There was no rest for swimming’s latest world record holder Kaylee McKeown on the second day of heats at the 2023 NSW State Open Championships in Sydney today with her eyes now focused on the 100m backstroke final tonight.
McKeown (Griffith University, QLD) arrived at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre early this morning for media commitments after her stunning 200m backstroke world record of 2:03.14 last night, before swimming a rare 100m butterfly heat in a personal best time of 1:01.63.
The 21-year-old then won her backstroke heat comfortably in 1:00.67 – and is the second fastest qualifier for tonight’s final with good friend and fellow world champion, Mollie O’Callaghan (St Peters Western, QLD) the fastest from today’s preliminaries in 1:00.34.
McKeown thrives on competition while in heavy work as many of her training partners and rivals continue to battle through the hard yards of their 70km training blocks.
The triple Olympic champion and reigning 100 and 200m Commonwealth and World Short Course champion holds the world record in the 100m long course at 57.45 (28.10/29.35) set at the 2021 Olympic Trials in Adelaide.
McKeown reflected on her world record swim saying it’s never expected.
“But touching the wall last night and seeing the time it was pretty unbelieveable. It hasn’t really sunk in and probably won’t and the swimming world never stops and it’s never going to stop,” said McKeown, admitting that the adrenalin rush she experienced before the race when it was brought forward 20 minutes “was a high and probably helped with her performance.”
And McKeown was full of praise for her US rival and former world record holder, Regan Smith.
“Regan is an unbelievable athlete and she swam that (world record) back in 2019 and she’s only got room for improvement,” said McKeown.
“The times she keeps producing are pretty nerve wracking but (the challenges) keep us in the sport and keeps us moving forward.
The world record doesn’t mean I stop working and stop putting the hard work in; it basically means I’m on the right pathway to the Olympics which is the end goal for me.
“The plan is to just train hard. The Olympics rolls around so fast and having the last Olympics postponed and having that experience I think I know how fast the preparation goes too.”
Other highlights tonight will come in the men’s 200m freestyle with Commonwealth Games young gun, Flynn Southam (Bond, QLD) the fastest qualifier – scoring an impressive heat win in 1:47.57 with plenty of competition either side of him in fellow teenager Kai Taylor (St Peters Western, QLD) 1:48.16 and Olympians Elijah Winnington (St Peters Western, QLD) 1:48.96 and Alex Graham (Miami, QLD) 1:49.05.
Taylor had a break through last night, finishing third in the 100m freestyle behind Kyle Chalmers (Marion, SA) and Will Yang (SOPAC, NSW) while world champion Winnington was impressive in winning the 400m freestyle.
The women’s 400m freestyle will feature Olympic champion and world record holder Ariarne Titmus (St Peters Western, QLD) who won last night’s 800m freestyle in 8:19.33.
Titmus clocked 4:11.54, the third fastest time, cruising through the heats behind SPW training partners O’Callaghan in 4:10.46 and Eve Thomas in 4:11.38 with World SC champion Lani Pallister (Griffith University, QLD) – second to Titmus over the 800m, fifth fastest in 4:12.68.
The women’s 50m freestyle features an all-star field of qualifiers led by Birmingham Commonwealth Games bronze medallist in this event Shayna Jack (St Peters Western, QLD) 24.65 ahead of Olympic champion Emma McKeon (Griffith University, QLD) in 24.90 followed by Marion, SA training partners Madi Wilson and Meg Harris both on 25.08 with16-year-olds Milla Jansen (Bond, QLD) and Olivia Wunsch (Carlile, NSW) on 25.29 and 25.50 respectively.
