Kaylee McKeown Agonizingly Close to Second WR in 50 Backstroke at Aussie Short Course Champs
World beating Australian backstroker Kaylee McKeown has gone within a whisker of her second world record in Adelaide tonight – missing by almost the barest of margins – swimming 0.15secs outside the 50m short course world mark.
Her time of 25.40, coming just 48 hours after her opening night world record in the 100m backstroke which set the Australian Short Course Championships alight at the SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre.
Missing the world mark in the 50m but setting a new Oceania and Australian record – the second fastest time in history – just 0.09 under Mollie O’Callaghan’s record of 25.49 set when the teenage Olympic sensation led off Australia’s world record-breaking 4x50m medley relay team at the 2022 World SC Championships in Melbourne.
CHARGING Kaylee McKeown. (Swimming Australia Image/David Mariuz)
And the time came 24 hours after McKeown withdrew from the 200m backstroke won by fellow Paris Olympian Iona Anderson -elevated to silver in the 50m final after former Australian champion Bronte Job was disqualified.
McKeown said the last time she had swum Short Course was in fact in 2022 at the World Championships in Melbourne.
“I haven’t been training a whole lot, so I didn’t have any expectation on myself, but I have really enjoyed this meet – I may pull up sore tomorrow though,” said McKeown, who is expected to be named on the 24-strong Australian Team for the 2024 World SCX Championships in Budapest in December.
The second world mark of the meet was also broken with Victoria’s two-time Paralympic medallist Ahmed Kelly who clocked 2:55.06, breaking the old mark – which was also his – by just 0.05 in the SM3 150m IM multi-class.
2024 Australian SC Championships – Night Three
Women’s 100m butterfly
- Alexandria Perkins (USC Spartans, QLD) 55.45 QT
- Lily Price (Rackley, QLD) 55.57 QT
- Bella Grant (Trinity Grammar, NSW) 56.59 QT
FLYING FISH: Alexandria Perkins. (Swimming Australia Image/David Mariuz)
Paris Olympian Alexandria Perkins scared the life out of the 2013 Australian record of 55.30 held by London Olympian Alicia Coutts – touching in 55.45 – to complete the 50 and 100m butterfly double and in a Budapest QT. Perkins swimming the fourth fastest time by an Australian behind Coutts, Emma McKeon and Felicity Galvez. Second and third placed Lily Price and Bella Grant also dipping under the QT. It has been a rewarding meet for Perkins, also finishing second in the 100m freestyle in a QT, showing fly-free versatility.
Men’s 100m butterfly
- Matt Temple (Marion, SA) 50.04 QT
- Jesse Coleman (Bond, QLD) 50.20 QT
- Alex Quach (SOPAC, NSW) 50.72
ARMS LENGTH: Matt Temple. (Swimming Australia Image/David Mariuz)
Although well off his best dual Olympian and Australian record holder Matt Temple did enough to swim under the QT for the World Championships with his 50.04 for a swimmer who has swum 48.62 (in a time trial in Adelaide in December 2023) that makes him the sixth fastest swimmer in history. Jesse Coleman was hot on Temple’s tail in a personal best and QT of 50.20 – making him the eighth fastest Australian.
Women’s 400m freestyle
- Lani Pallister (Griffith University, QLD) 3:56.27 QT
- Leah Neal (Rackley, QLD) 4:00.63 QT
- Jacqueline Davison-McGovern (St Peters Western, QLD) 4:06.90
WINNER WINNER: Lani Pallister.. (Swimming Australia Image/David Mariuz)
Defending World SC champion Lani Pallister again showed al her class that took her to the Paris Olympics, powering to an all-the way win in the 400m freestyle – adding to her win in the 200m and bronze medal over the 100m. Outside her best but her time of 3:56.27 and second placed Leah Neal (4:00.63) were well under qualifying . Pallister with the 800m to come on the final night getting back into the SC groove that saw her in the best form of her life in 2022.
Men’s 400m freestyle
- Alec Mander (South Shore, WA) 3:41.29
- Matt Galea (SOPAC, NSW) 3:41.33
- Lachlan Walker (Griffith University, QLD) 3:42.24
FINISHING TOUCH: Alec Mander. (Swimming Australia Image/David Mariuz)
Western Australian find Alec Mander is making a habit of saving his best till last and he did it again in the 400m, just like his 800m freestyle win, snatching the win on the wall after eight laps, denying luckless Matt Galea by just 0.04 after the brave New South Welshman had led for 399m. The boys just outside the QT but Mander did get under the 800m free QT.
Women’s 200m IM
- Tara Kinder (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) 2:06.07 QT
- Kayla Hardy (Cruiz, NSW) 2:08.99
- Jamie de Lutiis (Wests Illawarra, NSW) 2:09.45
OFF THE BLOCKS: Tara Kinder. (Swimming Australia Image/David Mariuz)
Tara Kinder dominating the back end through the breaststroke and freestyle to add the 200IM in an impressive 2:06.07, following her 400IM and 100m breaststroke wins – all three swims under the World’s QTs, emerging as one of the breakthrough swimmers of the meet, setting up her major Australian team debut. Kinder’s time only bettered by Olympic trio Kaylee McKeown (2:03.57), Emily Seebohm (2:05.46) and Alicia Coutts 2:05.63.
Men’s 200IM
- David Schlicht (MLC Aquatic, VIC) 1:54.11 QT
- Josh Collett (Bond, QLD) 1:54.66 QT
- Gabriel Gorgas (Manly, NSW) 1:55.79
MEDLEY DOUBLE: David Schlicht. (Swimming Australia Image/David Mariuz)
Victoria’s Arizona State University Sun Devil, David Schlicht has wrapped up an IM double -adding the 200IM to his night two win in the 400IM and in another World’s QT of 1:54.11 – just outside his best. The NCAA short course yards specialist pushed all the way through the breaststroke and freestyle legs by breaststroke specialist Josh Collett -who swam a pb and QT, his 1:54.66 making him the 10th fastest All-Time Australian. Schlicht and Tara Kinder wrapping up the men’s and women’s 200/400IM doubles to Victoria.
Women’s 50m backstroke
- Kaylee McKeown (Griffith University, QLD) 25.40
- Iona Anderson (Breakers, WA) 26.08
- Poppy Stephen (Nudgee, QLD) 27.08
GOLDEN ARCHWAY: Kaylee McKeown. (Swimming Australia Image/David Mariuz)
Kaylee McKeown has gone within 0.15 of Maggie MacNeil’s 2022 world short course record in the 50m backstroke in another dynamic display of backstroke swimming -setting a new Oceania and Australian record of 25.40 – the second fastest time in history -nudging 0.09 under Mollie O’Callaghan’s record of 25.49 set when the teenage Olympic sensation led off Australia’s world record-breaking 4x50m medley relay team at the 2022 World SC Championships in Melbourne.
Men’s 50m backstroke
- Lewis Blackburn (St Andrews, QLD) 23.58
- Thomas Henderson (Brisbane Grammar, QLD) 24.17
- Stuart Swinburn (City of Sydney, NSW) 24.24
Improving backstroker Lewis Blackburn has made the most of LC world champion and training partner Isaac Cooper – winning in a personal best time of 23.58 – moving from ninth to the fifth fastest Australian.
FOCUSED: Alexandria Perkins. (Swimming Australia Image/David Mariuz)