Dual Olympic champion swimmer Ariarne Titmus sets new goals following Tokyo 2020

Two months after her historic achievements in the Tokyo Aquatics Centre and fresh off a relaxing return to her home state, Ariarne Titmus is resetting her goals.

Hitting the peak of her powers with four Olympic medals in the cupboard and both world champs and Commonwealth Games on the horizon in 2022, the 21-year-old has enjoyed a prolonged spell on dry land but is ready to take the plunge once more.

"The plan is to get back into training at the start of October, get the body moving again," she said. "It will have been two months since I've swum so it'll take a while to get myself back."

While as hungry as ever, the Queensland-based former Riverside and Launceston Aquatic member is playing down expectations after winning the 200 and 400 metre freestyles at her maiden Olympics, adding a silver in the 800m and bronze in the 4x200m relay.

"I want to be at a good level next year but I'm not expecting anything like Tokyo.

"The following year I think we have world championships again. I want to be good for those events but I want to be able to peak for Paris (Olympics in 2023)."

Training under colourful coach Dean Boxall at St Peters Western in Brisbane, Titmus said she still has plenty of challenges ahead including world records and more duels with US great Katie Ledecky.

"I have to find new ways to get better," she said.

"I still believe that I've got more in myself. I'm still young and I want to keep swimming for longer.

"So I need to be more creative with Dean and come up with new ways to scrape a little bit more time off and I'm looking forward to that."

Reflecting on how her life has changed since becoming one of the stars of the delayed 2020 Olympics, the former Sacred Heart and St Patrick's College student sees numerous opportunities for herself outside the pool.

"I know now that with my profile and name I can do things that can make a difference.

"I was studying sport science at uni and deferred for a couple of years to focus on swimming. I'm deciding whether I want to go back to that or whether I go back to uni and study a more generic degree like business to put me in better stead for after swimming.

"I think I'll always now be known as being a swimmer for our country so post-swimming I want to do something and use that profile to make an impact. You never know what the future holds and it's still a long way away. I'm not planning on retiring any time soon. We'll see what happens."

Comfortable in front of cameras both post-races and since returning home, Titmus knows there are possibilities to follow her parents Steve and Robyn into media work and attributed her early coverage in The Examiner for that confidence.

"I do feel really comfortable in front of the camera, I don't know if that's something I get from Dad, although Mum's pretty good with it as well, so I feel that's probably a generic thing.

"Growing up in Tassie I think helped me with that because I would get the back page for winning a state championship and that just wouldn't happen in another state where you've got so many other big things on.

"So I think having to talk to the media from about age 12 helped me and I've always been very comfortable with the media. People ask me if that's something I want to do after swimming and I'm not sure if I want to follow in Dad's footsteps, but it's definitely an option."

Titmus had a hectic schedule of commitments during a celebratory trip to the state of her birth, talking to her old schools Sacred Heart and St Patrick's College, receiving a key to the city from Launceston Council, having the pool at Launceston Aquatic Centre named after her and a promotional visit to Harvey Norman for whom she is a brand ambassador.

Titmus has agreed to be the guest speaker for The Examiner's Junior Sports Awards on Wednesday, November 10.