As a successful Olympic campaign continues for Tasmanian swimmer Ariarne Titmus, the mayor of her hometown has revealed he is looking into the possibility of erecting a statue in her honour.
Titmus, nicknamed ‘Terminator’, has so far won one gold medal and a silver at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Speaking on her success back home at the Launceston Leisure & Aquatic Centre, local Mayor Matthew Garwood didn’t dismiss the idea of a statue floated by Channel Nine’s Karl Stefanovic.
“I’m not sure it could be solid gold. It has to be better than the prank that James Corden did with Richard Colbeck and the one we saw of Cristiano Ronaldo,” Garwood told Nine.
“I will take that one on notice.”
The mayor said Titmus’s achievements are a source of pride for the Launceston community.
“That goofy girl from Launceston, Tasmania, being able to then come out and achieve being the best … I can only dream of being the best in the world in something,” he said.
“They are the dreams that our kids, not only here in Launceston, across the country and across the world, are able to really resonate with.”
“We’re all really proud to see how her legacy already, at such a young age, is able to really push through and to inspire the nation.”
The leisure centre’s main pool is named after Titmus, who grew up in Launceston and is a ‘proud Tasmanian’.
“To see how well utilised this facility is, to have the murals that are going up around the city and also in here … we’re just stoked,” Garwood said.
“It is just amazing.”
