Sydney Sprints: Kaylee McKeown Nudges Her Own 200m Short Course Backstroke World Record Clocking 1:59.48
There is no stopping Kaylee McKeown who has again put the world on notice clocking the equal fifth fastest time in history in winning the women’s 200m backstroke on night two of the Sydney Sprints Australian Short Course Championship meet.
The Olympic, World and Commonwealth Games champion from Griffith University, QLD stopped the clock at 1:59.48 (58.75) only her second time under the two-minute barrier and just 0.54secs outside her own world record of 1:58.94 (58.59) set in December 2020.
SISTERS IN ARMS: A relieved Kaylee McKeown and Minna Atherton after the women’s 200m backstroke. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
The 21-year-old was under world record pace from the first 25m but slipped off the world record pace on the second lap and as hard as she pushed remained just outside those splits for the rest off the race finishing ahead off the USA’s Beata Nelson (2:02.73) and Minna Atherton (Bond) 2:03.62 – and also well under the qualifying time.
McKeown will now set herself for the World Short Course Championships in Melbourne in December for another crack at her world mark.
And she will be joined by her fellow Olympic champions Kyle Chalmers and Emma McKeon on the 32-strong Dolphins team also showed all of their class, gate-crashing their way onto the night two the winners.
McKeon nudging the 51 second barrier with her time of 51.03 (24.37) – touching ahead of Madi Wilson (Marion, SA) 51.40 Mollie O’Callaghan (St Peters Western, QLD) 51.50 and Meg Harris (Marion, SA) 52.91.
And again highlighting Australia’s depth in the premier freestyle event, with O’Callaghan – the world long course and Commonwealth champion missing an individual place for the World Short Course championships – with the Aussie girls gunning to finish 2022 with their third major title of the year – and a rare dual world championship in the one calendar year.
RESS ASSURED: Kyle Chalmers congratulates Justin Ress after an epic 100m freestyle. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
While world short course record holder Chalmers again pushed the boundaries with his 45.55 winning time in the 100m – the fastest time ever swum in Australia.
He added the title to his impressive 200m win on night one, ahead of the USA’s Justin Ress (46.57) and his Marion club mate Matt Temple (46.80) – also under the Australian qualifying time.
With fourth-placed William Yang fourth in 46.87 Australia will again have an opportunity to select a competitive 4x100m freestyle relay that won the Commonwealth Games in a Games Record time.
The B final saw Cody Simpson produce his personal best time of 47.07 – which would have seen him place fourth in the A final.
Simpson will line up in the 100m butterfly heats today,chasing a place on the Dolphins team for World Short Course.
In other events Newmarket Racers Commonwealth Games gold medallist Elizabeth Dekkers (2:05.65) came from behind to beat three-time champion Laura Taylor (Bond) 2:05.91 with both girls under the QT.
The men’s event saw visiting American Trenton Julian (1:50.71) lead from start to finish to score a comfortable win over dual Olympian David Morgan (Miami, QLD) 1:54.40 and Lucas Humeniuk (Chandler, QLD) 1:55.03.
Last night’s 100m breaststroke winner Chelsea Hodges (Southport, QLD) added the 50m crown in 29.99 while in the men’s event it was Sam Williamson (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) who for the second night in a row just missed an Australian record – clocking an Australian All-Comers mark off 26.27.
There were two cracking races in the men’s 200m backstroke and 400m individual medley events.
Commonwealth Games silver medallist Bradley Woodward (Mingara, NSW) dug deep to win the backstroke in the second fastest time by an Australian in 1:51.14 – holding off Ty Hartwell (Chandler, QLD) 1:51.28 and Stuart Swinburn (City of Sydney, NSW).
And Olympic bronze medallist Brendon Smith (Griffith University, QLD) grabbing a last stroke win in an exciting finish to the 400m IM clocking 4:01.11 with David Schlicht (MLC Aquatic, VIC) a touch behind in 4:01.44 – the second and third fastest times by an Australian with Olympian Se-Bom Lee (Carlile, NSW) 4:04.44 third.
Paralympic S14 rising star Jack Ireland (University of Queensland, QLD) twice broke the S14 class world record in the Men’s 50m Freestyle Multi-Class clocking 24.29 in the heats and lowering that mark to 23.85 in the final.
Commonwealth Games gold medallist Katja Dedekind (Yeronga Park, QLD, S13) – has followed up her Birmingham 50m freestyle world record with a second world mark clocking 1:03.59 in the 100m backstoke as did Pin Xiu Yip (Singapore, S2) in 2:20.57.
While Manly Swimming Club scored a memorable victory in the Mixed 4x50m Freestyle relay, led off by high profile new recruit, none other than triple Olympian Cam McEvoy who split a sizzling 21.59, before handing over to the club’ own emerging male star in 16-year-old Josh Kerr clocked 22.87; with 13-year-old Lille McPherson producing an eye-catching 25.74 third leg while 19-year-old Georgina Seton brought the team home in 25.55.
