Record-breaking performance by Kaylee McKeown at NSW State Championships, Night 2 Finals
Kaylee McKeown showcased her exceptional backstroking skills at the NSW State Championships in Sydney, narrowly missing out on breaking her own world record in the 100m backstroke final. The 22-year-old stopped the clock at 57.57, just 0.24 seconds short of her previous record.
This event was a part of McKeown’s continued world domination in backstroke swimming. She set the new world record in Budapest last October, recording the equal sixth-fastest time in history. Despite not breaking her own record this time, she still managed to match the time with her US rival Regan Smith.
McKeown’s remarkable performance compared to her previous records
In tonight’s final, McKeown started off strong with a split of 28.27 in the first lap, slightly slower than her previous split in Budapest. However, she finished strong with a second lap of 29.30, almost matching her record-breaking lap from last year.
It’s worth noting that McKeown’s Budapest world record of 57.33 had already shaved off 0.12 seconds from her previous record of 57.45 set during the Australian Trials before Tokyo 2020. She currently holds all the long course backstroke world records, including the 50m mark and the 200m record.
McKeown’s plans for the upcoming Olympic events
After her impressive performance, McKeown spoke about her plans for the future events, including the upcoming Olympics in Paris. She mentioned that while she won’t be adding the “grueling and painful” 400IM to her program, she will definitely include the 200IM alongside her defense of her 100m and 200m backstroke titles.
When asked about her ability to maintain top performances throughout the season, McKeown credited her consistent training and trust in her abilities. She emphasized the importance of pushing herself in every race and acknowledged the difficulty of finding improvements when already performing at a high level.
