Ariarne Titmus says having a world record snatched away "stings", but believes that talents like Summer McIntosh are "great for the world of swimming".
In a major statement, McIntosh crushed Titmus' 400-metre freestyle world record at the Canadian Swimming Trials on Sunday (AEST).
The teenage star recorded a time of 3:54.18 – 1.2 seconds faster than Titmus' previous best at the 2023 World Championships.
McIntosh's performance also saw her become the first female to swim each lap of a 400m race in less than 30 seconds.
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Titmus, who is currently enjoying a year away from the pool, reacted to the Canadian's blistering effort.
"Oh, I mean, obviously it stings a little bit when you get your world record broken, but I know how tough it is to swim that fast," Titmus said on Channel 9's broadcast of the Australian Swimming Trials on Monday.
"To break my world records I was working [towards] for years and years, and to be 18 years old and to be swimming that incredibly off the back of [the] Olympic Games, she's an absolute phenomenon.
"To smash a world record like that, who knows how fast she's going to go [in the years ahead]?
"But this is great for the world of swimming."
McIntosh had to settle for silver behind Titmus in the 400m free event at Paris 2024, and their rivalry continues to build nicely ahead of a potential Los Angeles 2028 battle.
"We want to keep seeing more and more women be fast and create rivalries," the Australian Olympian added.
"And you know, I was the first person to beat Katie Ledecky, but Summer is taking it to us, and I think it's great for our sport.
"It gets the juices flowing," she added with a laugh.
Titmus continues to be a regular at charity events as she undergoes her 12-month swimming sabbatical.
She was first down the slide at the AFL's annual 'Big Freeze' on Monday.
The icy-water initiative helps raise vital funds for MND research.