Kaylee McKeown, the first woman ever to claim the Olympic backstroke double twice,  is heading home to the Sunshine Coast after three years at Griffith University.

Champion in the 100 and 200m backstroke at both Tokyo 2020ne and Paris 2024, a feat that matches the first and only other swimmer ever to achieve the Olympic double-double on backstroke, McKeown, 23, is aiming to become the first swimmer ever to claim gold on backstroke at three Games.

She announced on Instagram that she'll now base herself back home on the Sunshine Coast and will leave with a thumbs up for all who helped her during almost four years on the Gold Coast at Griffith.

Under the guidance of Mel Marshall, mentor to Adam Peaty and others isn Britain, McKeown made her way back to fitness and a very fast in-season 100m time at Australian Open Championships last week.

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

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Marshall started her job at Griffith, in a move from Loughborough in England, at the start of this year:

Peaty’s Mentor Mel Marshall To Quit Britain In Leap To Australian Dolphins After Paris

Marshall guided Peaty for 17 years from a “reluctant” 12-year-old to “a soldier, a warrior, who’ll go over the top whatever you ask him to do” with a pioneering pantheon. After Paris, she will coach at the Griffith University High Performance Centre in Queensland

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

A move home for McKeown had been muted when Australian coach Michael Bohl stepped away from the top job at Griffith after Paris 2024 and Mckeown withdrew from World Cup tour last northern autumn citing the need for a long break after a long period without one.

Bohl said he'd be taking a 12-month break from the pool deck after Paris but since then has taken an advisory coaching role to help the Chinese Swimming Association prepare for Los Angeles 2028 in the wake of the latest wave of doping controversies involving Chinese swimmers at Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020ne and Paris 2024.

Bohl Takes A Leap Of Faith From Dolphins Into The Dragons’ Den

Motives for top Aussie coach Michael Bohl to jump ship to China may include lifelong passion, a craving for success and so on but when the Chinese Swimming Association enters the picture, the thing that springs to mind with the ease of a Chinese Olympic diver off the boards is ... money

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Among those caught up in the China 23-go-free saga of 2020-2024 was Qin Haiyang, one of Peaty's key rivals win breaststroke but a triple World champion who, at a time he was under intense scrutiny, bombed out at the Paris Games. Bohl sees things getting better:

Bohl Sees Spring In China’s Step At First Champs Putting Wind In The Sails Of Qin & Co

“I think when Pan pops up and wins an Olympic gold medal, it gives the swimming population in China a lot more self-belief and confidence.” - Michael Bohl on the impact of the 100 free champ 12 years on from Sun* showing them reasons to be confident…

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Meanwhile, McKeown is returning to the University of the Sunshine Coast Spartans. Her coach will be Michael Sage, who in December was announced as the squad's new coach after the dismissal of Michael Palfrey for acts of 'disloyalty' at the Paris Olympics:

Palfrey Cops It For Error Of Judgment At Paris 2024

Palfrey was found to have breached his employment contract by bringing himself into disrepute and causing serious damage to his and Swimming Australia’s reputation, and adversely affecting Swimming Australia’s interests [at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games]

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

"I'd like to thank everyone from [Griffith University swim club] over the past 3yrs, it has truly [sic] been everything and more," McKeown posted to Instagram. "It's been a crazy week but I've decided to head back home to where it all started on the Sunshine Coast."

Friday, April 25

Wellbrock Leads Liebmann To 800 German Junior Mark At Local Derby

Florian Wellbrock, Germany's Olympic marathon champion of Tokyo 2020ne, continued to eat his in-season speed with a 7:49.79 win in the 800m freestyle on the first day of the Gothaer & Friends derby in Magdeburg.

