{"id":614456,"date":"2025-06-08T21:37:52","date_gmt":"2025-06-09T04:37:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=614456"},"modified":"2025-06-09T00:39:55","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T07:39:55","slug":"flash-kaylee-mckeown-in-sensational-disqualification-at-australian-trials","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/flash-kaylee-mckeown-in-sensational-disqualification-at-australian-trials\/","title":{"rendered":"Kaylee McKeown Disqualified And Then Reinstated from 50 Backstroke In Dramatic Opening Day At Australian Trials\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kaylee McKeown Disqualified And Then Reinstated from 50 Backstroke In Dramatic Opening Day In Adelaide<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Four-time Olympic champion Kaylee McKeown<\/strong> was disqualified and then reinstated in a dramatic afternoon that sent the opening day of the Australian World Championship Swimming Trials in Adelaide into a spin.<\/p>\n

McKeown (USC Spartans, QLD; coach: Michael Sage<\/strong>) was disqualified for \u201cmoving at the start\u201d in the heats of the 50m backstroke at the SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre but after an appeal the world record holder and 2023 world champion was re-instated \u00a0– officials ruling she was \u201cdistracted by a movement.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 23-year-old \u00a0was swimming out of lane four in heat one\u00a0 – the last event on the opening day\u2019s program and disqualification could have potentially robbed her of a chance to swim the event air this year’s World titles in Singapore.<\/p>\n

In a statement, Swimming Australia said: \u201cMcKeown, the world record holder, was disqualified after being ruled to initiate an early start from lane four of heat one but her protest was upheld after officials ruled in her favour that she was distracted by a movement immediately prior to the signal.\u201d<\/p>\n