by Ian hanson
The world’s premier women’s backstroker Kaylee McKeown has posted the fourth fastest time in history – just over half-a-second outside her own world record in the 200m backstroke in Melbourne tonight – a record the young Queenslander doesn’t expect to last past the World Championships.
“I’m fully expecting both my world records to plummet if not next week (at the US Trials) then at the World Championships,” said McKeown.
The 21-year-old from the Gold Coast was under her own world record pace – set in March in Sydney – through the first two laps at the Australian World Trials before just dropping off the pace to clock 2:03.70 – her second fastest time ever.
After a slight delay at the start due to a technical issue with one of the backstroke starting ledge at the Melbourne Sports And Aquatic Centre, McKeown was just 0.56 outside her own world mark of 2:03.14, swum at the NSW State Championships in March.
Comparative Splits:
World Record (10/03/23) World Trials (16/06/23)
29.32 29.22
1:00.73 1:00.72
1:31.84 1:32.21
2:03.14 2:03.70
McKeown (Griffith University, QLD) now owns six of the fastest 10 times ever swum for 200m backstroke – her arch rival and previous world record holder from the US, Regan Smith has the second and third fastest times, McKeown is at number four, US Olympic champion Missy Franklin is at five with McKeown having the next four fastest times followed by Franklin again with the 10th.
And despite the slight delay with the field in the water, McKeown was happy with her time and put it down to race experience.
“I was very happy with that…the second fastest time I’ve ever posted and to do that here with that little muck up at the start it is good race practice,” said McKeown.
“Hearing I was under world record pace at the 50 and the 100m it was no wonder my legs hurt over the last 15 metres – I’m still learning how to pace a 200m with that easy out-speed so I think I probably went out a little bit too hard and didn’t have my back end like I usually do, but I’m a happy girl.
“I would have never thought in a million years I would have been able to go under 2.04 let alone twice now.
“If I can take anything away from that race it’s just trusting the process more and working on the underwaters.”
McKeown has now qualified for three events for the World Championships in Fukuoka next month, the 100 and 200m backstroke and the 200m individual medley.
And the Dolphins women’s team continues to take shape with her fellow Tokyo gold medallist Ariarne Titmus adding a third event – the 800m freestyle after winning in her second fastest time ever – 8:15.88 (1:59.59 and 4:04.57) to add the Olympic silver medal event to the 200 and 400m freestyle along with the 4x200m freestyle relay.
And joining Titmus (St Peters Western, QLD) will be World Short Course champion Lani Pallister (Griffith University, QLD) who tried to stay with Titmus for as long as she could after leading down the first lap, finishing second in 8:20.56 (2:00.95 and 4:06.81) with Titmus now moving to second on the 2023 rankings behind Olympic champion Katie Ledecky (8:13.56) with Pallister seventh. Titmus SPW club mate Kiah Melverton was a gallant third in 8:26.65 – also under qualifying.
“The 800m is never easy, no matter what time of year it’s always a tough race especially if you have the intent to take it out and hang on,” said Titmus.
“”It’s two seconds off my best so that’s not too bad; I just have to trust my speed and try and not get caught up with the girls around me.
“I just to have to trust my swimming and do my job. But we’ve had such good depth for such a long time in the 800m and to have the top three girts underneath qualifying is pretty good.”
Meanwhile in the women’s 200m butterfly Commonwealth Games gold medallist Lizzy Dekkers (Chandler, QLD) set a new Australian All-Comers record – clocking the third fastest time by an Australian in 2:05.26 – bettering the 2015 All-Comers mark held by 2016 Rio silver medallist Maddie Groves at 2:05.41.
Dekkers, just 19, has rocketed up the rankings to become the 14th fastest 200m flyer of all time ranking her third fastest in the world leading into Fukuoka – and she surpasses Australia’s “Madam Butterfly” Susie O’Neill on the Australian rankings and a time O’Neill had set when she broke the original “Madam Butterflyer” American Mary T. Meagher’s long-standing world record at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Trials.
Joining Dekkers in Fukuoka will be her Birmingham team mate, Abbey Connor, who was fourth in those Games and who had quit the sport earlier this year only to have her fire re-ignited by a phone call from triple Olympian and Australian Swimmers Association president Bronte Campbell and an eventual change in scenery and a move to the Queensland Sunshine Coast from her Sydney-base at Revesby Workers.
After consultation with Swimming Australia’s High Performance department, the 18-year-old reunited with her Games coach Mick Palfrey at the USC Spartans Performance HUB on the Sunshine Coast – and the result was a World Championship qualifying time of 2:07.61 – rankings her 10th in the world.
