Kaylee McKeown Unleashes A 2:07.19 The Seventh Fastest 200IM In History In Sydney Open Meet
Australia’s swimmer-of-the-moment Kaylee McKeown has continued her record-breaking run at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre – swimming her way into the World All-Time Top Ten for the 200m individual medley – clocking 2:07.19 to win the 2023 Sydney Open and UNISPORT Nationals tonight.
The swim comes just two months after setting the new world record in the 200m backstroke at the NSW State Championships and a month after her Australian All-Comers mark on the Gold Coast.
Kaylee McKeown. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming NSW)
Tonight the 21-year-old set new NSW and lowered her own Australian All-Comers record – taking almost a full second off her own National time of 2:08.16 – set at the Australian Championships.
It was just 0.16 outside Olympic gold medallist Stephanie Rice’s Australian record of 2:07.03 – a “super suit” mark established back in 2009 at the Rome World Championships and faster than the 2012 London Olympic time set by fellow Australian Alicia Coutts.
The time also rockets her to the seventh fastest All-Time and maintains her place at No 2 in the world behind Canadian wunderkind Summer McIntosh (2:06.84).
McKeown was out in the butterfly in 27.88; before a 31.95 backstroke leg and 37.03 breaststroke before an impressive final freestyle lap of 30.33.
McKeown admitted she was “honestly just going in for race practice” wasn’t expecting that time.
“But I’ll take that…it was nice (to turn and see the time),” McKeown said.
“Whether or not we are training hard I just get up behind the blocks and (carry out) my race plan which was a bit different to usual.
“I tried to switch on through that middle 100m and then tried to come home as hard as I could in the freestyle.
“If I try too hard early, I just end up burning my legs and it will be interesting (when we analyse it) to see how that race plan worked out and where it gets me.
“It’s what you have to do when you are at the top level racing swimmers like Regan Smith from the USA who is doing the exact same thing and my coach Michael Bohl reminds me constantly you can’t just stop because she is always swimming well and I have to have someone to chase all the time…it pushes me along…
“(These times) are not something I would be doing at this time of the year. I was training a lot harder last year than my races were showing so it’s kind of nice to have the confidence in the program and in my coach Michal Bohl now – I have been with the (Griffith University squad) for a year and it’s really paying off.”
ALL TIME TOP TEN WOMEN 200IM
2:06.12 Katinka Hosszu (HUN)
2:06.15 Ariana Kukors (USA)
2:06.88 Siobhan-Marie O’Connor (GBR)
2:06.89 Summer McIntosh (CAN)
2:07.03 Stephanie Rice (AUS)
2:07.13 Alex Walsh (USA)
2:07.19 Kaylee McKeown (AUS)
2:07.57 Shiwen Ye (CHN)
2:07.91 Yui Ohashi (JPN)
2:08.15 Alicia Coutts (AUS)
In other eye-catching swims:
Meg Harris (R). Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming NSW)
Tokyo Olympic 4x100m freestyle relay gold medallist Meg Harris (Marion, SA) unleashed a personal best time of 24.29 – taking 0.04 off her previous bet of 24.32 set at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games last year – a time under the Australian World Championship qualifying time of 245.70.
The 21-year-old, who is trained by Peter Bishop in Adelaide tipped out training partner Madi Wilson (24.62) – also under the QT and Bond Uni’s Milla Jansen (25.32).
Wilson started her opening night in fine fashion, winning the 50m backstroke from visiting Norwegian swimmer Ingelborg Vassbakk Loeyning (28.60) with Cassie Wild (Bond University, QLD) 28.82 clocking the third fastest time of the finals.
And for the second time in one day, triple Olympian Cameron McEvoy (Somerville House, QLD) cracked the 22 second barrier, stopping the clock at an equally impressive 21.84, after his 21.85 heat time – his final time just 0.01 outside the Australian World Championship qualifying time of 21.83.
Meanwhile New Zealand record holder Erika Fairweather (Neptune, NZ), coached by Lars Humer, led from start to finish to record another impressive time of 4:02.20 (58.44; 2:00.16; 3:02.00), her second fastest time of the season.
It followed Fairweather’s impressive National record of 4:00.62, the sixth fastest time in history, set last month in the NZ Nationals.
Fairweather has impressed key Australian coaches with her untapped ability and has also emerged as part of what has already been tipped as the “Race of the Century” at next year’s Paris Olympics.
Lani Pallister (L) and Erika Fairweather. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming NSW)
The 2023 Australian silver medallist Lani Pallister (Griffith University SC, QLD) tried desperately to hang on to the Kiwi, touching second in 4:04.88, improving on her time when she finished second to Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus on the Gold Coast last month. Carlile coached Tokyo Olympian Madeleine Gough (Bond University, QLD0 finished third overall and was crowned the National University champion in 4:09.53.
While Commonwealth Games and reigning National champion Elizabeth Dekkers (UQ, QLD) 2:08.33 (1:02.50) led all the way to win the Sydney Open/Australian University Championship double, ahead of Kayla Hardy (University of Canberra, ACT) 2:11.89 and Laura Taylor (Bond University, QLD) 2:12.00.
