Kaylee McKeown Sizzles 2:05.83 in a world class 200m backstroke Down Under

Kaylee McKeown returns serve in Adelaide. Photo Courtesy: Swimming Australia

“Anything you can do I can do too…” was the message from Australian Olympic hopeful Kaylee McKeown to US world record holder Regan Smith from Down Under tonight.

Exciting times ahead for Kaylee McKeown Photo Courtesy: Swimming Australia (Delly Carr).

McKeown fired off her second world class time in two nights in Adelaide – this time taking her to the top of the 2020 world rankings in the 200m backstroke, ahead of Smith.

The Chris Mooney-coached McKeown produced the performance of the night at the South Australian State Championships, with a sizzling 2:05.83 (29.78; 32.28; 32.13; 31.64) at the SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre – a touch faster than Smith’s equally impressive 2:05.94 swum at the TYR Pro Series in Knoxville yesterday – with both girls in full training.

The time rocketed the 18-year-old World Championship silver medallist from the USC Spartans on the Queensland Sunshine Coast to the seventh fastest performer in history – and past Katinka Hosszu and Kylie Masse.

Smith, who holds the world record with her extraordinary time of 2:03.35 to beat Kaylee McKeown at last year’s World Championships, tops the All-Time Performers, followed by Missy Franklin (USA) 2:04.06; Kirsty Coventry (ZIM) 2:04.81; Anastasia Fesikova (RUS) 2:04.94; Emily Seebohm (AUS) 2:05.68; Margherita Panziera (ITA) 2:05.72; Kaylee McKeown (AUS) 2:05.83; Hosszu (HUN) 2:05.85 and Masse (CAN) 2:05.94.

McKeown knocks her fellow countrywoman and now the third fastest Australian Belinda Hocking (2:06.06) out of the Top Ten.

Her 200m backstroke time was 0.15secs faster than Masse’s Australian All-Comers record of 2:05.98 – swum when she won the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast last year.

It was also Kaylee McKeown’s second Australian All-Comers record in two swims and followed her 58.52 in the 100m backstroke the previous night – the two fastest backstroke times ever swum in Australia.

Olympic 100m freestyle champion Kyle Chalmers (Marion) also continued his impressive form adding the 400m freestyle in 3:53.66 and the 50m butterfly in 23.84, a new South Australian record time while Mikkayla Sheridan (USC Spartans) won the women’s 400m freestyle in 4:12.12.

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