Australian Championships, Day 2: Kaylee McKeown’s Stunning 4:28.22 For The Third Fastest 400IM In History – But It’s ‘No’ For Paris

Kaylee McKeown smile W200BK Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming NSW)

JUST FOR THE RECORD: Kaylee McKeown now the third fastest 400IMer in history. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)

Australian Championships, Day 2: The Unstoppable Kaylee McKeown’s 4:28.22 – The Third Fastest 400IM In History – But It’s “No” For Paris

An unstoppable Kaylee McKeown has tonight swum the third fastest 400IM in history – blasting out a time of 4:28.22 to set her second National record in two days on the second night of finals at the 2024 Australian Championships on the Gold Coast.

And in in McKeown’s absence, Mollie O’Callaghan clocked the seventh fastest time ever – clocking 58.09 to win the 100m backstroke. World Championship silver medallist Lizzy Dekkers set a new Australian All-Comers record of 2:05.20 from dual Olympian Brianna Throssell (2:06.98) and young gun Abbey Connor(2:07.20).

While in a thrilling 50m freestyle, nothing separated Meg Harris, and Shayna Jack dead-heating in 24.28 with Olympic champion Emma McKeon third in 24.46 and Comm0nwealth record holder and four-time Olympian Cate Campbell fourth in 24.79.

ON THE FLY: Kaylee McKeown confirms her status as world class IMer. Photo Courtesy: Wade Brennan Photography.

But it was backstroking queen, McKeown (Griffith University, QLD) who started night two in the same record-breaking fashion as she started on night one – and unleashing her remarkable versatility as one of the world’s best ever IMers.

But unlike her declaration last night -when she confirmed after winning the 200IM that it was certainly on the Paris Olympic radar – tonight, the 22-year-old made it quite clear that the 400IM was definitely not.

Only Canada’s two-time 400IM world champion and current world record holder Summer McIntosh (4:25.87) and former world record holder, Hungary’s Rio Olympic gold medallist Katinka Hosszu (4:26.36) have ever swum faster.

Here are her splits: butterfly 1:06.8; backstroke 1:08.31; (2:09.99) breaststroke 1:16.17 (3:26.16) and freestyle 1:02.06 for her 4:28.22.

McKeown’s time broke the second of 2008 dual Olympic champion Stephanie Rice’s Australian records – taking 1.23 off Rice’s winning Beijing time of 4:31.74, with Ella Ramsay (Chandler, QLD, Coach Vince Raleigh) swimming her own personal best of 4:36.94 for silver – taking 2.57 secs off her best, making her the seventh fastest Australian ever – making her a serious contender of Paris.

Australian Champs, Day 1 Finals: Kaylee McKeown Scorches to 200IM Australian Record In 2:06.99 And A Certain Starter For Paris

With 2023 World’s bronze medallist Jenna Forrester (St Peters Western, QLD; coach Dean Boxall) also taking bronze tonight in 4:47.18.

And what a coaching feat for Olympic gold medal coach at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre Hub, Michael Bohl – who coached Rice in 2008 and has coached McKeown since she returned from Tokyo.

But McKeown was quick to pour cold water on any suggestion she would race the 400IM in Paris, declaring her “love hate relationship” with one of the toughest races on the swimming program with a definite “No!”

“As I said last night, it’s great to challenge myself and great to get it done….but I’ve done it….that’s me,” said McKeown, as she actually appeared to politely wash her hands of it.

And McKeown’s decision to race the one off 400IM meant she didn’t race the 100m backstroke – leaving that to her good friend – two-time 100m freestyle world champion and world record holder Mollie O’Callaghan (St Peters Western, QLD Coach Dean Boxall) , who produced a world class personal best time of 58.09 – which would have won her this year’s World Championship in Doha.

WHILE THE CAT’S AWAY: Mollie O’Callaghan wins the 100m backstroke with Olympic champion Kaylee McKeown cheering from the sidelines. Photo Courtesy Wade Brennan Photography.

For O’Callaghan she produced all her skill and power to add the 100m backstroke Australian title, to her 100m championship win from last night, in the seventh fastest time in history.

Admitting she “doesn’t hardly train backstroke.”

“I would have liked to go 57 but I’ll take the 58.09….and I definitely want to swim the backstroke at Trials. Although I’ll make a decision at the last minute,” said O’Callaghan.

“It’s a fun event for me and it just takes the pressure off and I like to have some fun with it.”

World junior champion and Doha silver medallist Iona Anderson (Breakers, WA, Coach Ben Higson) 59.53 taking the silver again with Hannah Fredericks (St Peters Western, QLD, Coach Dean Boxall) the bronze in her personal best time of 59.69 – making her the 10^th fastest all- Australian.

In other events: Olympic champion Zac Stubblety-Cook (Chandler, QLD) 2:07.50 waited until the last stroke, coming from behind to beat Japan’s (2:07.62) with WA’s Joshua Yong (UWA West Coast, WA) in a personal best of 2:08.54 third with Bailey Lello (Chandler, QLD) also clocking a pb for fourth in 2:10.95.

With the men’s 200m freestyle seeing Flynn Southam (Bond, QLD) add the open title not his Age title of last week, in 1:46.11 from last night’s 400 freestyle winner Elijah Winnington (St Peters Western, QLD) 1:46.56 with Tommy Neill (Rackley, QLD) third min 1:46.60.

While Jenna Strauch (Miami, QLD) added the 100m breaststroke to her win last night in the 50m breaststroke, clocking 1:07.37 from Abbey Harkin (St Peters Western, QLD) 1:07.71 and Matilda Smith (Miami, QLD) third in 1:07.83.

EVENT LINKS:

SWIMMING AUSTRALIA EVENT PAGE

2024 AUSTRALIAN OPEN AND MC RESULTS

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