21-year-old Emma McKeon is having a break-out meet while competing at the 2016 Australian National Championships/Olympic Trials, characterized by two monster individual wins thus far.
After already having earned an Olympic berth in the women’s 100m butterfly, McKeon rocked a shiny new Australian National Record, All Comers Record and Olympic-qualifying mark of 1:54.83 in the women’s 200m freestyle tonight.
En route to clocking the field’s only sub-1:55 time (or 1:56 for that matter), McKeon shaved over half a second off of her own previous record of 1:55.53. In fact, her outing tonight would have earned gold at the 2015 FINA World Championships and now positions her as 2nd in the world this season only behind America’s Katie Ledecky.
2015-2016 LCM Women 200 Free
LEDECKY
1.53.73
| 2 | sarah SJOSTROM | SWE | 1.54.08 | 08/09 |
| 3 | Federica PELLEGRINI | ITA | 1.54.55 | 06/26 |
| 4 | Emma McKEON | AUS | 1.54.83 | 04/10 |
| 5 | Katinka HOSSZU | HUN | 1.55.41 | 11/06 |
Split comparison between McKeon’s old and new Australian/All Comers Records:
Previous Record – 56.49/59.04 = 1:55.53
New Record – 55.27/59.26 = 1:54.83
McKeon took the race out over a second faster than she did when she broke the record at the New South Wales State Championships this past March. The next closest competitor to McKeon in tonight’s race in Adelaide, Bronte Barratt, was out in just 56.54 for comparison.
Headed into this meet, McKeon’s best times besides her previous national record included the 1:55.68 and 1:55.88 she clocked at the 2014 and 2015 Australian Championships, respectively. The National Team member didn’t have that kind of speed at last summer’s FINA World Championships however, as McKeon settled for 7th place in the 200m freestyle event. She managed times of 1:56.95 in semi-finals and 1:56.41 in the finals.
Then in terms of 200 free medal perspectives, I don’t see her in the top 3 if all big contenders swim that event. I talk of course about Sarah Sjöström (is she more focused on the 100 fly/100 free/50 free?) and Missy Franklin (200 free semifinals are 15/20 minutes before the 100 back final). In that case I think Katie Ledecky wins ahead of Sjöström and Franklin. Then Pellegrini and McKeon in 4th and 5th.
Anyway, like Cameron McEvoy, I think the best event for Emma McKeon would be a 150 free. But that’s not an olympic event. 🙂
NB: I don’t know what to think about Allison Schmitt right now. Maybe the defendiing olympic champion reserves us a… Read more »
Pellegrini & Franklin have not swam a 1.54 in 3 years, in that time McKeon has just got better & better & is on an upward spiral, whereas the other 2 has showed to be plateauing.
As for Mcevoy, I think he has a fairly strong 100 free & maybe his best event.
I don’t know if “stunning” is the right word but yes that’s a great time.
Mathematically not surprising at all.
She improved her 100 fly PB by 0.35s.
Over a 200-meter distance 0.35s X 2 = 0.70s
Her 200 free PB was 1.55.53.
She swam 1.54.83.
Improvement of 0.70s.
Pure logic. 🙂
She has gained speed and it means that the already unbeatable Australian women’s 4X100 free relay will be stronger.