AUSTRALIAN swimmer Ariarne Titmus’s victory has been hailed as one of the country’s great moments in Olympic history after she won gold in the 400m freestyle at the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Titmus, 20, came from behind to beat reigning Olympic champion and world record holder Kathleen Ledecky in the 400m final yesterday in a personal best time of 3 minutes and 56.69 seconds.

Rio Olympic champion Ledecky took a silver in 3:57.36 and China’s Li Bingjie, who set a new Asian record at 4:01.08, bagged the bronze.

“I can’t believe it. I’m trying to contain my emotions,” Titmus said after the race.

“This past year I don’t know whether it’s gone fast or slow, but to get here was a relief. To come here and do the job. I’m over the moon.”

Her performance has drawn widespread praise in Australia.

Ian Thorpe, one of the greatest swimmers in Australian history, described Titmus’s swim in the final as “phenomenal.”

“Just phenomenal. We’ve witnessed one of the great swims by an Australian,” Thorpe, a former world record holder in the men’s 400m, said on broadcaster the Seven network.

“And she beat one of the greatest ever. Maybe the best female swimmer of all-time.”

Dawn Fraser, who grabbed four Olympic gold medals in career, said there was “no way” Ledecky would catch Titmus. “She knew exactly what she had to do and swimming her own race and not being overshadowed by Ledecky, it made her the winner,” she said.(Xinhua)