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Australia’s two swimming stars push each other to greater heights, whether they like it or not

Australia’s two swimming stars push each other to greater heights, whether they like it or not

What precious luxury it is to be a fan of Australian swimming.

The embarrassment of riches on display in the women’s 200m freestyle at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre on night three of the Australian Swimming Trials should have seen the security guards replaced by the Tower of London’s Beefeaters.

The jewels of Australian swimming were out for everyone to enjoy.

It raises the question of whether there has ever been such a great concentration of talented swimmers in one place in an Australian domestic pool before.

Possibly not — unless you count St Peters Western training pool on any given day.

Five of the eight swimmers in the final swim were from Dean Boxall’s squad in Brisbane — including two of the fastest of all time.

Lani Palliser may have been shocked to find herself the only swimmer inside the top six not to train at St Peters Western.(Getty Images: Chris Hyde)

If you hadn’t noticed, Boxall held up five fingers in the stands to celebrate his swimmers’ triumphs.

But while success creates a peculiar magnetism that affects athletes throughout history, it’s rare for two of the best of all time — Ariarne Titmus and Mollie O’Callaghan — to train with each other under the same coach week-in, week-out.

However, even though both swimmers train at St Peters Western, Titmus said they don’t actually have much to do with each other in the pool.

“To be honest, we really don’t see what each other is doing,” she said.

“Training, we’re very separate. She trains for sprint events, I train for middle-distance freestyle, so it’s honestly quite separate.”

ABC Sport will be live blogging every day of the Paris Olympics from July 27 (Australian time).

Ariarne Titmus breathes as she swims

Ariarne Titmus has qualified for two individual events in Paris already.(Getty Images: Quinn Rooney)

Having the world record holder in the same squad must add a bit more incentive though?

“Honestly, no,” said Titmus.

“I don’t look at who has it. I look at the time.