Kaylee McKeown Needs Her World Document Again As She Battles Accidents And A Nervous Olympic Defence In LA
4-time Olympic backstroke champion Kaylee McKeown will this weekend kick-start her 2026 racing season on the highway to the 2028 LA Olympics, when she continues her love affair with Australia’s “pool of desires” the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.
McKeown might be amongst a bunch of Olympic and Paralympic champions, world report holders and rising worldwide stars who will converge on the SOPAC pool for the 2026 NSW Speedo State Open Championships.
FLYER; Kaylee McKeown powers off the beginning on the 2025 Australian Trials Picture Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
And for McKeown it’s about launching her subsequent large purpose. To take again the world report for the 100m backstroke from US archrival Regan Smith as she additionally battles to handle her accidents on the best way to LA28.
Between McKeown and Smith, the 2 quickest feminine backstrokers in historical past personal all 25 of world’s quickest 100m backstroke instances – McKeown with 13 and Smith 12 – the US lady on high along with her world mark of 57.13.
Here’s a have a look at the High Ten Quickest Instances
1
57.13
Regan Smith
2024 Olympic Trials
06/18/2024
2
57.16
Kaylee McKeown
2025 World Champs
07/29/2025
3
57.28
Regan Smith
2024 Olympic Video games
08/04/2024
4
57.33
Kaylee McKeown
World Swimming Cup – Budapest
10/21/2023
4
57.33
Kaylee McKeown
2024 Olympic Video games
07/30/2024
6
57.35
Regan Smith
2025 World Champs
07/29/2025
7
57.41
Kaylee McKeown
2024 Australian Olympic Trials
06/11/2024
8
57.45
Kaylee McKeown
2021 Australian Olympic Trials
06/13/2021
9
57.46
Regan Smith
2025 TYR Professional Swim Sequence – Fort Lauderdale
05/03/2025
10
57.47
Kaylee McKeown
2020 Olympic Video games
07/27/2021
It will likely be one of many LA Video games’ most intriguing contests with the US Video games simply two years away and the pair set to renew their rivalry at this yr’s Pan Pacs in Irvine, California.
McKeown revealing, she continues to battle accidents, having persevered via vital left shoulder points, together with a labrum tear earlier than the Tokyo Olympics and a dislocation simply weeks previous to the 2025 World Championships in Singapore.
Regardless of these accidents, Australia’s backstroking golden lady has gained gold at each occasions, utilizing rehab and physiotherapy to handle the ache
“We’re simply managing my approach via (in direction of the Trials in June) however the older I get the extra accidents that maintain arising. I’m simply making an attempt to plan my approach as much as LA,” McKeown informed Channel 7 throughout the current Australian Dolphins coaching camp on the Sunshine Coast.
REACHING FOR TH STARS: Kaylee McKeown in motion on the Brisbane Aquatic Centre. Picture Courtesy Wade Brennan (Wade’s Images)
And admitting she was nervous fascinated by the 2028 Video games.
“I believe I’ll be nervous and anxious strolling into an environment the place two of my best rivals, world report holder Smith and Katharine Berkoff (Olympic and World Championship medallist) are each Individuals,” stated McKeown.
And despite the fact that she could have Olympic gold medals, world championships and world data, the 25-year-old says she nonetheless hasn’t fulfilled all the things that she desires to, revealing: “I nonetheless wish to get that world report again within the 100m.”
The ladies’s 100m backstroke world report (lengthy course) has not too long ago been outlined by a fierce rivalry with Smith setting the present report of 57.13 seconds in June 2024; the report dropping from 57.57 (Smith, 2019) to 57.45 (McKeown, 2021) and 57.33 (McKeown, 2023) earlier than Smith’s 2024 mark.
And for the subsequent Olympic Video games?
“I’m simply going to take pleasure in it…I don’t suppose in my profession I’ve loved each step alongside the best way. And If which means I don’t even make a remaining then so be it…I wish to make myself proud for as soon as,” she says.
McKeown has now settled again into her authentic coaching base as an age grouper on the Sunshine Coast, returning residence after spending the final two Olympic cycles on the Gold Coast.
SEIZING THE MOMENT: Coach Michael Sage and Kayleen McKeown embrace publish her win within the 100m backstroke, Singapore 2025. Picture Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
And feeling proper at residence underneath new coach Michael Sage on the College of Sunshine Coast and the USC Spartans group – she heads to Sydney after simply coming off the Nationwide Coaching Camp at her residence pool.
And this weekend, McKeown will once more head to the Harbour Metropolis and the 2026 NSW Open Championships, the three-day meet attracting a bunch of Olympic and Paralympic champions and world report holders.
