McKeown's In-Season 57.65 100 Back Faster Than Anyone In Paris Olympic Final The Champion - AKA, Herself
“At this time of year, people are just gearing up for trials and then it’s on to Worlds. It’s been hard getting back in. I am not going to beat around the bush … I believe it builds character and makes you stronger. So LA’s looking good.” - Kaylee McKeown
Brisbane, April 22, in-season, Aussie trials not 'til June and we find Kaylee McKeown stopping the clock in a time faster than that of anyone other than herself in the Paris Olympic final last year.
If Games Gold was her's in 57.33, today's 57.65 title at Australian Open Championships marked the 22nd sub-58 of her career and was delivered in dominant fashion: fellow Aussie Olympic champion Mollie O’Callaghan was closest, on 59.23, Hannah Frederick third in 1:00.41.
Now coached by Mel Marshall at Griffith University, McKeown's 57.33 is the third best performance ever, while 57.65 is her career 11th fastest. The two swims ahead of he Australian's best on the clock belong to American Regan Smith, topped by the World record of 57.13.
Breath in.
While the Australian would, doubtless, like the standard back in her own pantheon, there's also a sense of 'so much for records' when it comes to McKeown: she hasn't lost to Smith when it's most counted since the American's breakthrough at 2019 Worlds, which is why the Dolphin boasts a special status, as the first woman ever to claim the backstroke double, 100 and 200m, at back-to-back Olympics, Tokyo and Paris.
Breath out.
The two backstroke aces have had a fine rivalry:
Nicole Jeffery
At the Games, McKeown's 57.33 topped Smith's 57.66 - and so we have that line: 57.65, no-one but the champion was faster in Paris that the Dolphin was today. Speaking through Swimming Australia, McKeown said:
“At this time of year, people are just gearing up for trials and then it’s on to Worlds. It’s been hard getting back in. I am not going to beat around the bush … I believe it builds character and makes you stronger. So LA’s looking good.”
The best and only podium follow-up of a double-double of four Olympic backstroke titles is that of Roland Matthes, East German winner of the double in 1968 and 1972 before he claimed bronze in the 100m final in 1976. He then retired, with four gold, two silver and two bronzes at three Games as well as 19 world and 28 European records to his name. He was coached by Marlies Grohe, who, in an interview with me by a sports scientist who worked in the GDR's doping program was described as "the only coach able to say 'no' and keep their job".
- RESULTS IN FULL
None were quite like McKeown's, but there were plenty of other solid swims on day 2 at the Championships.
Harris Dashes To Nursing Lecture In Between Dashes At Nationals
Meg Harris, Olympic silver medallist in the 50m freestyle, had a busy day in and out of the pool: she clocked 24.85 in her heat of the dash in the morning, dash off to Griffith University, where she is studying nursing, then dashed back to the pool to pick up dash gold in 24.57. Butterfly specialist Alex Perkins took the silver, in a personal best of 25.00, Mollie O’Callaghan on 25.01 in third as she tests her race skills not long into a return to full training under the guidance of Dean Boxasll at St Peters Western.
Boxall had a winner on his hands today in he shape of Benjamin Goedemans, who clocked a career high of 14:57.75 for the win ahead of open water specialist Thomas Raymond (15:17.74) and Matthew Galea third (15:20.31).
Winners (l-r) - Benjamin Goedemans, Brittany Castelluzzo and Taras Kinder - Photos by Delly Carr, courtesy of Swimming Australia
South Australia's Brittany Castelluzzo took the 200m butterfly in 2:06.86 ahead of Paris Olympian Abbey Connor (2:08.79) and 18-year-old Jessica Cole (2:11.94). The final featured a rare presence: Lani Pallister, distance freestuike ace and member of Australia's Olympic-champions 4x200m free relay, finished fifth in 2:13.
In the women's 400m medley, Victorian breaststroke ace Tara Kinder took crown in a decent 4:37.14 ahead of 200IM champion on day 1, Olympian Ella Ramsay, 4:41.27, with Jenna Forrester third in 4:45.70.
The top two also faced each other in the 100m breaststroke, Ramsay (1:07.80) turning tables on Kinder 1:07.80 to 1:08.20, with Sienna Harben third in 1:08.45, and the race for the Australian 4x100m medley breaststroke berth starting to hot up.
Isaac Cooper took the 50m backstroke in 24.80, Enoch Robb on 25.39, Kalani Ireland's 25.56 completing the top three.
Every dasher is being asked the same question since the IOC announced this on April 9:
Craig Lord
On his race, Cooper said: "I was glad that I was able to step up tonight. I've only been in the water for about seven weeks now, with broken training as well. I was very, very sick last week, so to be able to go two races under 25 seconds, I'm really happy with how that sits near this corner season." Then he answered the other point:
“Now that 50s have been announced in the Olympic program, it's very interesting to see people coming out of the woodwork, leaning into these 50m events. I've been leaning towards the 50s for a while now. I’m currently number one in Australia in the 50m backstroke and also ranked number one in the world in this event so I'm happy to see these guys come in and give me some competition.”
For A Full Report, including Paralymnopic action, see Swimming Australia:
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