Coach Bernd Berkhahn's charges, including Lukas Märtens hot on the heels of his 3:39.96 World record in the 400m freestyle in Stockholm a week ago, are racing at the local meet near their training base in the same city. That pioneering swim:

Märtens Takes Down Shiny Biedermann & Textile Thorpe With Game-Changing 3:39.96 WR In Stockholm 400 Free

What it took for Lukas Märtens to break Paul Biedermann’s Word record: at 51.90 he matched Mark Spitz’s first 100m free World record in 1970; at 1:47.55, he matched the third of Michael The Albatross Gross’ 200m free World records, from 1984

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Wellbrock served as pacemaker for Johannes Liebmann until the last 100m, when it was a case of Liebmann having to hand on for all he was worth as the Olympic 1500m free bronze medalist of 2021 piled own the pressure. The company worked a treat: Liebmann set a German junior record of 7:50.86. Arne Schubert was next home, in 7:59.06.

Last week in Stockholm, Wellbrock, 27, made the medals with Märtens in the 400m and then clocked 14:38.27 for victory in the 1500m before en-route to victory in the 1500 before he finished second to his teammate's 7:39.10 in the 800m, on 7:41.10.

Meanwhile, the Märtens are more than a speedy bro... Leonie, Lukas' sister, who made her Olympic debut last summer in Paris, took her 1500m race in 16:27.29 ahead of Julia Ackermann, 16:42.20.

In Other Coverage:

Algés e Dafundo, A School Of Swimming Spirit & Language

From The SOS Archive: to mark April 25 on the 51st anniversary of Portugal’s Carnation Revolution/ liberation from fascism, I recall a childhood haunt of mine, Algés E Dafundo, on the edge of Lisbon. The song of swimming is a composition of many languages in a rich stream of understanding

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

In The SOS FORUM Newsletter:

FORUM: Lessons From The Interface Of Sports & Politics In Troubled Times

This week’s Forum considers the insight sports history has to offer Kirsty Coventry as she heads towards LA2028 with “difficult men” - Trump and Putin - in the wings, the torrid tale of Cartonnet’s Nazi sympathies & their impact on French teammate Nakache among red flags flying

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Cartonnet & A Torrid Tale Of Collaboration With A Link To His Rival Nakache, ‘The Swimmer Of Auschwitz’

The trouble with Jacques Cartonnet’s story of swimming ‘fame’ is that it holds hands with infamy. Among the facts is a question that hangs over him to this day, long after he was sentenced to death for collaborating with the Nazis before he escaped…

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Also In The April Vortex:

• Mollie O'Callaghan Races Through Challenges To Keep Aussie Open 200 Free Crown in 1:55
• Guilherme Santos Tops Brazil's All-Time Textile Ranks With 47.10 Thunder (Video)
• U.S. Center for SafeSport fires CEO Ju'Riese Colón
• Yuri Suguiyama Appointed USA National Team 'Senior Director & Coach'

McEvoy 21.48 Grants Olympic Champ The Best All-Time Australia Top 15 Textile 50 Free Times

McEvoy joined on day 3 champions list at Australian Open Champs by Kaylee McKeown, 50 back, Lani Pallister, 400 free, Italian Thomas Ceccon, 100 ‘fly, Tara Kinder, 200 breast, Kiwi Lewis Clareburt, 200IM, Rikako Ikee, 50 ’fly, and Ben Goedemans, 800 free

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

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

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

• Thomas Ceccon Takes Down Italian 200m Back Mark In 1:55.7 At Australian Open

Scott & Guy Tie, Richards Close; Evans In Record Form; & Morgan Celebrates Sweep - A Perfect Curtain-Closer In London

A stirring curtain-closer at Aquatics GB Championships included a 1:05.3 British record for Angharad Evans in the 100m breaststroke; a backstroke sweep for Oliver Morgan; and the perfect ending - a 1:45.08 snap for James Guy and Duncan Scott ahead of Matt Richards in the 200m free

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Duncan Scott As Hungry As He Ever Was - Solo Olympic & World Gold Still Among Goals “I Think I’m Capable Of”

“That’s the one thing you don’t need to be worried about; I’m as hungry as ever ... I’m the most decorated silver medallist at the Olympics ... it’s kept me hungry for this entire time and it allows me to keep pushing and wanting to find those extra small percents.” - Duncan Scott

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Proud Extends World Ranks Lead In 21.67, As Mills, 17, Pops First Two Sub-22s Of Career

