olympics 2021

Ariarne Titmus’s Swim Coach Got, Uh, Excited About Her Olympic Gold-Medal Win

Give it an EGOT. Photo: NBC

If you’re an American Olympics fan, odds are you weren’t too excited about Australian Ariarne Titmus’s win over American star Katie Ledecky in the 400m freestyle. No matter, because Titmus’s coach more than made up for it with his own celebration from the sidelines. Dean Boxall, known for his intense coaching style, became even more known for his intense reaction as he tore off his mask, screamed, and humped a guardrail. Like Titmus’s upset win, it’s a performance you just have to watch for yourself. Boxall told Australia’s Channel 7 that his celebration was inspired by the wrestler the Ultimate Warrior, while announcers compared him to Back to the Future’s Doc Brown and the Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger. “When I saw the race unfolding, I couldn’t keep it in,” Boxall said. The coach went on to apologize — not for stealing the show or a crude celebration, but for taking off his mask amid it all. “I just lost it in the moment,” he said. As for Titmus, she didn’t mind her coach’s excitement, telling press afterward it was “classic Dean.” Expect to see more of that classic Dean on display during the 200m freestyle finals on July 28, where Titmus is a likely shoo-in alongside Ledecky once again.

Ariarne Titmus’s Coach Got, Uh, Excited About Her Gold Win