Ariarne Titmus says surrendering her 400m freestyle world record to Canadian teenager Summer McIntosh has lit a fire ahead of her Olympic title defence in Paris next year.
Swimming at Canada's national trials for the upcoming world championships in Japan, McIntosh cut 0.32 seconds off the world mark set by Titmus last year.
The 16-year-old then backed it up with a world record in the 400m individual medley on Saturday night.
McIntosh won in four minutes 25.87 seconds, bettering the old world best time of 4:26.36 set by Katinka Hosszu of Hungary at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The first person to hold both long-course world records, she just missed setting a world record in the 200m IM while she also won gold in the 200m butterfly during a golden week in Toronto.
McIntosh finished fourth behind champion Titmus at the Tokyo Olympics, where the Australian also won gold in the 200m freestyle.
"Certainly having your own world record broken is a tough pill to swallow," Titmus told Channel Nine's Sports Sunday program.
"But I think you have to look at the good in everything and it's probably a good thing it was broken now.
"It gives me a little bit of fire in the belly."
Titmus said the prospect of taking on McIntosh and American legend Katie Ledecky next year in the Paris Olympics was exciting.
She felt the Toronto youngster had added another level of intrigue.
"I think it's naive to think that the world of swimming is going to stop - it's exciting for our sport, it's exciting for the 400 freestyle," Titmus said.
"I think the match-up between Summer, Katie (Ledecky) and I is just going to be as strong as ever in Paris.
"Time is flying. It's only a year and a half away. It's exciting for the sport."
Titmus is preparing to race at the Australian championships on the Gold Coast, which get underway on April 17.
Trials for the Fukuoka world titles will be held in Melbourne in June.
Meanwhile, three-time Olympian Bronte Campbell has announced she hopes to swim at the Paris Games.
The younger sister of fellow Olympian Cate, Bronte said she'd been back in the pool for three months as she pursued selection.
"I never officially retired," Campbell told Sports Sunday.
"I don't know whether you can call this a comeback but I have been back in the pool for the last three months and looking towards Paris.
"If I can make it to the Paris Olympics, I'll be the fourth person ever behind my sister, Emily Seebohm and Leisel Jones and that's pretty incredible company.
"You've got to see what will happen. I think I would be kicking myself if I didn't."
