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3 months ago
24
A fired-up swimming fan has bizarrely suggested pool queen Ariarne Titmus gained an unfair advantage over her rivals at the Olympics - by painting her fingernails yellow.
Australia's champion swimmer has already won gold in the 4 x 200m freestyle relay and the 400m freestyle, as well as narrowly missing out on another victory in the 200m freestyle which was snatched from her by teammate Mollie O'Callaghan.
Titmus now has four Olympic golds to her name overall, but that did not stop one swimming fan to claim her nails were the difference between her success and failure.
The fan asked: 'How are fingernails like this allowed? I've seen how close the races have been.'
Next to his odd question was an image of Aussie star Titmus and her snazzy nails, which have been impossible to miss at the La Defense Arena in Paris.
The responses were mixed, with one sports fan agreeing Titmus has been given preferential treatment.
'They [fingernails] work like paddles and give her an unfair advantage,' argued one fan.
Another posted: 'I like it.....gold [coloured] to match her medals.'
A fired up swimming fan has bizarrely suggested Aussie pool queen Ariarne Titmus has enjoyed a clear advantage over her rivals at the Paris Games - after painting her nails yellow (pictured)
Taking to American social news website reddit, the supporter asked: 'how are fingernails like this allowed ? I've seen how close the races have been'
The overall consensus was that Titmus is free to compete with acrylic or gel inspired fingernails if she chooses - and it isn't the reason she already has two gold medals from the Games.
There also isn't in place a rule which bans athletes from entering the water with their nails done.
'You know you're good when you start getting cheating allegations thrown at you,' said one fan.
Another spoke for many when they posted sarcastically in response: 'Yes, because it’s Ariane’s fingernails that are the difference.....talk about splitting hairs.'
While Titmus has been heroic in the pool, she did come under fire when she called out the 'ridiculous' conditions inside the Olympic village.
This fan felt Titmus was a victim of her own success, stating 'you know you're good when you start getting the cheating allegations'
Titmus has been a standout at the Paris Games, winning the 400m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle relay and was also second in the 200m freestyle (pictured)
The 23-year-old didn't hold back when asked if she was disappointed not to break her world record when she claimed back-to-back gold medals in the 400m freestyle.
'It probably wasn't the time I thought I was capable of, but living in the Olympic village makes it hard to perform,' she admitted in an interview.
'It's definitely not made for high performance, so it's about who can really keep it together in the mind.'
Come Friday night, Titmus' quest to again stun US rival Katie Ledecky begins in the heats of the 800m freestyle. Action begins from 7.40pm AEST.
On Friday morning, the Dolphins' team of O'Callaghan, Lani Pallister, Brianna Throssell and Titmus won gold in the 4x200m freestyle relay in seven minutes 40.33 seconds.
The United States took silver and China claimed the bronze.
Queen Mary of Denmark - the Tasmania-born royal who is distantly related to Titmus - was on hand to see the race and celebrated with them when they came to the stands to embrace friends and family.
The quartet had a very famous fan in Queen Mary of Denmark - a distant relation of Ariarne Titmus - who celebrated with the gold medallists after the race (pictured)
Australia have won gold again in the swimming pool in the 4x200m women's freestyle final
Shortly before the Games began, Titmus revealed: 'We're actually cousins in a distant, roundabout sort of way.
'One of dad's cousins is married to Mary's cousin, which is actually pretty funny considering the running joke that everyone born in Tasmania is somehow related!'
Mary also shared a warm embrace with O'Callaghan and took photos of the gold medallists, with Aussie swimming great Cate Campbell noting on Channel Nine's coverage that all the usual royal protocols of curtsying and shaking hands went out the window in all the excitement.
O'Callaghan now has three golds in Paris - she featured in the victorious women's 4x100m freestyle team and won the 200m freestyle - and now has five golds in her Olympic career.
'I had Moll [O'Callaghan] saying some stern words in my ear behind the block, but I'm really proud of this group,' Titmus said after the win.
'We've wanted this [for a long time]. I was disappointed with how I swam in Tokyo, I personally felt like I let the team down, so this was a bit of a personal vendetta for me to come back and really play my role in the team, but also do it for our country.'
The Aussies were beaten by winners China and the USA in Tokyo, coming in almost a second behind the Americans.
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