Kaylee McKeown Surfaces Again In Sydney – This Time In 58.14 Seconds in The 100m Backstroke Heats
The Kaylee McKeown train rolled on in Sydney tonight with the in-form Queensland teenager swimming her second world ranked number one time for 2021 – this time in the heats of the 100m backstroke at the Sydney Open – and a day to remember.
The brilliant 19-year-old clocked 58.14 – for the seventh fastest time in history and just 0.21 outside her own Commonwealth and Australian record of 53.93 and the second fastest time in history– set at the Queensland State Championships last December.
And it comes just hours after her world number one ranked, Commonwealth and Australian record time of 2:04.31 to win the 200m backstroke final on the second day of competition at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.
REACHING FOR THE STARS: Kaylee McKeown in career best form leading into the Olympic Trials. Photo Courtesy:Delly Carr (SOPAC)
Coming into the meet McKeown was ranked second in the world for 2021 on 58.42 behind British girl Kathleen Dawson’s 58.24 but with the Australian Tokyo Trials now just a month way, McKeown has shown she really means business, backing up for her third session of world class times.
And after one swim McKeown has lodged her third fastest time – giving her three of the top seven fastest times in history.
World record holder Regan Smith leads the ranking on 57.57, followed by McKeown (57.93), USA’s Katheen Baker (58.00), Canada’s Kyle Masse (58.10), McKeown (58.11), Great Britain’s Gemma Spofforth (58.12) and McKeown’s (58.14).
All eyes will be on the Chris Mooney-coached McKeown from USC Spartans when she lines up against fellow World Championship silver medallist Madi Wilson (Marion, SA) 59.77 and former world champion Emily Seebohm (Griffith University) 59.90 in Saturday’s morning final.
In other highlights of this second heats session:
HUG TIME: Emma McKeon gets a hug from Cate Campbell. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (SOPAC).
THIS morning’s impressive 100m freestyle winner Emma McKeon (Griffith University) in her world ranked No 1 time of time 52.29 which is worth repeating, rattled off two more impressive heat swims to top the qualifiers and cruising into the finals of the 100m butterfly (57.71) and the 50m freestyle (24.30) from Wilson (24.78), Holly Barratt (25.26) and Bronte Campbell (25.31) with Cate Campbell one of 28 withdrawals from the 17 heats.
WINNING WILSON: Matt Wilson now the fastest qualifier into the 100m breaststroke final. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
SOPAC’s Matthew Wilson backed up after his personal best time to win the 50m breaststroke in 27.74 to head the qualifiers into the 100m in 1:00.26 ahead of 200m rival Zac Stubblety-Cook (Chandler) 1:00.37 and Joshua Yong (Uni of WA) 1:01.11.
SOPAC’s Bradley Woodward (Western Sydney Uni/Mingara, NSW) the only swimmer under 1:58.00, clocking 1:57.39 to top the qualifiers into the 200m backstroke final but National champion Tristan Hollard (Southport Olympic) 2:02.27 in sixth was very much in cruise mode.
WA’s Rio relay silver medallist Tamsin Cook (Uni of WA), climbing another rung on her comeback trail, has clocked the fastest time in the heats of the 400m freestyle with her 4:06.48 from Maddy Gough (Bond University/TSS Aquatic) 4:07.92 and her training partner who out-touched Gough in last night’s 800m, Kiah Melverton (Griffith University/TSS Aquatic) 4:08.39 and her other training partner who was third in the 800m Moesha Johnson (TSSA Aquatic) 4:08.86
BOND’s Jenna Strauch (2:26.52) leads the qualifiers into the women’s 200m breaststroke final after her bronze medal swim in the 100m (1:07.40) ahead of 2012 London Olympian Tessa Wallace (USC Spartans) 2:27.22 and 2016 Olympian Taylor McKeown (Griffith Uni Swim Club) 2:29.11, with:
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP relay gold medallist Alexander Graham (Bond Uni) the only swimmer under 1:49.00 with his 1:48.62 ahead of WA’s Zac Incerti (UWA West Coast) 1:49.20, Cook Island 2016 Olympian Wesley Roberts (Federation Uni) 1:49.25 in a set of heats swum without Australian champion Kyle Chalmers after his win this morning in the 100m freestyle in 49.34 ahead of Incerti (49.62) and Matthew Temple (49.76).
Any news as to why cate campbell withdrew ? Is she sick or injured ?
A lot of withdrawals from tonight’s heats actually ..