Aussie Olympic Hope Kaylee McKeown Back In Record Form As Olympic Bosses Quash Games Rumour Mill

RECORD RETURN: Rising Aussie star Kaylee McKeown back in record form in Adelaide. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).

Aussie Olympic Hope Kaylee McKeown Back In Record Form As Olympic Bosses Quash Games Rumour Mill

The discussion over the future of this year’s Tokyo Olympics certainly didn’t dampen Australia’s in form medal hope Kaylee McKeown who has continued where she left off last year – in career best form on night one of the 2021 South Australian State Open and MC Swimming Championships in Adelaide tonight.

NAILED IT: Rising Australian swim star Kaylee McKeown returns to the pool in best form at South Australian Championships. Photo Courtesy: Hanson Media.

The International Olympic Committee and the Australian Olympic Committee today scrambled to reassure it’s prospective 2021 Olympians that “The Games would go on” amidst stories breaking to the contrary.

But McKeown and her fellow prospective team members were front and centre in the first Australian Long Course meet of 2021, kick starting the Olympic year in style.

The new excitement machine of the Australian Dolphins wasted no time continuing where she left off in 2020 – in record breaking form, clocking two of the fastest times of her career – with the promise of more to come.

The 19-year-old Fina World Championship silver medallist over 200m backstroke and Short Course world record holder over the same distance, established a new State All-Comers record and personal best time of 27.38 in the 50m backstroke final.

McKeown smoked down the SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre pool to touch the wall in another quick fire time – just 0.10 secs outside triple Olympian Emily Seebohm’s 2017 Australian record of 27.37 – taking 0.27 off her own State All-Comers mark set last year.

The time makes her the 15^th fastest 50m backstroker in history and the third fastest so far in the 2020-21 season – and shows she is ready to post some slick times over her two Olympic backstroke events over the weekend.

Just over a month ago in Brisbane McKeown clocked a new Australian record and the second fastest time in history with her 57.93 in the 100m backstroke at the Queensland State Championships.

But McKeown has her sights set not only on her specialist backstroke events but also the 200 and 400m individual medley – and knowing full well the breaststroke leg is crucial to a world class IM.

The 19-year-old from the USC Spartans was back in the water just 20 minutes after her 50m backstroke “warm up”, clocking another personal best time of 2:27.21 (1:12.19 and 1:15.02) to take out her second gold medal of the meet in the 200m breaststroke.

And tomorrow McKeown will line up in the 100m backstroke and the 400IM on day two of the Championships with the 200m backstroke scheduled for day three on Sunday.

Madi Wilson, Leiston Pickett, Travis Mahoney

FRONT AND CENTRE: Madison Wilson with fellow Dolphins Leiston Pickett and Travis Mahoney. Photo Courtesy: Adelaide Advertiser.

Meanwhile Rio Olympian, former world championship backstroke silver medallist Madison Wilson (Marion SA), was also in record form, setting a new SA Record of 28.01 to finish second to McKeown in the 50m backstroke and just outside her best.

Wilson, who is now established as one of Australia’s leading freestylers with world championship relay gold in Gwangju in 2019, completed a busy opening night, with silver behind Phoebe Hines (USC Spartans) in the 400m freestyle in 4:12.54 before taking gold and the Sarah Ryan Trophy in the 50m freestyle in 25.08.

Hines held on to win the 400m from the fastest finishing Wilson, in a race that saw the lead change several times in a time of 4:12.04, with her USC Spartans team mate Dahlas Rogers third in 4:13.44.

In other events tonight:

Nunawading’s Olympic hopeful Matt Temple was a comfortable winner in the 200m butterfly in 1:58.99 and backed up just minutes later to add the 50m freestyle in a pb of 22.75.

USC Spartans Rio Olympic relay silver medallist Jake Packard looked comfortable in his win in the 100m breaststroke in 1:01.26;

While his USC team mates 18-year-old Kalani Ireland won the 50m backstroke in 26.71; Tianni Gilmour the 200m butterfly in 2:12.73 and 15-year-old SA rising star Clancy Luscombe (Marion, SA) took out the 400m freestyle in a pb of 4:08.35.

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