Kaylee McKeown Sizzles 2:05.83 in a world class 200m backstroke Down Under
![Kaylee-McKeown](https://vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/GWANGJU-Kaylee-McKeown-reaction--1024x683.jpg)
“Anything you can do I can do too…” was the message from Australian Olympic hopeful Kaylee McKeown to US world record holder Regan Smith from Down Under tonight.
![GWANGJU.Kaylee McKeown reaction](https://vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/GWANGJU.Kaylee-McKeown-reaction--700x500.jpg)
Exciting times ahead for Kaylee McKeown Photo Courtesy: Swimming Australia (Delly Carr).
McKeown fired off her second world class time in two nights in Adelaide – this time taking her to the top of the 2020 world rankings in the 200m backstroke, ahead of Smith.
The Chris Mooney-coached McKeown produced the performance of the night at the South Australian State Championships, with a sizzling 2:05.83 (29.78; 32.28; 32.13; 31.64) at the SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre – a touch faster than Smith’s equally impressive 2:05.94 swum at the TYR Pro Series in Knoxville yesterday – with both girls in full training.
The time rocketed the 18-year-old World Championship silver medallist from the USC Spartans on the Queensland Sunshine Coast to the seventh fastest performer in history – and past Katinka Hosszu and Kylie Masse.
Smith, who holds the world record with her extraordinary time of 2:03.35 to beat Kaylee McKeown at last year’s World Championships, tops the All-Time Performers, followed by Missy Franklin (USA) 2:04.06; Kirsty Coventry (ZIM) 2:04.81; Anastasia Fesikova (RUS) 2:04.94; Emily Seebohm (AUS) 2:05.68; Margherita Panziera (ITA) 2:05.72; Kaylee McKeown (AUS) 2:05.83; Hosszu (HUN) 2:05.85 and Masse (CAN) 2:05.94.
McKeown knocks her fellow countrywoman and now the third fastest Australian Belinda Hocking (2:06.06) out of the Top Ten.
Her 200m backstroke time was 0.15secs faster than Masse’s Australian All-Comers record of 2:05.98 – swum when she won the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast last year.
It was also Kaylee McKeown’s second Australian All-Comers record in two swims and followed her 58.52 in the 100m backstroke the previous night – the two fastest backstroke times ever swum in Australia.
Olympic 100m freestyle champion Kyle Chalmers (Marion) also continued his impressive form adding the 400m freestyle in 3:53.66 and the 50m butterfly in 23.84, a new South Australian record time while Mikkayla Sheridan (USC Spartans) won the women’s 400m freestyle in 4:12.12.