2023 SYDNEY OPEN & UNISPORT NATIONALS
- Friday, May 12th – Sunday, May 14th
- Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Center (SOPAC)
- LCM (50m)
- Meet Site
- Start Lists
- SwimSwam Preview
- Day 1 Finals Recap
- Live Results
Another day and another personal best for 21-year-old Kaylee McKeown was the story at the 2023 Sydney Open.
The Olympic multi-gold medalist crushed a 400m IM result of 4:31.68 en route to claiming gold on day 2 at SOPAC, slicing .07 off her previous career-quickest outing of 4:31.74 from last year.
She easily defeated the domestic field tonight, with the next-closest swimmer Ella Ramsay checking in at 4:49.40 for silver while Kayla Hardy rounded out the top 3 in 4:49.46.
Comparing McKeown’s previous PB and tonight’s performance, the Griffith swimmer took on a quicker opening fly leg to make up some of the difference but held on for a 1:02.30 free leg to beat her previous free split by over a second.
| McKeown’s New 4:31.68 PB | McKeown’s Previous 4:31.74 PB | |
| Fly | 1:03.01 | 1:04.19 |
| Back | 1:09.76 | 1:08.36 |
| Breast | 1:16.61 | 1:15.74 |
| Free | 1:02.30 | 1:03.45 |
McKeown’s 4:31.68 keeps her position as Australia’s 2nd-best performer in history, sitting only behind national record holder Stephanie Rice who clocked 4:29.45 at the 2008 Olympic Games.
McKeown now ranks #2 in the world this season, with Canada’s Summer McIntosh holding strong as the global leader in her World Record of 4:25.87 from Canadian Trials.
2022-2023 LCM Women 400 IM
McIntosh
WR 4:25.87
| 2 | Katie Grimes | USA | 4:31.41 | 07/30 |
| 3 | Kaylee McKeown | AUS | 4:31.68 | 05/13 |
| 4 | Jenna Forrester | AUS | 4:32.30 | 07/30 |
| 5 | Alex Walsh | USA | 4:34.46 | 07/30 |
McKeown already turned heads at this competition with a monster 2:07.19 200m IM yesterday to become the 7th fastest performer in the world in that event.
Kaylee has no chance against mcintosh
What part of Kaylee WILL NOT be racing the 400 IM at Worlds don’t you understand.
He is Vinay, he doesn’t understand basically anything.
Still not quick enough to challenge grimes and mcintosh
Seems to be quicker than Grimes this year but she won’t be swimming this event at World’s anyway so no need for crappy comment.
Literally faster than Grimes’s PB lol. But it doesn’t matter because Kaylee doesn’t swim it internationally anyway.
She’s got the speed and endurance, she really should be breaking 4:30 soon.
She’s not going to compete in it internationally and she doesn’t swim any other events over 200m so not sure I see much more improvement here. If she chose to concentrate on it I could definitely seeing her dropping multiple seconds more.
Agree; the maths just don’t add up. Whilst she could take her PB down below 4.30; McIntosh still has around 4sec in hand. At best, she can be 2nd best in this event whereas both backstrokes & 200IM she can conceivably win …. plus she has relay commitments.
Kaylee is such a talent that if she concentrated on the 400IM I could definitely see her time around 4:28 or perhaps better. Apparently from reading some quotes from her about a month ago she mentioned that if you see her swimming the 400IM it won’t be her choice. She, along with Summer are so versatile that it works against each of them when trying to balance their busy schedules. My wish is that both meet in Paris in the 200IM along with the American hot shots; what a race that will be.
Great time. She and Grimes will absolutely go at it in the final at worlds. Summer of course will take it down.
Doubt Kaylee swims it. She shys away from doubles at international meets, this might cause her to drop the 200 IM too. I hope not. She’ll probably contest the 50/100/200 back this summer at Worlds with the 200 IM a big MAYBE. I hope she gives the 4IM a go at Worlds though, on the last day where she’d just have a relay at the end of the session – where she’ll either have to swim a 100BK or BR.
Not happening, this is her annual hit out at this distance, nothing more. The backstrokes and 200IM are races that she can conceivably win at World level; in this one she can only be “best of the also rans” behind McIntosh, such is her gap over the field.
Think they WILL take on the double this year; particularly given her improved backstroke form which gives her some leeway for heats and even semi.
400IM is purely for the development of each leg. There’s no way she’s going down that road ever again at any major meet.
the only scenario I could see her swimming the 4IM internationally is if for whatever reason she decides to go to Doha worlds and treats it like its the Vic Open or something but I highly doubt that’ll happen
It would be fun though. I hope many swimmers go and treat it like so and swim many off events lol.
After years of stagnation if not decline the W400IM is back to strong competition. Hopefully the podium in Paris will be all under 4:30.
rapid