2023 Australian World Trials, Day 4, FINALS:
Women’s 200m backstroke
Kaylee McKeown (Griffith University, QLD) 2.03.70 (Q)
Jenna Forrester (St Peters Western, QLD) 2.10.37
Hannah Fredericks (St Peters Western, QLD) 2.10.84
Men’s 200m individual medley
Thomas Neill (Rackley Swim Team, QLD) 1.57.74 (Q)
Brendon Smith (Griffith University, QLD) 1.58.84
William Petric (Nunawading, VIC) 1.59.29
Women’s 200m butterfly
Elizabeth Dekkers, (Chandler, QLD) 2.05.26. Aust. All-Comers Record (Q)
Abbey Connor (Revesby Workers/USC Spartan, QLD) 2.07.61 (Q)
Brianna Throssell (St Peters Western) 2.07.68
Men’s 100m freestyle
Kyle Chalmers, (Marion, SA) 47.44 (Q)
Flynn Southam, (Bond, QLD) 47.77 (Q)
Jack Cartwright (St Peters Western, QLD) 48.50
Women 50m breaststroke
Abbey Harkin (St Peters Western, QLD) 31.14
Talara-Jade Dixon (St Hilda’s WA) 31.19
Mikayla Smith (Griffith University, QLD) 31.26,
Men 50m Backstroke
Isaac Cooper, (St Andrews, QLD) 24.56
James Bayliss (Chandler, QLD) 25.32
Lewis Blackburn (St Andrews, QLD) 25.38
Women’s 800m freestyle
Ariarne Titmus (St Peters Western, QLD) (Q)
Lani Pallister, 8:20.56, (Griffith University, QLD) (Q)
Kiah Melverton 8:26.65, (St Peters Western, QLD)
Automatic Australian Team Qualifiers after four days:
Kyle Chalmers (Marion, SA) 100m freestyle
Abbey Connor (Revesby Workers/USC Spartan, QLD)
Elizabeth Dekkers (Chandler, QLD) 200m butterfly
Jenna Forrester (St Peters Western, QLD) – 200IM
Emma McKeon (Griffith University, QLD) – 100m butterfly
Kaylee McKeown (Griffith University, QLD) – 200IM, 100m, 200m backstroke
Thomas Neill (Rackley Swim Team, QLD)
Mollie O’Callaghan (St Peters Western, QLD) – 100m backstroke, 200m freestyle
Lani Pallister (Griffith University, QLD) – 400m, 800m freestyle
Sam Short (Rackley Swim Team, QLD) – 400, 800m freestyle
Flynn Southam (Bond, QLD) 100m freestyle
Brianna Throssell (St Peters Western, QLD) – 100m butterfly
Ariarne Titmus (St Peters Western, QLD) – 200, 400m, 800m freestyle
Elijah Winnington (St Peters Western, QLD) 400, 800m freestyle
Full qld finals results:
Women 200m Backstroke
1st Kaylee McKeown, Griffith University SC, coached by Michael Bohl (2:03.70) QT
2nd Jenna Forrester, St Peters Western ASC Inc, coached by Dean Boxall (2:10.37)
3rd Hannah Fredericks, St Peters Western ASC Inc, coached by Dean Boxall (2:10.84)
5th Layla Day, Bond SC, coached by Chris Mooney (2:13.95)
7th Zoe Ammundsen, Iona SC Inc, coached by Zane King (2:16.52)
Men 200m Medley
1st Thomas Neill, Rackley Swim Team Inc, coached by Damien Jones (1:57.74) QT
2nd Brendon Smith, Griffith University SC, coached by Michael Bohl (1:58.84)
Women 200m Butterfly
1st Elizabeth Dekkers, Chandler SC Inc, coached by Vince Raleigh (2:05.26) QT
2nd Abbey Connor, USC Spartans SC Inc, coached by Mick Palfrey (2:07.61) QT
3rd Brianna Throssell, St Peters Western ASC Inc, coached by Dean Boxall (2:07.68)
6th Laura Taylor, Chandler SC Inc, coached by Vince Raleigh (2:11.62)
Men 100m Freestyle
2nd Flynn Southam, Bond SC, coached by Chris Mooney (47.77) QT
3rd Jack Cartwright, St Peters Western ASC Inc, coached by Dean Boxall (48.50)
4th Kai Taylor, St Peters Western ASC Inc, coached by Dean Boxall (48.60)
6th Dylan Andrea, Chandler SC Inc, coached by David Proud (48.94)
Cody Simpson, Griffith University SC, coached by Michael Bohl (49.11)
Alexander Graham, Miami SC Inc, coached by Richard Scarce (49.40)
Women 50m Breaststroke
1st Abbey Harkin, St Peters Western ASC Inc, coached by Dean Boxall (31.14)
3rd Mikayla Smith, Griffith University SC, coached by Michael Bohl (31.26)
4th Mia O'Leary, Bond SC, coached by Chris Mooney (31.54)
5th Tilly King, Bond SC, coached by Chris Mooney (31.71)
Men 50m Backstroke
1st Isaac Cooper, St Andrew's SC, coached by Ash Delaney (24.56)
2nd James Bayliss, Chandler SC Inc, coached by David Proud (25.32)
3rd Lewis Blackburn, St Andrew's SC, coached by Ash Delaney (25.38)
4th Fergus Mclachlan, Bond SC, coached by Chris Mooney (25.94)
5th Kai Van Kool, Griffith University SC, coached by Michael Bohl (25.95)
6th Ryder Lambert, Southport Olympic SC Inc, coached by Glenn Baker (26.04)
7th Peter Mills, Ambrose Treacy College SC, coached by Paul Jones (26.26)
8th Ty Hartwell, Chandler SC Inc, coached by Vince Raleigh (26.42)
Women 800m Freestyle
1st Ariarne Titmus, St Peters Western ASC Inc, coached by Dean Boxall (8:15.88) QT
2nd Lani Pallister, Griffith University SC, coached by Michael Bohl (8:20.56) QT
3rd Kiah Melverton, St Peters Western ASC Inc, coached by Dean Boxall (8:26.65)
4th Amelia Weber, St Peters Western ASC Inc, coached by Richard Sleight (8:39.81)
5th Tiana Kritzinger, Rackley Swim Team Inc, coached by Damien Jones (8:41.32)
6th Georgie Roper, Miami SC Inc, coached by Richard Scarce (8:44.12)
7th Hannah Allen, Iona SC Inc, coached by Zane King (8:53.41)
8th Taryn Roberts, Rocky City ASC Inc, coached by Shane Kingston (8:55.78)
Photo credit: Delly Carr, Swimming Australia
