Accidents happen? Eventual Australian gold medalist threw Katie Ledecky off her game at worst time

The 2024 Summer Olympics officially opened on Friday with a jaw-dropping ceremony across Paris. Not too long after the ceremony, the competitions would begin. On Saturday, there was a highly-anticipated event taking palce, and it was the 400-meter freestyle swimming competition. Of course, this would feature a head-to-head competition between seven-time Olympic gold medalist for the United States, Katie Ledecky, and two-time Olympic gold medalist for Australia, Ariarne Titmus.

Before the race began, there was a light-hearted moment that was caught by NBC broadcast cameras. Titmus was warming up and getting ready for the 400-meter freestyle. The thing is, Titmus was lined up in Ledecky's lane. After noticing the mistake, Titmus laughed and moved to the correct lane.

Titmus went on to win the race race by a sizable margin to take home her third Olympic gold medal. Ledecky, meanwhile, finished in third place to take the bronze.

Ariarne Titmus accidentally lines up in Katie Ledecky's lane, but wins 400-meter freestyle race

The race wasn't particularly close, with Titmus taking a commanding lead over Ledecky by the fifth length of the 400-meter freestyle. However, Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh gave Titmus quite the challenge, as the 17-year-old was not far behind the multi-time gold medalist late in the race.

Titmus would pick up the win in 3:54.79. McIntosh finished in second with 3:58.37, while Ledecky finished third in 4:00.86.

There were no hard feelings between Ledecky and Titmus, as the two rivals embraced once the race was over.

This is now the second time that Titmus defeated Ledecky in the 400-meter freestyle, with the first being in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Ledecky had previously won this event in the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro.

Ledecky has other opportunities to add to her medal count at this year's Olympics, including the 800- and 1500-meter freestyles set to take place next week.

Titmus, meanwhile, is set to compete in the 200- and 800-meter freestyles next week. So the next time viewers can watch Titmus and Ledecky face off in this Olympics, it will be in the 800-meter freestyle finals on Sunday, Aug. 4.