The venue of the Sydney 2000 Olympics, the report breaking 1999 Pan Pacs and the Australian Olympic Trials in 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008 has been McKeown’s happiest searching floor over the previous decade.
The 2-time twin Olympic champion over 100 and 200m backstroke has produced a number of world-class performances and world record-breaking swims on the SOPAC pool, notably on the Sydney Open and NSW State Championships.
Setting the 200m backstroke world report of two:03.14 in 2023, adopted by a dominant 200m backstroke victory eventually yr’s NSW State Championships, cementing her standing because the world’s premier feminine backstroker.
She set a 200m backstroke world report of two:03.14 in 2023, adopted by a dominant 200m backstroke victory on the 2025 NSW State Championships, cementing her standing as a premier backstroker.
Listed below are her key performances at Sydney Open/NSW Championships:
FLAGGED FOR SUCCESS: Kaylee McKeown celebrates her 2025 World Championship within the 100m backstroke. Picture Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
2025: Secured #1 world rating with a 2:04.57 within the 200m backstroke, following a 57.73 within the 100m backstroke on the NSW State Championships.
2024: Received the 100m backstroke in 57.57s and the 200m backstroke in 2:04.21 on the NSW State Open Championships.
2023: Set a world report within the 200m backstroke (2:03.14) and gained the 400m IM (4:31.68) on the Sydney Open/NSW Championships.
2021: Established new nationwide data within the 50m, 100m, and 200m backstroke over a single weekend.
Becoming a member of McKeown, within the pool of desires, might be fellow Olympic champion and former world report holder Zac Stubblety-Cook dinner (Griffith, QLD) Olympic medallists Olivia Wunsch (Carlile) and Kai Taylor (St Peters Western, QLD) alongside hometown Paralympic hero, gold medallist and world report holder Timothy Hodge (Blacktown, NSW).
With the Australian Trials, Commonwealth Video games and Pan Pacs looming later this yr, the NSW championships will once more function an important hit-out for Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, guaranteeing depth from the very first warmth.
McKeown, who has entered the 50, 100 and 200m backstrokes and 200IM, will face WA rising star, Paris Olympian and world championship silver medalist Iona Anderson (Highlanders, WA) in what guarantees to be one of many must-watch clashes of the weekend.
The freestyle occasions will function NSW Olympic gold medallist Wunsch who will go head-to-head with fellow World Championship gold medallist Milla Jansen (Bond, QLD) and Carlile teammate Jaimie DeLutiis.
FIST FULL OF TALENT: Kai Taylor. Picture Courtesy: Delly Carr Swimming Australia
Whereas the lads’s dash freestyles will function Queensland’s two-time world relay champion and Paris silver and bronze medallist Taylor and his powerhouse membership mate, Queensland champion Jamie Jack up towards NSW younger weapons, Cranbrook pair Marcus Da Silva and 50m specialist Ollie Moclair.
Breaststroke followers might be handled to a stacked line-up, with Olympic dash specialist and world 50m champion Sam Williamson (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) persevering with his comeback from main surgical procedure tom his leg after a profitable Victorian State Championships and former world report holder Stubblety-Cook dinner constructing momentum within the 200m in direction of a 3rd Video games in LA.
Albury’s 2025 World Championship breaststroke debutant Sienna Toohey may even look to proceed her fast towards all-comers to guard her patch.
The ladies’s particular person medley occasions additionally promise tactical, edge-of-your-seat racing, with Olympians Ella Ramsay (Griffith, QLD), Jenna Forrester (St Peters Western, QLD) and Tara Kinder (Melbourne Vicentre) all set to battle it out in each the 200m towards McKeown and 400m IMs.
Within the Multi Class occasions, Paralympic champion, world report holder and native hero Timothy Hodge (Blacktown) returns to a venue the place he has loved huge success, contesting the 100m butterfly and 100m backstroke.
With fellow Paralympic gold medallist Tom Gallagher may even function, following a standout 2025 marketing campaign that included two particular person silver medals on the World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore.
Including additional worldwide flavour, swimmers from New Zealand, Sweden, Korea, Japan and Eire will take to the blocks, together with Swedish pair, World champion ship medallists Louise Hansson and Olympian Sara Junevik within the butterfly occasions.
EVENT INFORMATION:
With heats ranging from 9:00am day by day and finals at 6:00pm Friday and Saturday (5:30pm Sunday), spectators can expertise three full days of elite racing in one in all Australia’s premier aquatic venues.
Tickets are simply $10 and accessible now at TICKETBOOTH via – www.nsw.swimming.org.au/occasions/2026-nsw-state-open-championships
For followers watching from exterior Sydney, finals periods may even be streamed stay at:
www.watchsport.com.au/channel/swim-nsw
