 4x100m freestyle in Rio) and Pan Pacs where eight of her 10 medals have been gold.
The victory marks a significant stepping stone for Titmus who moved from Launceston to Queensland in 2015 to further her swimming career and claimed three golds and a silver medal at last year's Commonwealth Games.
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Rob Shaw
Heralding the impact of Tasmanian sport without saying "punching above its weight" is not as easy as it sounds.
Heralding the impact of Tasmanian sport without saying "punching above its weight" is not as easy as it sounds.
