What a Reaction! Aussie Coach Erupts after Titmus Gold Medal

Dean Boxall was much calmer during the medal ceremony. (Getty Images)
Dean Boxall was much calmer during the medal ceremony. (Getty Images)
TT
20

What a Reaction! Aussie Coach Erupts after Titmus Gold Medal

Dean Boxall was much calmer during the medal ceremony. (Getty Images)
Dean Boxall was much calmer during the medal ceremony. (Getty Images)

Ariarne Titmus was thrilled with her victory over Katie Ledecky.

The Terminator’s coach was even more excited.

In the stands at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, Dean Boxall yanked off his mandatory mask, let out a scream that echoed through the largely empty arena, pumped his fists, and thrust his hips in moves reminiscent of Mick Jagger. He grabbed at a glass railing like he wanted to rip it apart.

Boxall’s emotional display became an instant hit on social media, where one admirer tweeted it was “the best reaction of all time.” The Australian Olympic team tweeted a GIF that said the coach’s reaction “sums it up perfectly.”

“I’ve seen little snippets of it. That’s just like Dean. He’s very passionate ... he becomes very animated,” Titmus said. “I think that this is just as much for him as it is for me. He’s sacrificed a lot of his family life, his kids, his wife and his job. He puts 100% into being a swimming coach and I would not be here without him.”

Titmus, who has been nicknamed the “Terminator,” handed Ledecky her first Olympic loss in an individual race by rallying over the final two laps to win the 400-meter freestyle Monday.

Boxall was more reserved during the medal ceremony, breaking down in tears as Titmus received her gold.

“He was crying and I was trying to contain the emotions,” she said, “but it’s good to see how much it means to him too.”



1 Killed and 19 Injured as Hot Air Balloons Crash in Central Türkiye

Sight-seeing hot air balloons launch in Göreme Historical National Park in the Cappadocia region, Nevsehir, central Türkiye, Aug. 24, 2022. (AFP)
Sight-seeing hot air balloons launch in Göreme Historical National Park in the Cappadocia region, Nevsehir, central Türkiye, Aug. 24, 2022. (AFP)
TT
20

1 Killed and 19 Injured as Hot Air Balloons Crash in Central Türkiye

Sight-seeing hot air balloons launch in Göreme Historical National Park in the Cappadocia region, Nevsehir, central Türkiye, Aug. 24, 2022. (AFP)
Sight-seeing hot air balloons launch in Göreme Historical National Park in the Cappadocia region, Nevsehir, central Türkiye, Aug. 24, 2022. (AFP)

Two hot air balloons crashed in central Türkiye on Sunday, leaving one person dead and 19 injured, according to local media reports.

The accident occurred near the Ihlara Valley in Aksaray province, the private Ilhas News Agency and other outlets said. It was not immediately clear why the hot air balloons crashed.

Hot air ballooning is a popular tourist activity over the rugged landscape of central Türkiye, which is dotted with ancient churches hewn into cliff faces. The attractions include the “fairy chimneys” of Cappadocia, tall, cone-shaped rock formations created by natural erosion over thousands of years that are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Video from Ilhas showed one deflated balloon, its passenger basket lying on its side, as emergency services tended to injured people.