Kaylee McKeown Breaks Third World Cup Record of the Weekend in 200 Back (2:06.47)

2023 WORLD AQUATICS SWIMMING WORLD CUP – BERLIN

Kaylee McKeown completed her backstroke sweep at the World Cup series stop in Berlin on Sunday, breaking her third World Cup record of the weekend with a winning time of 2:06.47 in the 200 back.

The 22-year-old Australian was more than three seconds off her own world record of 2:03.14 from March, but the performance was still good enough to take down fellow Aussie Emily Seebohm‘s previous World Cup record of 2:06.94 from 2015.

McKeown also took down Seebohm’s World Cup record in the 100 back with a 57.95 on Saturday as well as lowering Liu Xiang‘s mark in the 50 back with a 27.24 on Friday. When she pulled off a stroke sweep at Worlds, she went 27.08 in the 50 back, 57.53 in the 100 back, and 2:03.85 in the 200 back. If McKeown wins every backstroke event at this year’s World Cup series, she would be in line for a $30,000 bonus ($10,000 for each “crown”).

WOMEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE — FINAL

  • World Record: 2:03.14 — Kaylee McKeown, Australia (2023)
  • World Cup Record: 2:06.94 — Emily Seebohm, Australia (2015)
  • World Junior Record: 2:03.35 — Regan Smith, United States (2019)

PODIUM:

About 20 minutes removed from the 800 freestyle final, Katie Grimes logged a new personal best via her 2nd place finish. Grimes held on for a 2:08.08, which is a best time by 1.44 seconds. It betters the 2:09.52 she swam at the Mission Viejo PSS in 2022. She finished ahead of Canada’s Kylie Masse, who clocked 2:10.32 for bronze.

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Nick the biased Aussie
1 year ago

This is Ledeckylike, maybe even better considering how far she was in front and that she then went on to win the 200 IM too.

Can see her getting the 50m backstroke WR soon. Has anyone had all 3 WRs in a single form stroke before?

James Richards
Reply to  Nick the biased Aussie
1 year ago

I can’t think of anyone holding a single form stroke 50-100-200 LCM WR before.

Sub13
Reply to  Nick the biased Aussie
1 year ago

I can definitely say no one has ever held all 3 backstroke records, either simultaneously or at all. I checked. Not sure about the others.

MaryHall
Reply to  Nick the biased Aussie
1 year ago

Penny Heyns – breaststroke in 1990s

Sub13
Reply to  MaryHall
1 year ago

Yes! She held all 3 simultaneously in 1999. What an achievement

MaryHall
Reply to  MaryHall
1 year ago

And Lenny Krayzelburg held all 3 backstroke records 1999-2002

phelpsfan
1 year ago

Hate to say it but I think Masse’s finished.

Fukuoka Gold
Reply to  phelpsfan
1 year ago

Maybe she can do a Seebohm in Paris.

Nick the biased Aussie
Reply to  phelpsfan
1 year ago

She should definitely drop the 200 at major champs but good for her to race it at meets like this.

About Riley Overend

Riley is an associate editor interested in the stories taking place outside of the pool just as much as the drama between the lane lines. A 2019 graduate of Boston College, he arrived at SwimSwam in April of 2022 after three years as a sports reporter and sports editor at newspapers …

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