Kaylee McKeown Closes Out Olympic Trials With 200 Back Aussie Record – 2:04.28

2021 SWIMMING AUSTRALIA OLYMPIC TRIALS

• Saturday, June 12th – Thursday, June 17th
• South Australia Aquatic & Leisure Centre, Adelaide, Australia
• Sole Olympic-Qualifying Opportunity
• 2021 Swimming Australia Olympic Nomination Criteria
• Meet Site
• Final Start List
• Live results
• Qualifying Criteria
• Day 6 Finals Live Stream (Amazon Prime required)

Kaylee McKeown wrapped up her 2021 Australian Olympic Trials program with a 2:04.28 Australian record in the 200 backstroke.

That swim for McKeown is an improvement upon her own former record of 2:04.31 which she swam earlier in 2021 at the 2021 Sydney Open. McKeown’s swim was also a new Commonwealth and All Comer record and is within 1 second of Regan Smith‘s 2019 world record of 2:03.35.

Split Comparison:

A 2:04.28 is the 4th fastest 200 backstroke in the history of the event and allows McKeown to retain her spot as the 3rd-fastest 200 backstroker ever.

All-Time Women’s Long Course 200 Backstroke Performances

1. Regan Smith – 2:03.35 (2019)
2. Regan Smith – 2:03.69 (2019)
3. Missy Franklin – 2:04.06 (2012)
4. Kaylee McKeown – 2:04.28 (2021)
5. Kaylee McKeown – 2:04.31 (2021)
6. Kaylee McKeown – 2:04.49 (2020)
7. Missy Franklin – 2:04.76 (2013)
8. Kirsty Coventry – 2:04.81 (2009)
9. Anastasia Zueva – 2:04.94 (2009)
10. Missy Franklin – 2:05.10 (2011)

McKeown’s earlier swim of 2:04.31 at the Sydney open was already a leading time in the world rankings this season and this swim allows her to extend the lead over the field. She currently sits more than a second ahead of second-ranked Margherita Panziera of Italy who posted a 2:05.56 at the 2021 Italian Olympic Trials.

World record holder Regan Smith will have a shot at shaking up those rankings later this week as she contests the 200 backstroke at the 2021 US Olympic Trials.

Earlier at Australian Trials this week Kaylee McKeown took out Regan Smith‘s other individual long course record by swimming a 57.45 to take out the former mark of 57.57.

Joining McKeown on the 200 backstroke podium, Emily Seebohm delivered an Olympic-qualifying 2:06.38 for silver and has qualified to race the event in Tokyo. The 2021 Games will be Seebohm’s 4th Olympic Games and she is slated to race both the 100 and 200 backstrokes.

Minna Atherton was third overall in the women’s 200 backstroke, hitting a 2:09.24.