McKeown continues stunning form in NSW swim titles

| March 11, 2023

Kaylee McKeown, fresh from her 200m backstroke world record, has nudged her own 100m backstroke mark, clocking the fastest time this year.

The 21-year-old from the Gold Coast clocked a time of 57.84 seconds – just 0.39 outside her world record, set at the 2021 Olympic Trials in Adelaide, on night two of the 2023 NSW State Open Championships at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.

It was just 0.08 faster than US rival Regan Smith who clocked the previous best time for 2023 of 57.92 at the US Pro Series Meet in Fort Lauderdale last week.

McKeown flew down the first 50m in 28.2, just 0.17 outside her own world record split, before powering down the second lap in 29.57 to clock her fourth fastest time ever – her sixth time under 58 seconds.

It is the fastest time she has swum since her Tokyo assault in 2021 which saw her win gold in an Olympic record time of 57.47.

McKeown will finish off her NSW program on Sunday with the 200m individual medley – an event she and coach Michael Bohl are keeping in the mix as they prepare for this year’s World Championships and next year’s Paris Olympics.

Second home was World and Commonwealth 100m freestyle champion Mollie O’Callaghan in 59.41 – backing up after her third place finish to Ariarne Titmus in the women’s 400m freestyle.

Titmus led from start to finish to win in a respectable 4:01.94 – the fourth fastest time in the world this year behind American superstar Katie Ledecky (3:59.71).

The Tokyo star went through the 200m split in a comfortable 1:59.18 ahead of World Short Course champion Lani Pallister before swimming away over the back end, leaving Pallister in second place in 4:06.15 with O’Callaghan taking the bronze in 4:07.21.

Olympic bronze medallist in Tokyo, Emma McKeon clocked the second fastest time of the year of 57.07 to win the women’s 100m butterfly.

And the depth in Australia’s men’s 4x200m freestyle squad surfaced again with 17-year-old Commonwealth Games gold medallist Flynn Southam showing his maturity to bounce back from last night’s 100m freestyle when he split his swim suit before the final to claim the win in 1:47.08 from Elijah Winnington.

In the closing stages of the men’s 800m freestyle, 400m freestyle winner Winnington swam away from the field to win the title in 7:57.25 from Matthew Galea and Lachlan Walker.

Olympic and world championship silver medallist Jenna Strauch led all the way to add the 200m breaststroke in 2:25.68 to her 100m win.