Kaylee McKeown Clocks 57.93 For The Second Fastest 100m Backstroke in History

RECORD SPREE: Kaylee McKeown continues on her record breaking spree in Brisbane with a new Commonwealth and Australian mark in the 100m backstroke. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)

Queensland’s new wonder girl Kaylee McKeown has clocked the second fastest time in history with a new Commonwealth and Australian record of 57.93 in a stunning swim on the opening night of the Queensland State Championships at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre.

The 19-year-old from the USC Spartans on the Queensland Sunshine Coast becomes only the second swimmer to break the 58 second barrier – bettered only by American world record holder Regan Smith’s 57.57, set at last year’s Fina World Championships in Gwangju.

Kaylee McKeown’s time clipped 0.17 off Canadian Kyle Masse’s 2017 Commonwealth mark of 58.10 and 0.18 off her own Australian, Australian All-Comers and Queensland and Queensland All-Comers record of 58.11, set just a month ago in the same pool.

And it continues her remarkable month of record-breaking swims after her short course 200m backstroke world record, also set at the same pool at the Swimming Australia Virtual SC Meet.

The Chris Mooney coached McKeown set the pool alight, splitting 28.46 for the first 50m before powering home down the second lap, swimming away from the field, hammering home a 29.47 back end split.

The longer the last lap went the strong she looked, setting another another milestone for the girl with her sights set on next year’s Olympics in Tokyo.

McKeown beat home her fellow world championship silver medallist from Gwangju, Minna Atherton (Moreton Bay) in 59.46 and another future star in 16-year-old Mollie O’Callaghan (St Peters Western) 1:00.31, just outside her best of 1:00.15.

And in an extraordinary show of stamina Kaylee McKeown backed up 30 minutes later to win the 400m individual medley in the second fastest time ever by an Australian swimmer in a time of 4:32.73 – bettered only by 2008 Olympic champion Stephanie Rice’s 4:29.45.

More to follow from the Queensland and NSW Championships…..

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