NSW State Champs, Day 3: Kaylee McKeown Nudges Own 50 Backstroke World Record with Sizzling 27.06 in Prelims
The amazing feats of the unstoppable Kaylee McKeown have continued in Sydney today with the four-time Olympic champion nudging her own world record for 50 metres backstroke – clocking 27.06 in the preliminaries of the NSW State Championships.
The time was just 0.20secs outside her own world record of 26.86 set at the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka and needless to say McKeown didn’t back up for the final – job done!
And it stands as the fastest time in the world this year, as does her earlier winning times over the previous two days at this meet – her 200m backstroke time of 2:04.57 and her 100m backstroke time of 57.73 – all on two weeks and nine sessions of full training.
McKeown now owns six of the fastest 50m backstroke times of all-time.
List of Women’s Top 10 Times, 50m backstroke:
26.86 Kaylee McKeown (AUS)
26.98 Xing Liu (CHN)
26.98 Kaylee McKeown (AUS)
27.02 Kaylee McKeown (AUS)
27.06 Jing Zhao (CHN)
27.06 Kaylee McKeown (AUS)
27.07 Kaylee McKeown (AUS)
27.08 Kaylee McKeown (AUS)
27.10 Regan Smith (USA)
27.10 Kira Toussaint (CAN)
Meanwhile a new male backstroking find in the shape of Victorian Country 16-year-old, Henry Allan from Bendigo East and coached by John Jordan continues to rise.
The talented teenager winning the 100m backstroke title in impressive style and breaking his own Australian 16 Years record into the bargain with his time of 54.23 (26.26).
A time faster than Olympians Isaac Cooper (55.07) and Andrew Lauterstein (55.44) had swum at the same age.
Henry had earlier in the week smashed his own Australian 16 Years record not once but twice in one day, lowering it to 25.00 in the final where he beat Paris Olympians Zac Incerti and Bradley Woodward.
And in the 100m backstroke final Allan left Enoch Robb (Griffith, QLD) 55.21 and Joshua Edwards-Smith (Griffith University, QLD) 55.38 in his wake.
Allan and coach Jordan have recently spent time working with Olympic gold medal coach Craig Jackson in the Melbourne Vic Centre program at MSAC.
Meanwhile Jackson’s night two-star Tara Kinder (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) added her fourth title of the meet, unleashing withering breaststroke and freestyle legs to win the 200IM in a new personal best time of 2:11.39 (29.23; 34.47; 36.55; 31.14) – the ninth fastest time by Australian.
Adding to her successes in the 200m breaststroke (2:23.84), the 100m breaststroke (1:07.42) and the 400m IM (4:42.59) – all personal best times in what has been a breakthrough meet for the 21-year-old, who took 14 months off in 2022 and 2023 – returning with a new leash of life.
Another swimmer in tip top form has been consistent South Australian 24-year-old Brittany Castelluzzo from Tea Tree Gully – adding the tough 200m butterfly (2:07.37) and 200m freestyle (1:58.87) double – just 20 minutes apart.
Castelluzzo had earlier in the meet won the 100m freestyle in 54.68 and finished second over 800m in 8:55.41.
FULL RESULTS:
2025 NSW State Swimming Championships, Days 1,2,3 (March 21, 22, 23) FINALS:
MEN
Freestyle:
50m:
- Thomas Nowakowski (USC Spartans, QLD) 22.27
- Will Yang (Sydney University, NSW) 22.53
- Ollie Moclair (Cranbrook Aquatics, NSW) 22.92
100m:
- Will Yang (Sydney University, NSW) 48.93
- Marcus Da Silva (Cranbrook, NSW) 49.49
- Thomas Nowakowski (USC Spartans, QLD) 49.73
200m:
