- Fan adamant Ariarne Titmus been given preferential treatment in Paris
- Pointed to her curated yellow fingernails as reason for her success
- Wild theory was largely dismissed online, first posted on Reddit
A fired-up swimming fan has bizarrely suggested Aussie pool queen Ariarne Titmus gained an unfair advantage over her rivals at the Olympics – by painting her fingernails yellow.
The supporter asked: ‘How are fingernails like this allowed? I’ve seen how close the races have been.’
Next to his odd question was an image of Aussie star Titmus and her snazzy nails, which have been impossible to miss at the La Defense Arena.
The responses were mixed, with one sports fan agreeing Titmus has been given preferential treatment.
‘They [fingernails] work like paddles and give her an unfair advantage,’ argued one fan.
Another posted: ‘I like it…..gold [coloured] to match her medals.’
The overall consensus was that Titmus is free to compete with acrylic or gel inspired fingernails if she chooses – and it isn’t the reason she already has two gold medals from the Games.
There also isn’t in place a rule which bans athletes from entering the water with their nails done.
A fired up swimming fan has bizarrely suggested Aussie pool queen Ariarne Titmus has enjoyed a clear advantage over her rivals at the Paris Games – after painting her nails yellow (pictured)
Taking to American social news website reddit, the supporter asked: ‘how are fingernails like this allowed ? I’ve seen how close the races have been’
This fan felt Titmus was a victim of her own success, stating ‘you know you’re good when you start getting the cheating allegations’
Titmus has been a standout at the Paris Games, winning the 400m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle relay and was also second in the 200m freestyle (pictured)
‘You know you’re good when you start getting cheating allegations thrown at you,’ said one fan.
Another spoke for many when they posted sarcastically in response: ‘Yes, because it’s Ariane’s fingernails that are the difference…..talk about splitting hairs.’
While Titmus has been heroic in the pool, she did come under fire when she called out the ‘ridiculous’ conditions inside the Olympic village.
The 23-year-old didn’t hold back when asked if she was disappointed not to break her world record when she claimed back-to-back gold medals in the 400m freestyle.
‘It probably wasn’t the time I thought I was capable of, but living in the Olympic village makes it hard to perform,’ she admitted in an interview.
‘It’s definitely not made for high performance, so it’s about who can really keep it together in the mind.’
Come Friday night, Titmus’ quest to again stun US rival Katie Ledecky begins in the heats of the 800m freestyle.
Action begins from 7.40pm AEST.