![Ariarne Titmus has added more precious gold to her burgeoning collection of Olympic medals. Photo: Dave Hunt/AAP PHOTOS Ariarne Titmus has added more precious gold to her burgeoning collection of Olympic medals. Photo: Dave Hunt/AAP PHOTOS](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-feed-data/07d5a2ae-2202-4c0e-8021-88e459a93953.jpg/r0_0_800_600_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Ariarne Titmus turned swimming's race of the century into a glorious golden personal procession.
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Australia's women's 4x100m freestyle relayers stretched the nation's dominance in the event to a remarkable fourth Olympics.
Elijah Winnington's previously bitter Olympic experience now has a silver lining.
And Australia's male 4x100m freestyle relayers captured a coveted silver medal on a stunningly successful opening night for the nation at the Paris pool.
The Dolphins harvested two gold and two silver medals from Saturday night's four finals, helping Australia to top spot on the overall medals table after day one in Paris.
Titmus was in disbelief at becoming just the second Australian woman swimmer to keep an Olympic crown.
The legendary Dawn Fraser, who watched from the raucous grandstands at the Paris La Defense Arena, won 100m freestyle gold at the 1956, 1960 and 1964 Games.
"I can't really believe that's me," Titmus said of joining Fraser.
In her hyped final, the Tasmanian blitzed her rivals, American legend Katie Ledecky, who finished third, and Canadian teen Summer McIntosh, who placed second.
"It's fun racing the best in the world, it gets the best out of me," Titmus said.
"I hope with all the hype, we have lived up to expectations."
The 23-year-old led from go to whoa to claim the third Olympic gold medal of her career, after her 200m-400m freestyle double at the Tokyo Games three years ago.
"I just look at myself and I'm so normal ... I'm just the same old goofy Tassie girl living out her dream," she said after clocking three minutes 57.49 seconds to win comfortably from McIntosh (3:58.37) and Ledecky (4:00.86).
The victory of Australian swimming's unbeatables, the women's freestyle relayers, is the country's fourth-straight Olympic gold in the event.
![Australia's Olympic dominance of the women's 4x100m freestyle relay has continued. (Dave Hunt/AAP PHOTOS) Australia's Olympic dominance of the women's 4x100m freestyle relay has continued. (Dave Hunt/AAP PHOTOS)](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-feed-data/c113fb20-f9c6-4b0e-8505-31499365f7b0.jpg/r0_0_1280_720_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Emma McKeon, already Australia's most successful Olympian, added a sixth gold to her glittering career collection.
Shayna Jack's recovery from a two-year doping ban which cost her any chance of racing at the Tokyo Games of 2021, is now complete.
And Bronte Campbell, at her fourth Olympics, pockets a gold for her relay heat swim.
In the final, McKeon, Jack, Mollie O'Callaghan and Meg Harris set an Olympic record of three minutes 28.92 seconds to win by a whopping 1.28 seconds from the United States.
In the men's equivalent, Kyle Chalmers enhanced his status as Australia's greatest male relayer with a trademark late surge.
Chalmers dived in with Australia in fourth but steamed to silver - his 100m split of 46.59 seconds was the fastest of any swimmer in the race.
And Chalmers' teammate Elijah Winnington thanked God for his silver medal in the men's 400m freestyle.
Three years ago at the Tokyo Games, Winnington entered as hot favourite but cold-crashed to seventh.
"For a couple of months there, I didn't think I was going to swim again," he said of his crushing post-Tokyo disappointment.
Winnington's compatriot in Paris and pre-race fancy Sam Short finished fourth.
Australian Associated Press