Emma McKeon Wins Five at Victorian Open Championships

Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr / Swimming Australia Ltd.

This weekend’s Victorian Open Championships marked the first major competition of the year in Australia. Four-time Olympic medalist Emma McKeon was the star of the show in Melbourne, winning five events in six tries.

She won the 50 fly (26.67) and 100 free (54.88) on Friday before taking the 100 fly (58.41) and 50 free (25.66) Saturday. She attempted the 200s on the meet’s final day, when she finished first in the 200 fly (2:09.33) but ended up second in the event in which she won the Olympic bronze medal, posting a time of 1:59.84 in the 200 free.

It was a solid weekend all-around for the McKeon family as older brother and fellow Olympian David McKeon won the 400 free in 3:50.74.

Madison Wilson actually took down Emma McKeon in that 200 free, clocking an impressive time of 1:58.76. Earlier in the meet, she posted the first sub-1:00 100 back of the year with a time of 59.97. Wilson also won the 200 back in 2:09.33.

Matt Wilson swept the breaststroke events at the meet. He edged Olympian Jack Packard in the 50 breast, 28.11 to 28.12, and in the 100 breast, 1:00.54 to 1:00.98. Wilson then posted a quick 2:09.65 to win the 200 breast.

On the women’s side, Jessica Hansen won the 100 breast (1:08.03) and 50 breast (31.46), but she could not keep up with Taylor McKeown, who won the 200 breast in 2:26.05. Hansen finished second in that race in 2:29.46.

Josh Beaver won all three men’s backstroke events: the 50 (25.63), 100 (54.63) and 200 (1:59.89). Daniel Smith finished first in the 100 free (50.23) and then won the 200 free in 1:48.61, and Nicholas Brown picked up victories in the 200 fly (2:00.70) and 100 fly (53.93).

Mack Horton, the Olympic silver medalist in the men’s 400 free in Rio, opened up his year of racing with a third-place finish in the that event, finishing in 3:54.53, but he rebounded to win the 800 free in 8:01.75 and then the 1500 free a day later in 15:21.35.

On the meet’s final day, 15-year-old Kaylee McKeown had an impressive effort as she posted wins in back-to-back events: in the 200 IM in 2:14.82 and in the 50 back in a swift 28.35. McKeown also finished second behind Wilson in the 100 back in 1:00.87.

Live results from the meet are available here.

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