2024 AUSTRALIAN OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Wednesday, April 17th – Saturday, April 20th
- Prelims at 10am local (8pm previous night ET), Finals at 6pm local (4am ET)
- Gold Coast Aquatic Centre, Queensland, Australia
- LCM (50m)
- Non-Olympic Qualifying Event
- Women’s Races to Watch/Men’s Races to Watch
- Meet Central
- Final Start List
- Live Results (also available via Meet Mobile: “2024 Australian Open Championships”)
- Australian Channel 9 Livestream / YouTube Livestream
The 2024 Australian National Championships may not be a Paris 2024 qualifying event but Kaylee McKeown downright owned the women’s 200m IM race as if an Olympic gold medal was on the line.
Leading wire-to-wire, McKeown crushed a new lifetime best of 2:06.99 to put the entire world on notice as she confirmed she is indeed chasing this event for her Olympic event lineup.
22-year-old Olympic champion McKeown overtook the supersuited Australian national record of 2:07.03 Stephanie Rice put on the books in 2009 en route to becoming the #5 performer in history.
Comparing McKeown’s splits between prelims and finals, the superstar ripped an opening fly leg that was over a second faster, while her back was also well over a second speedier than the morning result.
But she also saved some gas for the final 50m, getting under the 30-second threshold to bring it home.
SPLIT COMPARISON:
| 2024 AUSSIE OPEN FINAL | 2024 AUSSIE OPEN PRELIM |
2023 AUSSIE TRIALS
|
|
| 50 Fly | 27.84 | 29.14 | 27.74 |
| 50 Back | 32.10 | 33.58 | 32.08 |
| 50 Breast | 37.48 | 35.52 | 37.25 |
| 50 Free | 29.57 | 30.42 | 30.53 |
| Total | 2:06.99 | 2:08.66 | 2:07.60 |
WOMEN’S 200 IM – FINAL
- World Record – 2:06.12, Katinka Hosszu (2015)
Australian Record – 2:07.03, Stephanie Rice (2009)- Commonwealth Record – 2:06.88, Siobhan-Marie O’Connor (2016)
- Australian Olympic QT – 2:10.62
GOLD – Kaylee McKeown, 2:06.99 *Australian Record
SILVER – Ella Ramsay, 2:10.71
BRONZE – Isabella Boyd, 2:13.22
Top 10 Women’s LCM 200 IM Performers All-Time
- 2:06.12 – Katinka Hosszu (HUN), 2015
- 2:06.15 – Ariana Kukors (USA), 2009
- 2:06.88 – Siobhan O’Connor (GBR), 2016
- 2:06.89 – Summer McIntosh (CAN), 2023
- 2:06.99 – Kaylee McKeown (AUS), 2024
- 2:07.03 – Stephanie Rice (AUS), 2009
- 2:07.05 – Kate Douglass (USA), 2024
- 2:07.13 – Alex Walsh (USA), 2022
- 2:07.57 – Ye Shiwen (CHN), 2012
- 2:07.75 – Yu Yiting (CHN), 2023
McKeown now ranks #1 in the world, usurping American Kate Douglass.
2023-2024 LCM Women 200 IM
McKEOWN
2:06.99
| 2 | Kate DOUGLASS | USA | 2:07.05 | 02/12 |
| 3 | Summer MCINTOSH | CAN | 2:07.16 | 01/13 |
| 4 | Alex WALSH | USA | 2:07.63 | 01/13 |
| 5 | Yiting YU | CHN | 2:07.75 | 09/25 |
As mentioned, McKeown confirmed on deck after the race that she will be pursuing Olympic qualification in this event just as she did for the 2020 Olympic Games. She wound up dropping the 200mIM off her Tokyo program.
The 200 IM overlaps with the 200 backstroke at the 2024 Olympic Games. Prelims and semifinals of the 200 IM are on the same day as the final of the 200 backstroke. In finals, the final of the 200 backstroke is scheduled to begin just 55 minutes before the start of the semifinal of the 200 IM.
