The unstoppable Kaylee McKeown (Griffith University) has continued on her winning ways with a stunning four-gold medal haul in the opening World Cup Series meet in Berlin earning her the female Swimmer of the Meet award and a cheque for $US12,000.
After setting two World Cup records in the 50 and 100m backstroke finals on the opening two days, the 23-year-old Gold Coaster has overnight added the 200m backstroke in another World Cup record time as well as the 200m individual medley for good measure,
McKeown was the only dual winner on a golden night for the Australians – winning the 200m backstroke in 2:06.47 – lowering fellow Australian Emily Seebohm’s 2015 World Cup mark of 2:06.94 set in Dubai.
Not done for the day, the Michael Bohl coached triple Olympic and World Champion, added the individual medley in 2:10.76 – which sees McKeown head to Athens this weekend brimming with confidence for round two of the three-meet Series which concludes in Budapest on October 20-22.
“I wasn’t expecting to get a win the medley,” McKeown said. “I am really happy with that. Hopefully I can keep it up for the next few weeks (in Athens and Budapest) as well.
“This prepares me for the next few meets. I may not like the fact that I have to double (with the 200m backstroke) on a night like tonight, but if my coach believes it, then I know that I can do it.”
Her training partner Lani Pallister (Griffith University) joined in the gold rush, winning the 800m freestyle and clocking a second personal best time of the meet and a new WC record of 8:16.82 (59.47; 2:02.06; 4:07.90).
Pallister one of three other Queenslanders who joined McKeown in the winner’s circle in a big night for the Dolphins.
Pallister had opened her campaign with a personal best to finish second to New Zealand rival Ericka Fairweather in a cracking 400m freestyle clocking 4:02.07 (58.18;1:59.55; 3:01.14) bringing her second 200m home in 2:02.52 on night one – making her the 15th fastest all time - Pallister, who was then third to Hong Kong’s ever-present Siobhan Haughey over 200m in 1:56.40, then moved to the 800m and swam faster than ever.
She was neck-and-neck with her plucky Kiwi rival over the first 400m of the 800m before dominating the back-half of the race - coming home over the final 400m in a strong 4:08.92.
“I'm really stoked,” said Pallister who was seventh in the Fukuoka World Championship final in 8:21.33. “Coming into this, I didn't expect a personal best by any means. I had only a week off after Worlds and went back into training really slowly.
“But this shows that the work that I am doing on the back of the World Championships has paid off. That's the fastest that I have swum since the World championships trials in 2022 (8:17.77).
“I am really pleased with my progress and can't wait to take this to the rest of the World Cups and into training after we get back home.”
Pallister also took five-and-a-half seconds off fellow Australian Kiah Melverton’s WC record set in Tokyo in 2019 – making her the 16th fastest female ever over 800m freestyle.
Over to the other Australian winners on the final night - Olympic bronze medallist Brendon Smith(Griffith University) who won the 400IM in 4:13.59 and emerging star and Australian All-Comers record holder Ben Armbruster (Bond Swimming) who flew to win the 50m butterfly in 23.08.
Never beaten, Smith said it was definitely his fastest in-season 400 IM ever, coming from behind to out-touch boom South African youngster in the closest finish of the night – taking the gold medal by just 0.02secs.
“It always hurts so much more when you are not rested. But I'm definitely happy with that result,” said Smith who surged over the top of the South African on the final lap after a see-sawing affair.
“Matt (Sates) has such a huge breaststroke leg… and I had pretty much given up, but with 75m left I just put my head down and decided to go for it.”
There was also just reward for Armbruster who had been out-touched by US star Michael Andrew by 0.03 in the 100m butterfly final, taking out a thrilling 50m butterfly final in 23.08 ahead of Andrew and Trinbago’s Dylan Carter who dead-heated for silver, locked together in 23.17, just 0.09secs behind.
Asked how he felt after the race, Armbruster wasted no time in telling the interviewer: “I’m great, even better now with that win!
“I am going to keep using the 50m as a platform. I think that it is a great indicator of skills, speed and all the hard work that I have put in.
“I am going to use this to build up to a stronger 100m ‘fly. The faster I get out the easier I can go out in the 100.
“My coach (Chris Mooney) gave me some simple advice before the race, “get to the wall first” and I am happy to tell him that I took his advice.”
Other eye-catching swims over the three-day meet came from Isaac Cooper (St Andrews) who won the 50m freestyle in 21.93; Cate Campbell’s silver lining in the 50 (24.11) and 100m freestyle (53.26) behind world record holder Sarah Sjoestroem and Miami youngster Maximillian Giuliani’s personal best of 1:46.18 to finish second in the 200m freestyle to Lithuania’s Danas Rapsys and continue his meteoric rise up the rankings.
Cooper, fourth behind fellow countryman Cam McEvoy in the 50m final in Fukuoka said he had a month off after the World Championships.
“I then had a solid six-week training block in the pool and in the gym. I was pleased to swim twice under 22 (21.95 in the heats and 21.93 in the final).
“I think this is an invaluable experience. It's an experience that not many people get to have. This is the first World Cup, and I am loving it. I knew standing behind the block that I was going to win.”
Here is the full list of medallists from Berlin:
GOLD
Kaylee McKeown (Griffith University) 50m backstroke (27.24) World Cup record
Kaylee McKeown (Griffith University) 100m backstroke (57.96) World Cup record
Kaylee McKeown (Griffith University) 200m backstroke (2:06.47) World Cup record
Kaylee McKeown (Griffith University) 200mm individual medley (2:10.76)
Lani Pallister Griffith University) 8:16.82 World Cup Record
Isaac Cooper (St Andrews) 50m freestyle 21.93
Brendon Smith (Griffith University) 400m individual medley 4:13.59
Ben Armbruster (Bond Swimming) 50m butterfly 23.08
Australia (4x100m freestyle) 3:38.44
Leah Neale (Chandler) 55.85
Alex Perkins (USC Spartans) 55.27
Bronte Campbell (Cruiz ACT) 54.15
Cate Campbell (Chandler) 53.17
SILVER
Lani Pallister (Griffith University) 400mm freestyle 4:02.07 (pb)
Isaac Cooper (St Andrews) 50m backstroke 24.59
Ben Armbruster (Bond Swimming) 100m butterfly 51.69
Jenna Strauch (Miami) 200m breaststroke 2:23.60
Cate Campbell (Chandler) 50m freestyle 24.11
Cate Campbell (Chandler) 100mm freestyle 53.26
Maximillian Giuliani (Miami) 200m freestyle 1:46.18 (pb)
Zac Incerti (USC Spartans) 100m freestyle 48.55
BRONZE
Josh Edwards-Smith (Griffith University) 200m backstroke 1:59.00
Lani Pallister (Griffith University) 200m freestyle 1:56.50
Photo via World Aquatics
