Kaylee McKeown sends warning to Olympic rivals with second fastest 100m backstroke ever

Such is Kaylee McKeown’s dominance in the women’s 100m backstroke that the Australian holds every single one of the top five times in history, and all but one of the top 10. The 22-year-old won gold at the Tokyo Olympics in the two-lap race; gold at last year’s world championships in Fukuoka; and gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. In the 100m, McKeown is all but unstoppable.

On Tuesday, at the second night of the Australian Olympic trials in Brisbane, McKeown put an exclamation mark on her dominance of the event. The Queenslander led the field from the first kick to the last to secure qualification for the Paris Games, setting the second fastest time in history with a blistering 57.41 – just eight one-hundredths of a second off her own world record. Barring a spectacular upset, McKeown is set to defend her Olympic title in less than 50 days’ time.

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Remarkably, despite being less than a tenth of a second off a new record, McKeown expressed regret at her time. “I’m a little bit disappointed – my training has shown otherwise,” she said after the race. “But I’ve booked myself another ticket to Paris so that’s just another chance to go faster.”

It is McKeown’s second qualification in as many days, after setting a personal best in the women’s 200m individual medley on Monday – a race she did not contest in Tokyo, but will be among the favourites for in Paris. Later this week McKeown will seek to qualify for the 200m backstroke, where she is the defending Olympic champion and world record holder.

McKeown was followed home by freestyle star Mollie O’Callaghan, who has built a steady sideline as a backstroke swimmer. Having won two individual titles and three relay crowns at last year’s world championships, O’Callaghan will have a frenetic meet schedule in Paris. Despite qualifying with a personal best 57.88, it is unlikely she will contest the 100m backstroke – potentially opening the door for Iona Anderson, who finished third with 58.43.

Asked if she would race the discipline at next month’s Olympics, O’Callaghan was non-committal. “I don’t know yet,” she said. “It really depends on if I qualify for the next two events [the 100m and 200m freestyle]. I think that’s the main thing, taking it day by day and then decide at the end with [coach] Dean [Boxall].”

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In a poignant moment in the mixed zone, as a taciturn McKeown gave little away, her friend and teammate O’Callaghan was more expressive. “She did amazing,” O’Callaghan said as the pair stood next to each other. “Kaylee always does amazing. She’s always very tough on herself, but whatever she does is incredible – she should be proud of herself.”

In other events on Tuesday night, Jenna Strauch touched home fastest in 1.06.90 in the women’s 100m breaststroke – a time outside Swimming Australia’s qualifying mark, but the 27-year-old’s strength in the 200m version should see her book a ticket to Paris later this week. Strauch was followed home by exciting young talents Ella Ramsay, 19, and 15-year-old Sienna Toohey, who broke a national age record that previously belonged to legendary Australian swimmer Leisel Jones.

The men’s 100m backstroke was also a tough outing for the Australians, with Isaac Cooper leading the field to a 53.36 finish – 15 one-hundredths of a second off the qualifying time. But Cooper may be given a reprieve in his bid for a spot on the Olympic team, with Australia needing to take a backstroke swimmer for the medley relays (Cooper will also race in the 50m freestyle on Wednesday).

In the women’s 50m freestyle multi-class race, Alexa Leary (S10) had the crowd in tears with an emotional poolside interview after finishing fastest. A former triathlete, the Queenslander suffered a horrific bike accident in 2021 that left her in intensive care with brain, rib, shoulder and leg injuries. During a marathon 111-day stint in hospital, Leary’s parents were told to say goodbye to their daughter on eight separate occasions. But three years later the para-athlete now finds herself on the verge of a place in Australia’s Paralympics team.

The evening was rounded out with the men’s 200m freestyle, a thrilling race that saw the field level with half a lap remaining. Maximillian Giuliani dug deep to touch first, just within the qualifying time, followed by Thomas Neill.

Giuliani is considered a rising star in Australian swimming – last December he earned the second fastest time in the discipline in the nation’s history, behind only Ian Thorpe. “I thought I’d be a little bit faster tonight, but hey I won – I got the spot to Paris!” said the Tasmanian.

Earlier on day two of the trials, the affable Giuliani had laughed to reporters that “no-one is going to remember what you do here – it’s all about what happens in Paris.” That may be true. But the times set in Brisbane this week are sending a warning to rivals around the globe – and on Tuesday night there was no clearer message than that from McKeown.

Australia’s backstroke superstar does not plan to give up her 100m crown lightly. And with speed like this, a new world record surely awaits McKeown in seven weeks’ time.