Two-time Olympic gold medallist Ariarne Titmus has detailed the unique conditions athletes had to endure during the Tokyo Olympics, speaking of the stark difference they’ll experience in Paris.
Titmus starred during her first Olympics in 2021 but the famous athletes village was unlike anything seen before, due to COVID.
Originally scheduled for 2020, the Tokyo edition had to be shifted back a year and was held largely behind closed doors with no spectators.
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This time it’ll be different with the 23-year-old set to have “about 18 friends and family” watching on.
“Basically all of Tasmania,” she joked to the Hit Network’s The Jimmy & Nath Show.
“So, a big crew coming, which is really exciting, that they’re going to get to enjoy the Olympics as well.
“I just think the whole Olympic atmosphere and experience is going to be for real this time.
“It was very hard last time managing with COVID, even in the dining hall, you kind of had these like Perspex things. So, you were sitting in like individual cubicles eating and the masks and the hand sanitiser and the social distancing and the no crowds was a challenge.
“It’s going to be good to really have that Olympic experience this time.”
The Australian swimming team won’t be in the Olympic village for the whole experience, departing once their events finish after the first week.
During their time in the village, the team will rub shoulders with a number of Australians but Titmus said she doesn’t feel the weight of expectation from those around her.
“I don’t feel the pressure from other athletes, but I think as a team we probably know we have a massive role to play to contribute to the medal tally, it’s kind of our job to get the country off to the best start possible,” she explained.
“If we don’t swim well, it kind of puts the pressure back on to the other sports to maybe perform beyond expectations.
“You do feel the pressure to live up to what you’re expected of I guess as a swim team, which is challenging, like those other teams probably don’t have the medal expectations that we have but it’s a good thing, pressure is a privilege, you only get that pressure from what you’ve done in the past, I’ll take it.”