Kaylee McKeown Protects Her Number One World Ranking Winning the 100m backstroke In 57.90 On Night Two of the Aussie Titles
World record holder Kaylee McKeown admitted she was hurting in the final stages before producing another world class 100m backstroke time of 57.90 to headline a host of slick swims on night two of the Australian Swimming Championships on the Gold Coast.
McKeown was out in 27.73 and home in 29.73 saying she “really felt the burn” over the 25 metres.
EYES WIDE SHUT: Kaylee McKeown and Mollie O’Callaghan. Photo Courtesy:Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
Coming off a tough training camp in Noumea and preparing for the World Championship Trials in Melbourne in June, the world’s number one backstroker didn’t have things all her own way.
Her ever present best friend Mollie O’Callaghan (St Peters Western, QLD) clocked a personal best time of 58.42 for second with Age group star Jaclyn Barclay (St Peters Western, QLD) taking bronze in 1:00.31.
McKeown’s time was only just outside her season best and the number one time in the world this year, her 57.84, swum at the NSW Championships last month – both times not far off her own world record of 57.45.
O’Callaghan, fresh from her last gasp 100m freestyle win over Shayna Jack on night one, becomes the third fastest Australian 100m backstroker behind McKeown and four-time Olympian Emily Seebohm.
There were some outstanding breakthrough swims, especially from Jenna Forrester (St Peters Western, QLD) in the 400m individual medley, Kai Taylor (St Peters Western, QLD) in the men’s 200m freestyle and Lizzy Dekkers (Chandler, QLD) in the 200m butterfly.
Forrester produced the best swim of her career with the 19-year-old Commonwealth Games finalist clocking a personal best of 4:35.05 – a time that ranks her third all-time Australian, bettered only by 2008 Olympic champion Stephanie Rice (4:29.45) and McKeown (4:31.74.
STROKED: Kai Taylor shows his style on the Gold Coast. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
It was 17-year-old Taylor, the youngest in the field, who showed toughness and maturity above his years who found something over the closing stages to win the battle of the teens in a real duel in the 200m freestyle.
Taylor led through the first 150 metres before another teenager, 19-year-old triple Commonwealth Games relay gold medallist from last year, Flynn Southam popped the question, edging slightly ahead with 25m to swim.
But Taylor, son of Australian swimming legend Hayley Lewis, herself a former 200m freestyle world record champion and sitting proudly in the grandtand, dug deep and showed he wasn’t done, coming home under the flags to out touch Southam by two-one-hundredths of a second 1:46.65 to 1:46.67.
World 400m champion Elijah Winnington (St Peters Western, QLD) was third in 1:47.24 – in a final that started without qualifiers, 400m winner Sam Short (Rackley Swim Team, QLD) who concentrated on the 1500m later in the night which he won in 14:5.90 and Olympic champion Kyle Chalmers (Marion, SA), who saved himself to spearhead the Marion team to victory in the 4x100m medley relay, splitting 48.09 in the freestyle anchor, while Olympic 4x200m relay bronze medallist Alex Graham (Miami, QLD) was disqualified for moving at the start.
While Commonwealth Games gold medallist Dekkers showed that she is well and truly on the move with a stunning personal best of 2:06.55 – making her the seventh fastest Australian in the 200m butterfly.
BUTTERFLY EFFECT: Lizzy Dekkers and Brianna Throssell on the fly. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
2023 Australian Swimming Championships, Day 2, FINALS:
WOMEN
50m freestyle Multi Class
- Katja Dedekind S13 (Yeronga Park, QLD) 27.71
- Jasmine Greenwood S10 (Cruiz, ACT) 28.58
- Rachael S4 (Chandler, QLD) 39.65
Katja Dedekind Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
100m breaststroke Multi Class
- Keira Stephens SB9 (Southport, QLD) 1:16.18
- Paige Leonhardt SB14 (USC Spartans, QLD) 1:18.53
- Ashley Van Rijswijk (Wagga Wagga, NSW) 1:20.34
Keira Stephens Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
100m backstroke Multi Class
- Katja Dedekind S13 (Yeronga Park, QLD) 1:07.44
- Holly Warn S7 (St Hilda’s Q:LD) 1:26.97
- Madeleine McTernan S14 (All Saints, QLD) 1:10.97
50m freestyle
- Shayna Jack (St Peters Western, QLD) 24.45
- Meg Harris (Marion, SA) 24.55
- Cate Campbell (Rackley Swim Team, QLD) 24.88
Meg Harris (L) and Shayna Jack Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
100m breaststroke
- Abbey Harkin (St Peters Western, QLD) 1:07.77
- Jenna Strauch (Miami, QLD) 1:08.16
- Talara-Jade Dixon (St Hilda’s WA) 1:08.60
200m butterfly
- Elizabeth Dekkers (Chandler, QLD) 2:06.55
- Brianna Throssell (St Peters Western, QLD) 2:07.08
- Emma McKeon (Griffith University, QLD) 2:09.40
Lizzy Dekkers Photo Courtesy:Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
400m individual medley
- Jenna Forrester (St Peters Western, QLD) 4:35.05
- Kiah Melverton (St Peters Western, QLD) 4:45.21
- Ella Ramsay (Chandler, QLD) 4:45.48
Jenna Forrester Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
100m backstroke
- Kaylee McKeown (Griffith University, QLD) 57.90
- Mollie O’Callaghan (St Peters Western, QLD) 58.42
- Jaclyn Barclay(St Peters Western, QLD) 1:00.31
Mollie O’Callaghan Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
MEN
50m freestyle Multi Class
- Tom Gallagher S10 (Somerset, QLD) 23.81
- Rowan Crothers S10 (Yeronga Park, QLD) 23.81
- Nicholas Layton (Propulsion, VIC) 23.85
Tom Gallager (centre) Photo Courtesy:Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
100m backstroke Multi Class
- Benjamin Hance S14 (St Andrews, QLD) 57.46
- Timothy Hodge SB8 (ACU Blacktown, NSW) 1:01.29
- Ricky Betar S14 (Cruiz, ACT) 1:01.62.
![Ben]jamin Hance 2 Dely Carr](https://vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Benjamin-Hance-2-Dely-Carr-700x500.jpg)
Benjamin Hance Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
100m breaststroke Multi Class
- Jake Michel SB14 (Carina Leagues, QLD) 1:05.47
- Timothy Hodge SB8 (ACU Blacktown, NSW) 1:12.37
- Riley Moore SB9 (Woy Woy, NSW) 1:12.22
200m freestyle
- Kai Taylor (St Peters Western, QLD) 1:46.65
- Flynn Southam (Bond, QLD) 1:46.67
- Elijah Winnington (St Peters Western, QLD) 1:47.14
200m breaststroke
- Zac Stubblety-Cook (Chandler, QLD) 2:09.03
- Matthew Wilson (SOPAC, NSW) 2:12.38
- Angus Menzies (Knox Pymble, NSW) 2:13.35
Zac Stubblety-Cook Photo Courtesy:Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
50m backstroke
- Ben Armbruster (Bond, QLD) 25.27
- Mark Nikolaev (BVond,QLD) 25.43
- Bradley Woodward (Mingara, NSW) 25.44
Ben Armbruster. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
1500m freestyle
- Sam Short (Rackley Swim Team, QLD) 14:58.90
- Matthew Galea (SOPAC, NSW) 15.10.22
- Nick Sloman (Noosa, QLD) 15:18.20
Sam Short Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
Any telecast?