The Week That Was: Kaylee McKeown Sets 200 Back SCM World Record in Brisbane

kaylee-mckeown
Photo Courtesy: Becca Wyant

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The Week That Was sponsored by Suitmate.

Australia’s Kaylee McKeown broke the tenth world record in swimming of 2020 with a 1:58 in the 200 backstroke at the Australian Virtual Championships in Brisbane. McKeown was unable to swim in the International Swimming League this season but this did not hinder her as she broke her first individual world record after having a strong junior career where she held the world junior record in 2017.

A recent study out of New Jersey found some promising results out of the spread of COVID-19 in indoor swimming facilities and a new date has been issued for the 2021 British Swimming Championships.

Read below the five biggest stories in The Week That Was sponsored by Suitmate.

The Week That Was #1: Kaylee McKeown Breaks Hosszu’s 200 Back SCM World Record

Kaylee WR Thumbs Up

Photo Courtesy: Ian Hanson

By Ian Hanson

Budding Queensland swim star Kaylee McKeown smashed the world record for 200m backstroke at the 2020 Hancock Prospecting Virtual National Short Course event in Brisbane – dedicating the swim to her late father Sholty, who she lost in August.

The 19-year-old from USC Spartans on the Sunshine Coast, clocked a time of 1:58.94 – taking 0.29secs off the 2014 time set by Hungarian superstar Katinka Hosszu at the 2014 World Short Course Championships in Doha.

McKeown, who re-wrote the Australian record books in the long course 100 and 200m backstroke a fortnight ago was back in the Brisbane Aquatic Centre this morning in the first open event of the two-day Brisbane meet and wasted no time setting the pace.

#2: British Olympic Trials to Be Held in April 2021 in London

Gian Mattia D'Alberto / lapresse 17-04-2015 Londra spo Campionati Inglesi di nuoto - Aquatics Centre nella foto: ADAM PEATY Gian Mattia D'Alberto / lapresse 17-04-2015 London British Swimming Championship - Aquatics Centre In the photo: ADAM PEATY

World record & Pioneer Adam Peaty celebrates his 57.92 World record at the London Aqiatics Centre in 2015 – by
Gian Mattia D’Alberto / lapresse

By Liz Byrnes

The British Swimming Championships – which double as the Olympic trials for the Great Britain team for Tokyo 2021 – will be held at the London Aquatics Centre from 13-18 April 2021.

The trials were due to be held from 14-19 April 2020 at the same venue in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park – which staged the swimming programme at the 2012 Olympics and the scene of Adam Peaty‘s first 100br world record – only to be cancelled as the coronavirus wreaked havoc.

British Swimming announced the new dates on Tuesday morning with the event also due to serve as qualification for the world and European Junior Championships.

The senior continental showcase is to be held from 10-23 May at the Duna Arena, Budapest, where the ISL came to a spectacular conclusion on Sunday.

The Week That Was #3: Kyle Chalmers Undergoes Surprise Surgery

kyle-chalmers

Photo Courtesy: Becca Wyant

By Ian Hanson

Australia’s Rio Olympic gold medallist Kyle Chalmers has had arthroscopic shoulder surgery in a Sydney Hospital where doctors removed a troublesome bursa and revealing the 100m freestyle champion would be “good to go” for his preparations to defend his crown in Tokyo 202One.

The news broke over night just days before he was scheduled to race at the 2020 Hancock Prospecting Australian Virtual Short Course meet at the Sydney Olympic pool.

Chalmers coach Peter Bishop  spoke exclusively to Swimming World revealing that the Olympic champion had been bothered with shoulder soreness in the middle of the year and they scheduled a visit to Sydney last week to visit a shoulder specialist.

“The shoulder had been a bit sore when he was training through and once we got shut down with Covid and then Kyle came back he was still sore and we decided we had time on our side so let’s get it looked at,” said Bishop.

“He had already had some cortisone injections and then the * PRP (Platelet-rich plasma) therapy which was a slow progression.

“But then when the borders opened between South Australia and NSW and so we could actually fly to Sydney to get the opinion of a specialist recommended by Swimming Australia and actually Ian Thorpe was very supportive as well…he was also seeing the same surgeon.

#4: Study Shows Zero Incidents of COVID-19 Infections at Indoor Pools

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Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

By Dan D’Addona

The New Jersey Swim Safety Alliance put together a study on the number of incidents and possible spread of COVID-19 in indoor pools in the state. New Jersey pools initially re-opened on July 2 and the NJSAA has been keeping track of the numbers since then from the 44 facilities that have responded for the study.

For the study, the NJSSA surveyed owners and/or managers of indoor pools in New Jersey on the incidents of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) in their facilities. The results of the initial reporting have been representatives of 44 facilities responding.

  • They report 212,641 people through their facilities since they re-opened.
  • They report 0 people becoming infected in their facility.

The Week That Was #5: Cullen Jones Named to USA Swimming Foundation Board of Directors

cullen-jones

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

By Dan D’Addona

The USA Swimming Foundation announced today that four-time Olympic medalist Cullen Jones will join its Board of Directors, effective immediately.

Jones was confirmed to the post during the November 20 USA Swimming Board of Directors meeting. He will fulfill the remaining two-year term of a recently vacated director position.

“Cullen Jones is such a natural fit for the USA Swimming Foundation Board,” USA Swimming Foundation Board of Directors Chair Dr. Cecil Gordon said. “He has long been one of the Foundation’s most committed ambassadors and understands the critical role the Foundation plays in USA Swimming. His experience and vision for where the Foundation needs to go and how we improve our effectiveness will be valuable assets to our Board. We are all excited to have him join us.”

USA Swimming President & CEO Tim Hinchey added: “In getting to know Cullen over the years, I can state with confidence that his passion for supporting and delivering the important message about the lifesaving skill of swimming to communities across the country is extraordinary. He has held many volunteer roles within both USA Swimming and the USA Swimming Foundation, and we are thrilled to see him fill this newest position and continue to be a voice within the leadership of our sport.”

Since 2008, Jones has served as an ambassador for the Foundation, traveling the country to more than 50 Make a Splash Tour stops as an advocate for the importance of learning to swim – a cause near and dear to the two-time Olympian.

ONE IN THOUSAND

 

 

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