Adrift Ben Proud’s 21.6 world-ranks topper, a glimpse of the next wave: 17-year-old Jacob Mills, coached by Jamie Main at Repton, goes 21.99, after 21.96 in heats; and Loughborough’s Abbie Wood goes 2:08.8 career high in the 200IM, Stirling’s Katie Shanahan also inside Singapore cut, on 2:09

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Scott’s 1:56.44 In London 200IM Shows No Hunger Lost In Post-Paris, Three-Month Break

GB Champs: Scott is pre-selected for Singapore World Championships from July 27-August 3 but had he needed to qualify he would have done so: the cut, 1:57.18; Ollie Morgan and Eva Okaro at the sprint double; Shanahan and McGill through too

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Tunisia’s Tokyo Olympic Champion Ahmed Hafnaoui, Banned For Missing Three Anti-Doping Tests

The 2020ne 400m free Olympic champion is out for 21 months after falling foul of anti-doping rules on whereabouts at the time he withdrew from Paris 2024 with an undefined ‘illness’

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Morgan Makes Mincemeat Of British 100 Back Record, 52.12 Victory Just 0.03 Shy of All-Time Global Top 10

If Adam Peaty is motivated by the Olympic introduction of the 50m breaststroke, then Morgan’s elevation from 22nd to 13th on the all-time global rankings will surely have caught the eye of the 100m breaststroke world record holder, head coach Steven Tigg and their medley relay ambitions

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Swimming Canada Updates Selection Policies After 50m Events Join Olympics

Swimming Canada is also awaiting news on how the changes may affect overall participant numbers at Olympic Games. After 50m additions “will the number of athletes in swimming at the Olympic Games increase, or remain the same?” asks performance lead John Atkinson

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Supreme Court Ruling & UK Equalities Commission Chair Make It Clear For Sport: No Males In Female Spaces & Races

“Single-sex services, like changing rooms, must be based on biological sex. If a male person is allowed to use a women-only service or facility, it isn’t any longer single sex.” - Baroness Falkner, chair of the UK Equalities & Human Rights Commission

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Scott Rattles Shiny Suit British Mark In 200 ’Fly Test Aimed At Medley Ambitions

Before 1:54.89 blast, Duncan Scott shared his medley mission with SOS: “It’s not because I want to compete in the 200 ‘fly; It’s just to understand and get a little bit better know how on ‘how do I race ’fly...”; plus, Singapore Cuts For Abbie Wood, Freya Colbert & Max Litchfield

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

• Sienna Toohey Tops The Billboard & Carlile Ends St Peters Decade-Long Dominance By Close Of Aussie Age Titles
• Sara Curtis Makes It Three Italian Sprint Free Records In 24 Hours
• Records For Daniel Wiffen & Danielle Hill As Irish Open Ends With 3 Irish Senior & 4 Junior Records Along With 12 Meet Marks
• Sienna Toohey's Shift From Junior To Senior Speed Tangible
• Swimming Australia's excellent SIX PACK Potted Insight Files
• When Sara Swam Faster Than Federica Ever Did ... Curtis Clocks 53.1 Italian 100 Free Mark

Guy Still Gunning For Gold: 10 Years After Global Glory, Relay King Takes Brit 400 Crown, At 29

The Name’s Guy, James Guy, Olympic 4x200 champion not once but an historic twice, and now 400m free British champion 10 years after his peak year of gold and silver at World titles; plus, Keanna Macinnes and Freya Colbert the first two cuts for Singapore Worlds this summer

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Wrap Of Meets: Meet Lukas Märtens Adds 7:39.10 German 800m Mark To 400WR In Stockholm

Olympic 400m champion Lukas Martens is on a roll in Stockholm: three days after a World record of 3:39.96 over eight lengths at Sweden’s Swim Cup, the German ace sneaked inside his own national standard in the 800m; plus, Ellie McCartney & Ellen Walshe in record form in Ireland