- Marcus Da Silva (Cranbrook, NSW) 1:49.62
- Gabriel Gorgas (Manly, NSW) 1:49.76
- Zachary Tabuai (USC Spartans, QLD) 1:50.80
400m:
- Lachlan Walker (TSS Aquatic, QLD) 3:54.18
- Matthew Galea (Sydney Olympic Swim Club, NSW) 3:54.58
- Tommy Lane (Cheltenham, VIC) 3:56.28
800m:
- Tommy Lane (Cheltenham, VIC) 8:08.09
- Lachlan Walker (TSS Aquatic, QLD) 8:08.11
- Luke Higgs (Warringah, NSW) 8:11.96
1500m:
- James Smith (Darwin, NT) 15:34.87
- Tommy Lane (Cheltenham, VIC) 15:36.81
- Luke Higgs (Warringah, NSW) 15.42.06
Backstroke:
50m:
- Henry Allan (Bendigo East, VIC) 25.00 (Aust. Age 16 Years Rec)
- Zac Incerti (USC Spartans, QLD) 25.64
- Bradley Woodward (Mingara, NSW) 25.91
100m:
- Henry Allan (East Bendigo, VIC) 54.23 (Aust. Age 16 Years Rec)
- Enoch Robb (Griffith, QLD) 55 .21
- Joshua Edwards-Smith (Griffith University, QLD) 55.38
200m:
- Josh Edwards-Smith (Griffith University, QLD) 1:58.86
- Stuart Swinburn (City of Sydney, NSW) 1:59.03
- Enoch Robb (Griffith, QLD) 2:00.08
Breaststroke:
50m:
- Sam Williamson (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) 26.82
- Lukas Matzerath (Germany) 27.10
- Nash Wilkes (Griffith University, QLD) 27.92
100m:
- Lukas Matzerath (Germany) 1:00.07
- Sam Williamson (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) 1:00.89
- Nash Wilkes (Griffith University, QLD) 1:01.42
200m:
- Lukas Matzerath (Germany) 2:13.42
- Harrison Biddell (Marion, SA) 2:17.49
- Callum Thomas (The Hills, NSW) 2:19.63
Butterfly:
50m:
- Matt Temple (Marion, SA) 23.92
- Alex Quach (SOPAC, NSW) 24.13
- Joseph Hamson (Knox Pymble, NSW) 24.43
100m:
- Matt Temple (Marion, SA) 74
- Alex Quach (SOPAC, NSW) 96
- Enoch Robb (Griffith, QLD) 53.71
200m:
- Caleb Dryer (Carlile, NSW) 2:02.47
- Daniel Boshart (Highlanders, WA) 2:02.90
- Joseph Hamson (Knox Pymble, NSW) 2:03.97
Individual Medley
200m:
- David Schlicht (MLC Aquatic, VIC) 2:01.73
- Se-Bom Lee (SOPAC, NSW) 2:02.34
- Gabriel Gorgas (Manly, NSW) 2:02.35
400m:
- Se-Bom Lee (SOPAC, NSW) 4:18.78
- Samuel Higgs (Warringah, NSW) 4:24.12
- Gabriel Gorgas (Manly, NSW) 4:24.72
MULTI-CLASS
Freestyle:
50m:
- Nicholas Layton (Caulfield Aquatics, VIC) 23.91
- Rowan Crothers (Marion, SA) 23.96
- Alexander Tuckfield (Aquablitz, Toongabbie, NSW) 24.70
100m:
- Rowan Crothers (Marion, SA) 23.96
- Alexander Tuckfield (Aquablitz, Toongabbie, NSW) 24.70
- Fernando Lu (Langley Olympians Swim Club, CAN) 54.98
200m:
- Jack Ireland (University of QLD) 1:57.41
- Declan Budd (Knox Pymble, NSW) 1:57.87
- Darren Sisman (SLC Aquadot, NSW) 1:59.43
400m:
- Timothy Hodge (Blacktown, NSW) 4:19.21
- Darren Sisman (SLC Aquadot, NSW) 4:12.94
- William Martin (USC Spartans, QLD) 4:36.61
Backstroke:
100m
- Benjamin Hance (USC Spartans, QLD) 57.07
- Timothy Hodge (Blacktown, NSW) 1:03.56
- Declan Budd (Knox Pymble, NSW) 1:03.16
Breaststroke
100m:
- Timothy Hodge (Blacktown, NSW) 1:13.23
- Beau Matthews (Aquablitz Toongabbie, NSW) 1:12.62
- Fernando Lu (Langley Olympians Swim Club, CAN) 1:13.13
Butterfly
100m:
- Timothy Hodge (Blacktown, NSW) 1:00.48
- Declan Budd (Knox Pymble, NSW) 58.23
- Col Pearse (Nunawading, VIC) 59.44
Individual Medley
200m
- Timothy Hodge (Blacktown, NSW) 2:14.42
- Ricky Betar (USC Spartans, QLD) 2:12.13
- Col Pearse (Nunawading, VIC) 2:19.24
WOMEN
Freestyle:
50m:
- Chloe Rowe-Hagans (St Andrews, QLD) 25.65
- Mackenzie Burns (St Andrews, QLD) 25.87
- Phoebe Bentley (Albury, NSW) 25.91
100m:
- Brittany Castelluzzo (Tea Tree Gully, SA) 54.68
- Alex Perkins (USC Spartans, QLD) 54.66
