the typically-fast-finishing O’Callaghan actually led Titmus at the first turn and never fell more than two-tenths behind the defending Olympic champion at any intermediate split.

When they flipped at the final turn, Titmus in 1:53.

95 and O’Callaghan at 1:24.

11, both were quicker than they were in last year’s Worlds final, O’Callaghan by a whopping six-tenths.

In the end, O’Callaghan’s closing split of 28.

37 was a bit shy of the remarkable 28.

01 she uncorked in Fukuoka, but she was still quick enough to touch in 1:52.

48, substantially faster than her previous world record.

Titmus, meanwhile, swam just a tick quicker than her 2023 Worlds swim for the first 150 meters before coming home in 28.

28 (compared to a 29.

01 last year), and she actually pulled away from O’Callaghan.

Let those times sink in: 1:52.

23 and 1:52.

48.

Remember, we are a year removed from no one breaking 1:53 since the supersuit era, and now these two Aussies are closer to going 1:51s.

Both have been more than a second quicker than the next-fastest active swimmer, Summer McIntosh (1:53.

65), and even with McIntosh and Ledecky swimming well, Titmus and O’Callaghan are now heavily favored to finish 1-2 in this event in Paris, with the order still to be determined.

Moreover, Titmus and O’Callaghan look like the standard-bearers for an Australian team that could beat the United States in the gold-medal count in Paris, with also poised for an enormous performance.

Titmus nearly broke her own world record in the 400 free while swimming several seconds faster than McIntosh or Ledecky have this year.

O’Callaghan showed disappointment upon losing her world record in the 200 free, but she could be closing down on the world record in the 100 free, with Sarah Sjöström’s mark of 51.

71 having lasted since 2017.

Fellow Aussie Cate Campbell is the only other swimmer to break 52, and O’Callaghan joining that exclusive club this week looks probable.

And the relays: the Americans are the slight favorites in the medley relay, but both freestyle relays look like absolute runaways at this point.

Behind Titmus and O’Callaghan in Wednesday’s final, Shayna Jack and Brianna Throssell both swam 1:55s while Leah Neale and Meg Harris tied for fifth at 1:56.

22.

Could the United States women match those third-through-sixth-place times at their Olympic Trials next week in Indianapolis? Maybe, if every top 200 freestyler in the country is on their game and has improved since last year.

But how do you deal with two swimmers going 1:52? Ledecky is still capable of throwing down a 1:53 relay split, but no other American is.

We’ll have more to say about the 100 free and 400 free relay after that event takes place in Paris, but it’s been more than a decade since a full-strength Aussie team has lost this race.

Now, after Australia’s women captured eight gold medals and thoroughly dominated the United States in the last head-to-head matchup between the two countries, the trend is toward more of the same in Paris, with the world-record-smashing exploits of Titmus and O’Callaghan paving the way.

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Obviously, as an Aussie, I hope the domination continues.

Again, at this stage, 8 Golds could be on the cards:- 100m Freestyle- 200m Freestyle- 400m Freestyle- 4×100m Freestyle Relay- 4×200m Freestyle Relay- 100m Backstroke- 200m Backstroke- 200m IMFurther hopes in the:- 4×100m Medley Relay (possible)- 800m Freestyle (unlikely)- 100m Butterfly (unlikely)- 100m Freestyle (unlikely)- 400m Freestyle (possible)- 800m Freestyle (potentially)- 100m Butterfly (maybe)- 200m Breaststroke (hopefully)- 4×100m Freestyle Relay (lottery)