Games-Titmus over COVID and looking for speed in Birmingham pool

SYDNEY : Australia's double Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus says she has recovered from COVID-19 and is looking forward to seeing how fast she can go in the Birmingham pool at the Commonwealth Games.

The 21-year-old set a world record of three minutes, 56.40 in the 400 metres freestyle at the Australian trials in Adelaide in May before contracting the novel coronavirus.

"I had such a good lead-up to trials, everything kind of fell into place and I think I swam probably one of the best 400s I have swam," she said on Friday from Australia's training base in France.

"I think getting COVID kind of put a spanner in the works but I think everyone's kind of gone through that, so I was just trying to get back to feeling myself.

"I feel like that now and I'm really excited to race at the Comm Games."

Titmus's stunning 200-400 metres freestyle double at the Tokyo Olympics last year ensures she will be one of the biggest names competing in Birmingham from July 28-Aug. 8.

She will defend the 400 and 800 freestyle titles she won on the Gold Coast in 2018 as well as look to improve on the silver she won in the 200 four years ago.

"I've made some shifts and I think I've improved in some areas since trials," she added.

"I'm looking forward to seeing how fast I can go at the Games."