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

• Hayley Mackinder's Mission Assisted by coaches Thomas Fraser-Holmes and ... Mel Marshall (Peaty's Mentor)
• Nicolo Martinenghi 59.16 takes Italian 100 Crown, Ludovico Viberti's 59.04 In The Wrong Race
• Isabel Gose Goes 4:04 For 400 Victory In Stockholm
• John Shortt Takes Down Irish 200 Back Mark in 1:56; Dan Wiffen Goes 3:46 Championship record in 400 Free 
• Leading Lights Rise Up The Aerial At Aussie Age Titles, Olympic Summers On The Horizon
• Full House For Dan Wiffen's 7:41 At Irish Open
• Lukas Märtens & Florian Wellbrock Lead Another Winning Day For Germans In Stockholm
• Koa Stotz In Junior Record Form As Gen-Brisbane 2032 Comes Into View
• Hubert Kós Pips Kristof Milák in 100 'Fly As Hungarian Nationals Close
• Kyle Chalmers - All-time Fastest Aussie 'Fly Dasher In Textile
• Michael Houlie Takes 50 Breast Crown in Battle With Chris Smith
• David Popovici Pops 47.30 Then Bypasses Final With Back Pain
• Robert Badea Steps Into Limelight For Third Title
• John Shortt, Tom Fannon On The Plane To Singapore; Speedy Start For Pre-selected Ellen Walshe
• Gone At HK$180,000 - Siobhan Haughey's Tokyo Silver Suit & Cap Break Michael Phelps Record At Auction
• Kristof Rasovszky Pops Shiny Suit Standard For Hungarian 400 Free Crown
• Rebecca Meder takes down SA 200IM record for 4th time
• Greg Meehan hired as USA Swimming Team Director
• Popovici Pounces With 1:45 Flat In 200 Free
• David Popovici & Adrian Radulescu Honoured Before Sprinter Downs Romanian 50 Free Mark In 21.8
• Meet round-ups including updates on the following meets as and whenever we get to them
• Hubert Kós Cracks Hungarian 50 Back Mark, Twice, At Nationals
• Pieter Coetze Rattles Own SA Record For 52.71 Win In 100 Back
• German Swim Federation In DSV Deal With SwimBetter
• Ellen Walshe Heads To Irish Open With "A Clean Slate" & Loving Her Job
• The Cap Fits: Hector Pardoe Returns To Ellesmere To Inspire The Next Wave
• No Chad, No Tatjana At Nationals For First Time In Generations As South Africa Nationals Get Started
• Mollie O'Callaghan On Post-Paris Challenges & "Getting Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable"
• Dan Wiffen's vlog On Recovery Strategy For Champs
• Recovery from mystery nerve pain and fatigue Puts Tess Schouten Out Of Singapore World Champs
• House vs. NCAA Settlement - What's All About?
• What are we to make of 'A Women’s Final Of Two Biological Men'?
• Dolphin Madi Wilson Weds Cricketer Matt Short
• Kyle Chalmers Makes A Splash Of The Dash With Career High 21.78 In Bergen
• Alice Williams Joins Swimming Australia Board
• Becca Mann Memoir Out This Week
• Kyle Chalmers The Toast Of Bergen With 47.2 Blast In 100 Free

Athlete Transition With A Twist From The ‘Annoyingly Gifted’ Cody Simpson & His New Gig

As Cody Simpson heads into Guys & Dolls rehearsals, talk turns to athlete career transition in a fine interview for The Age/SMH. Of partner Emma McKeon, he says: “I’m like, ‘You’re gonna have to suck at stuff for a bit. And if you’ve been the very best at something, you’re not used to that’.”

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

• Dutch Government Refuses To Reinstate Mandatory School Swimming
• Short & Thomas At The Distance Double As Urlando Goes 1:52 200 'Fly
• Ponti Pops 22.88 For Swiss 50 'Fly Crown
• Serious Doubts Over How Much Of £474m Covid Loans To Sport & Culture "Will Ever Be Repaid"
• Yes, it was an April's Fool:

World Aquatics Plan To Reintroduce Yards World Records in 2026

World Aquatics is set to bring back yards records 70 years since traditional English linear distances went metric-only & 58 years since all yards events measures were scrapped as swimming became exclusively metric

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

• Spain's Carlos Garach Takes Break From Pool To Pursue Military Career