The next day, the 200 IM final is 34 minutes before the final of the mixed 4×100 medley relay. McKeown led off Australia’s 4×100 mixed medley relay to bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Games and led the relay off to silver at the 2023 World Championships.
McKeown swam the event at 2023 Worlds but was disqualified in semifinals for the back to breast turn as she did not touch the fall fully on her back. In other words, she rotated too far during the cross-over turn too early.
Hey number two ranking performers for the 200 IM.
Just a minor detail but you may want to recheck the first name spelling for Kukors.
I think what makes this race so fun is that all 4 of the primary contenders have different weaknesses. Kaylee in the fly, Kate in the back, Summer in the breast, and Walsh in the free.
I guess the question is: whose weakness is the weakest?
Kaylee is perhaps the most versatile Australian swimmer of all time
Or just overall. She has a WR in a 50, 100 and 200 and her 400IM is faster than the most recent gold medal winning time.
Pretty sure no other swimmer in history has WRs across 50/100/200 plus a gold medal winning time in a 400.
Shane Gould.
Held 100-200-400-800-1500 free and 200 IM WR at the same time (there was no 50)
Olympics 200 free 400 free 200 IM gold, 800 free silver, 100 free bronze
I stand corrected! You probably do have to give it to Gould
Take Kukors out of the equation – it was cheating/plastic time.
She’s doing a lot of blasting, she might want to get that checked out.
🔥🔥🔥
SlayLee 💅 McQueen 👸 is going to 😈 HUMILIATE 😈
Kate (No Dog)lass 🐶 Alex Washed 💦 and Bummer 😪 McInTosh 🖥️ in Paris 🇫🇷
🔥🔥🔥
ok, beginner swimmer at 25. Ive been in this sport since i was 8. How does it feel to know that a 46 year old guy can smoke you in the pool?
LOL at calling elites names. Grow up.
Sir this is a Wendy’s
These other replies have no humor, this comment was funny
I gotta say, this was a funny comment. Creative too.
I’m not liking Alex Walsh’s chance at a medal in the 200 IM in Paris.
But then again I’m surprised that Kate Douglass’ PB is only .08 seconds faster than Alex Walsh’s PB.
She’ll be the only fresh swimmer. By that point summer, Kaylee and Kate will have swum massive programs. Surely at least one of them won’t be at their best in the 200IM?
Her PB is a tenth slower than Douglass (she’s just never swam it AGAINST Douglass so always gets beat pretty handily and it’s easy to forget), and she’ll have the fresher legs, so it’s not out of the question.
I think it’s worth noting that the 2 IM is the last day in Paris, and Summer will (all of this is hypothetical) have done relays, the 2/4 free, 400 IM, 200 fly, and relays, Kaylee will have done the 100/200 back and mixed relays, and KD will have done the 100 free, 200 breast and relays before this final. Alex Walsh will have done none of those events. Does this give Alex more of an advantage than we are thinking she has just for the fact she will be the most fresh?
Yes it’s absolutely an advantage. This very likely may be her first race of the meet. The most she’ll have done is 2 400IMs
That depends if Alex Walsh swims the W 400 IM at the 2024 USA Swimming Olympic Team Trials. The domestic competition behind Katie Grimes in the W 400 IM is awfully thin:
Hayes
Walsh
Weyant
yea thats a good list. Though I do think Alex can edge out weyent and hayes. Weyent has been looking a lot better this year.
Walsh is also having a great year!
Neither Kate Douglass or Alex Walsh will be swimming the W 4 x 200 FR-R.
At a minimum, Kate Douglass will swim the following events prior to the heats of the W 200 IM:
W 4 x 100 FR-R
W 200 BR
It’s not guaranteed that Kate Douglass will finish top two in the W 100 FR at the USA Swimming Olympic Team Trials.
Highly probable that she will!
If KD doesn’t make it top 2 in the 100 free (even though she won’t like it), which is possible with the likes of Weitzeil, G. Walsh, a resurgent Manuel, etc, it will help her in her 2 breast and 2 IM. She has the smallest shot at a medal in the 100 free, and if she does get one, I think her ceiling is bronze.