- Jaimie De Lutiis (Wests Illawarra, NSW) 55.10
200m:
- Brittany Castelluzzo (Tea Tree Gully, SA) 1:58.87
- Milana Tapper (Griffith, QLD) 1:59.58
- Molly Walker (Southern Performance, VIC) 2:00.91
400m:
- Molly Walker (Southern Performance, VIC) 4:15.13
- Dominique Melbourn (St Peters Western, QLD) 4:18.31
- Rafaela Kopellou (SOPAC, NSW) 4:128.90
800m:
- Molly Walker (Southern Performance, VIC) 8:44.46
- Brittany Castelluzzo (Tea Tree Gully, VIC) 8:55.41
- Tayla Martin (Carlile, NSW) 8:59.68
1500m:
- Tayla Martin (Carlile, NSW) 16:47.26
- Chloe Broderick (Cruiz, ACT) 16.51.34
- Charlotte Bowmer (Trinity, NSW) 17.21.57
Backstroke:
50m
- Alex Perkins (USC Spartans, QLD) 28.07
- Mackenzie Burns (St Andrews, QLD) 28.65
- Serma Olowoniyi (Nunawading, VIC) 28.87
100m:
- Kaylee McKeown (Griffith University, QLD) 57.73
- Bella Grant (Trinity, NSW) 1:00.66
- Louise Hansson (Sweden) 1:02.07
200m:
- Kaylee McKeown (Griffith University, QLD) 2:04.57
- Alannah Banks (Surrey Park, VIC) 2:15.41
- Abbey Kearney (Nunawading, VIC) 2:17.29
Breaststroke:
50m:
- Sienna Toohey (Albury, NSW) 31.06
- Mia O’Leary (Griffith University, QLD) 31.32
- Isabelle Rae (Albury, NSW) 31.83
100m:
- Tara Kinder (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) 1:07.42
- Sienna Toohey (Albury, NSW) 1:07.56
- Hayley Mackinder (Griffith University Swim Club, QLD) 1:09.30
200m:
- Tara Kinder (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) 2:23.84
- Sienna Toohey (Albury, NSW) 2:29.48
- Hayley Mackinder (Griffith University Swim Club, QLD) 2:31.88
Butterfly:
50m:
- Alex Perkins (USC Spartans, QLD) 25.72
- Louise Hansson (Sweden) 26.16
- Mackenzie Burns (St Andrews, QLD) 26.54
100m:
- Alex Perkins (USC Spartans, QLD) 57.32
- Louise Hansson (Sweden) 57.56
- Isabella Boyd (Trinity, NSW) 58.37
200m:
- Brittany Castelluzzo (Tea Tree Gully, SA) 2:07.37
- Jessica Cole (Wests Illawarra, NSW) 2:10.64
- Rafaela Kopellou (SOPAC, NSW) 2:13.15
Individual medley:
200m:
- Tara Kinder (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) 2:11.39
- Isabella Boyd (Nunawading, VIC) 2:13.39
- Kayla Hardy (Cruiz, ACT) 2:14.81
400m:
- Tara Kinder (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) 4:42.59
- Kayla Hardy (Cruiz, ACT) 4:46.35
- Rafaela Kopellou (SOPAC) 4:52.63
MULTI-CLASS
Freestyle
50m:
- Alexa Leary (Bond, QLD) 27.62
- Mia Hogan (Albury, NSW) 29.04
- Emily Beecroft (USC Spartans, QLD) 29.26
100m:
- Emily Beecroft (USC Spartans, QLD) 1:04.57
- Chloe Osborn (Blacktown, NSW) 1:13.79
- Lakeisha Patterson (USC Spartans, QLD) 1:06.44
200m:
- Madeleine McTerrnan (TSS Aquatic, QLD) 2:15.27
- Jade Lucy (SLC Aquadot, NSW) 2:18.13
- Lakeisha Patterson (USC Spartans, QLD) 2:20.74
400m:
- Lakeisha Patterson (USC Spartans, QLD) 4:49.01
- Hannah Price (Campbelltown, NSW) 4:51.79
- Chloe Osborn (Blacktown, NSW) 5:23.37
Backstroke
100m:
- Jasmine Greenwood (Woden Valley, ACT) 1:11.67
- Madeleine McTerrnan (TSS Aquatic, QLD) 1:10.55
- Hannah Price (Campbelltown, NSW) 1:14.44
Breaststroke:
- Stephanie Bruzzese (PLC Sydney, NSW) 1:22.32
- Amelie Springett-Kelly (City of Sydney, NSW) 1:43.13
- Alyssa Gillespie (Knox Pymble, NSW) 1:32.26
Butterfly:
100m:
- Kael Thompson (USC Spartans, QLD) 1:08.15
- Jasmine Greenwood (Woden Valley, ACT) 1:08.03
- Emily Beecroft (USC Spartans, QLD) 1:10.84
Individual Medley
- Jasmine Fulllgrabe (Marion, SA) 2:42.04
- Hannah Price (Campbelltown, NSW) 2:432.02
- Stephanie Bruzzese (PLC Sydney, NSW) 2:35.46