Tokyo 400IM bronze medallist Brendon Smith (Griffith University SC) went 3:50.28 and staged a powerful final 25m and out-touched 2016 Olympic champion and training partner Mack Horton 3:50.36 with Australian Age 100 and 200m freestyle champion Flynn Southam (Bond University, QLD) third home in 3:52.07. Southam was also crowned the Australian University champion.
Commonwealth Games representative Josh Edwards-Smith (Griffith University SC, QLD) 1:57.09 turned the tables on National champion Bradley Woodward (Western Sydney University, NSW) 1:57.42 who won the Australian University title, ahead of Chandler-coached Ty Hartwell (QUT, QLD) 1:58.92.
And Australian champion and Tokyo Olympian Matthew Temple (Marion, SA) 51.50 maintained his dominance in the 100m butterfly following his National title win in 51.49 on the Gold Coast last month with Australian Age star Ben Armbruster (Bond University, QLD) 52.74 second home and taking the University champion ahead of Cody Simpson (Griffith University, QLD) 52.92.
Sydney Open and UNISPORT Nationals, SOPAC, Day One Finals:
Women
50m freestyle
- Meg Harris (Marion, SA) 24.29
- Madison Wilson (Marion, SA) 24.62
- Milla Jansen (Bond University, QLD) 25.32
Mia O’Leary (Bond University, NSW) 25.50 *
400m Freestyle
- Erika Fairweather (Neptune, NZ) 4:02.20
- Lani Pallister (Griffith University SC, QLD) 4:04.88
- Madeleine Gough (Bond University, QLD) 4:09.53 *
50m Backstroke
- Madison Wilson (Marion, SA) 28.14
- Ingelborg Vassbakk Loeyning (Norway) 28.60
- Cassie Wild Bond University, QLD) 28.82
Olivia Lefoe (Monash University, VIC) 29.00 *
Madison Wilson. Photo Courtesy:Delly Carr (Swimming NSW)
200m breaststroke
- Mikayla Smith (Griffith University SC) 2:29.39
- Zoe Deacon (University of Melbourne, VIC) 2:29.53 *
- Emily Nobbs (University of Canberra) 2:30.01
200m butterfly
- Elizabeth Dekkers (UQ, QLD) 2:08.33 *
- Kayla Hardy (University of Canberra, ACT) 2:11.89
- Laura Taylor (Bond University, QLD) 2:12.00
Lizzy Dekkers (R) and Laura TaylorPhoto Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming NSW)
200m individual medley
- Kaylee McKeown (Griffith University, QLD) 2:07.19 (NSW, Australian All-Comers Record)
- Ella Ramsay (Chandler, QLD) 2:14.15
- Kayla Hardy (University of Canberra) 2:15.05
Multi Class
200m freestyle
- Madeleine McTernan (All Saints, QLD) 2:16.83
- Lakeisha Patterson (UQ, QLD) 2:22.14 *
- Paige Leonhardt (USC Spartans, QLD) 2:21.35
200 IM
- Taylor Corry Kincumber Pacific Dolphins, NSW) 1:09.22
- Paige Leonhardt ((SC Spartans, QLD)
- Jasmine Greenwood (University of Canberra, ACT) 1:09.52
Men
50m freestyle
- Cameron McEvoy (Somerville House, QLD) 21.84
- Thomas Nowakowski (Somerset, QLD) 22.23
- Flynn Southam (Bond University, QLD) 22.34 *
Cameron McEvoy. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming NSW)
400m freestyle
- Brendon Smith (Griffith University SC) 3:50.28
- Mack Horton (Griffith University SC) 3:50.36
- Flynn Southam (Bond University, QLD) 3:52.07 *
Brendon Smith. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming NSW)
200m backstroke
- Josh Edwards-Smith (Griffith University SC, QLD) 1:57.09
- Bradley Woodward (Western Sydney University, NSW) 1:57.42 *
- Ty Hartwell (QUT, QLD) 1:58.92
Josh Edwards-Smith Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming NSW)
100m breaststroke
- Joshua Collett (Bond University, QLD) 1:01.46
- Bailey Lello (Chandler, QLD) 1:01.49
- Samuel Williamson (University of Melbourne, VIC) 1:01.67 *
100m butterfly
- Matthew Temple (Marion, SA) 51.50
- Ben Armbruster (Bond University, QLD) 52.74 *
- Cody Simpson (Griffith University, QLD) 52.92
Matthew Temple.Photo Courtesy:Delly Carr (Swimming NSW)
200m individual medley
- William Petric (Nunawading, VIC) 2:00.35
- Se-Bom Lee (UTS, NSW) 2:00.45 *
- Thomas Hauck (All Saints, QLD) 2:02.74
Multi Class
200m freestyle
- Jack Ireland (UQ Swim Club, QKLD) 1:57.04
- Liam Schluter (USC Spartans, QLD) 1:59.85
- Timothy Hodge (Western Sydney University, NSW) 2:02.63 *
100m butterfly
- Col Pearse (Nunawading, VIC) 58.47
- Alex Saffy (Bunbury, WA) 58.75
- William Martin (Chandler, QLD) 1:00.22
*Australian University Champion