By: Edward Zheng

The world record holder of the 400-meter freestyle in swimming was absent from the 2022 FINA World Swimming Championships, according to The New York Times. In fact, she was sleeping while it was happening. Most world-class swimmers would not sleep through a competition by accident. Ariarne Titmus of Australia was absent from the World Championship by choice.

She just felt like she didn’t need to be there.

“I swim because I love it and I want to perform on the biggest stage, which for me is the Olympic Games,” she says.

Titmus won gold in the 400-meter freestyle for the first time in 2019, according to The New York Times. In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she set her victories in stone by winning two gold medals, the 200-meter freestyle and the 400-meter freestyle.

Many people were anticipating a rematch between Ledecky and Titmus, and were disappointed when they found out that Titmus had opted out of the competition. It is unclear when the two will compete with each other again, said The New York Times. However, Titmus’s coach believes that it was the right decision. He says that these discussions “[are] not in the inner sanctum. The inner sanctum has a plan. She knows what she needs to do. She knows it’s all about the Olympics.”