Kaylee McKeown just misses out on new 200m backstroke world record
Kaylee McKeown said she was just pleased to be performing well after narrowly missing another world record at Australia’s Olympic swimming trials.
McKeown was within 0.16 seconds of her own 200m backstroke world record in Brisbane on Thursday night, when Kyle Chalmers secured selection for a third Olympics by winning the men’s 100m freestyle.
Chalmers, who won gold at the 2016 Olympics and silver at the Tokyo Games of 2021, triumphed in 47.75 seconds ahead of William Yang (48.08).
McKeown clocked two minutes 03.30 seconds which was just short of her 200m backstroke benchmark of 2:03.14 set in March last year.
“No, it doesn’t bother me at all,” McKeown said.
“To be honest with you, I’m just happy to still be swimming around that time, not many people in the world are doing that at the moment.
“There is one that I can think of and she’s about to get up and race so I’m nervous to see what she does, but I’m excited for the battle that we have in Paris.”
McKeown was referring to American Regan Smith, who will race at the US Olympic trials next weekend.
Smith held the world record for four years before McKeown bettered it in 2023 at the NSW state championships.
McKeown’s near-miss follows another on Tuesday night when she snuck within eight-hundredths of a second of her 100m backstroke world record.
McKeown is also reigning Olympic champion in the 100m and 200m backstroke.
On Monday night, she set a Commonwealth record in winning the 200m individual medley, an event she is adding to her program for the Paris Olympics starting on July 26.
In her Thursday night final, McKeown was under world record pace until the last five metres.
She touched almost five seconds ahead of 17-year-old Jaclyn Barclay, who finished in 2:07.88 to secure a debut Olympic appearance.
Veteran Emily Seebohm (2:10.80) finished fifth and, after having a baby eight months ago, failed in her bid to become the first Australian swimmer to compete at five Olympics.
In the men’s 200m individual medley, William Petric triumphed in 1:57.54 with McKeown’s partner Brendan Smith second in 1:58.12.
Both were outside the automatic qualifying Olympic time set by Swimming Australia with their selection for Paris now resting with selector’s discretion.