The father of new Olympic champion and swimming star Ariarne Titmus has described her win in the 400 metre freestyle as “extraordinary”.

The 20-year-old powered home to claim gold in Tokyo, beating five time Olympic champion Kate Ledecky.

“It was just an extraordinary moment,” Steve Titmus told Gareth Parker.

With 50 metres to go, he knew his daughter had done it.

“We knew that if she was within a body length, or a body and a half of Ledecky with 50 to go that she would nail it down, because she is so fast on the back end,” he said.

“It was just a thrilling race, you couldn’t have dreamed of a race like that.”

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(Photo: Abbie Parr/Getty Images)