Editorial content for the 2023 World Aquatics Championships is sponsored by FINIS, a longtime partner of Swimming World and leading innovator of suits, goggles and equipment. World Championships, Day 6 Prelims: Kaylee McKeown Bidding for Third Gold in 200 Back Kaylee McKeown has two backstroke gold medals already this week at the World Aquatics Championships. The quest for a third starts Friday morning. McKeown went 2:09.30 in prelims of the women’s 200 back Friday at the Marine Messe Hall in Fukuoka, the fifth seed for semifinals. Leading the way is Regan Smith, who blasted a 2:07.24 to post the fastest prelims times. Smith is looking to add to silvers in the 50 and 100 back plus 200 fly bronze in a fine meet for the American. McKeown is bidding to enter rarefied air. Only three swimmers in history (since the 50 strokes were added to the program at the 2001 Worlds) have won two golds and one other medal within the non-freestyle strokes: Rebecca Soni in 2011, Liesel Jones in 2007 and Luo Xuejuan in 2001. Only eight swimmers have ever medaled in all three distances in the same non-freestyle stroke at the same Worlds. McKeown won this event at the Tokyo Olympics in 2:04.68, with Kylie Masse second and Emily Seebohm third. Rhyan White was fourth by .22 seconds and Smith, the world record holder at the time, didn’t qualify at Trials, bested by White and Phoebe Bacon. McKeown won the 200 in Budapest last year, in 2:05.08, by outtouching Bacon by .04 and with White third. White won the first of three circle-seeded heats. She delivered the kind of swim you’d hope for from someone swimming in their first event on Day 6 of the meet, out in front and not entertaining any challenges. Second in the heat with Eszter Szabo-Felothy of Hungary. Rio Shirai slid from second to fifth in the final 50, the Japanese veteran barely scraping into the final in 13th. Smith pulled away in the final 100 in the penultimate heat, going 2:07.24. Katie Shanahan trailed her in 2:09.18, good for fourth overall, with Masse third. The Canadian, who is trying to buck the trend after having been fourth in both shorter races, was sixth overall in 2:09.31. Peng Xuwei of China won the final heat in 2:08.68. She’ll be the second seed in semifinals. Spain’s Africa Zamorano is eighth in 2:09.99. It took 2:011.94 from Katalin Burian of Hungary to make it back.