Day 2 Results
Sydney Sprints and Australian Short Course Championships, Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre
Women’s 200m Butterfly
Lizzy Dekkers (Newmarket Racer, QLD) – 2:05.65
Laura Taylor (Bond, QLD) – 2:05.91
Brittany Castelluzzo (Tea Tree Gully, VIC) – 2:06.46
Lizzy Dekkers – Photo Courtesy:Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
Men’s 200m Butterfly
Trenton Julian (USA) – 1:50.71
David Morgan (Miami, QLD) – 1:54.40
Lucas Humeniuk (Chandler, QLD) – 1:55.03
Trenton Julian – Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
Women’s 50m Freestyle Multi-Class
Alexa Leary (S9) (St Hildas, QLD) – 28.09
Yasmine-Bella Younes (S14) (Bankstown, NSW ) – 29.16
Kael Thompson (S14) (Sunshine Coast Grammar, QLD) – 29.33
Alexa Leary – Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
Men’s 50m Freestyle Multi-Class
Jack Ireland (S14) (University of Queensland, QLD) – 23.85 (World Record)
Dylan Logan (S15) (Geelong, QLD) – 24.09
Jarred Dyer (Wollongong, NSW ) – 25.69
Jack Ireland – Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
Women’s 50m Breaststroke
Chelsea Hodges (Southport, QLD) – 29.99
Talara-Jade Dixon (St Hildas WA) – 30.07
Jenna Strauch (Miami, QLD) – 30.55
Talara-Jade Dixon and Chelsea Hodges – Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
Men’s 50m Breaststroke
Sam Williamson (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) – 26.27
Grayson Bell (Somerset, QLD) – 26.45
James McKechnie (Starplex, SA) – 26.91
Sam Williamson – Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
Women’s 200m Backstroke
Kaylee McKeown (Griffith University, QLD) – 1:59.48
Beata Nelson (USA) – 2:02.73
Minna Atherton (Bond, QLD) – 2:03.62
Kaylee McKeown – Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
Men’s 200m Backstroke
Brad Woodward (Mingara, NSW) – 1:51.14
Ty Hartwell (Chandler, QLD) – 1:51.28
Stuart Swinburn (City of Sydney, NSW) – 1:52.29
Brad Woodward and Ty Hartwell – Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
Women’s 50m Breaststroke Multi-Class
Maddison Hinds (SB14) (Hornsby, NSW) – 38.91
Tegan Reder (SB11) (UWA West Coast, WA) – 43.23
Nicole Taylor (SB15) (Griffith, NSW) – 37.64
Men’s 50m Breaststroke Multi-Class
Oscar Stubbs (SB13) (SOPAC, NSW) – 33.23
Zhi Wei Wong (SB13) (Singapore) – 33.30
Samuel Gould (SB14) (Helensvale, QLD) – 32.89
Women’s 100m Freestyle
Emma McKeon (Griffith University, QLD) – 51.03
Madi Wilson (Marion, SA) – 51.40
Mollie O’Callaghan (St Peters Western, QLD) – 51.50
Emma McKeon – Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
Men’s 100m Freestyle
Kyle Chalmers (Marion, SA) – 45.55
Justin Ress (USA) – 46.57
Matt Temple (Marion, SA) – 46.80
Kyle Chalmers – Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
Women’s 100m Backstroke Multi-Class
Pin Xiu Yip (S2) (Singapore) – 2:20.57 (World Record)
Katja Dedekind (S13) (Yeronga Park, QLD) – 1:03.59 (World Record)
Hannah Price (S9) (Campbelltown, NSW) – 1:12.83
Katja Dedekind – Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).
Men’s 100m Backstroke Multi-Class
Ricky Betar (S14) (Cruiz, ACT) – 58.28
Joshua Alford (S14) (University of Queensland, QLD) – 1:04.64
Jarred Dyer (S14) (Wollongong, NSW) – 1:05.38
Women’s 400m Medley
Kayla Hardy (Cruiz, ACT) – 4:32.84
Emilie Muir (Griffith University, QLD) – 4:33.84
Jacinta Essam (Ginninderra, NSW) – 4:37.26
Kayla Hardy – Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
Men’s 400m Medley
Brendon Smith (Griffith University, QLD) – 4:01.11
David Schlicht (MLC Aquatic, VIC) – 4:01.44
David Johnston (USA) – 4:02.84
Brendon Smith – Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
Mixed 4x50m Freestyle Relay
Manly (Cam McEvoy 21.59, Josh Kerr 22.87, Lille McPherson 25.74, Georgina Seton 25.55) 1:35.75
Knox Pymble 1:36.30
University of QLD 1:37.56
Manly 4x50m Mixed Freestyle Relay: Lille McPherson, Cam McEvoy, Josh Kerr, Georgina Seton – Photo Courtesy: Manly Swimming Club