2023 NEW SOUTH WALES STATE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Friday, March 10th – Sunday, March 12th
- Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Center (SOPAC)
- LCM (50m)
- Meet Site
- SwimSwam Preview
- Start List
- Results – Meet Mobile: 2023 NSW State Open Championships
While competing on day one of the 2023 New South Wales State Open Championships, multi-Olympic medalist Kaylee McKeown broke the World Record in the women’s 200m backstroke.
McKeown crushed a time of 2:03.14 for gold, beating the field by over 7 seconds. In doing so, McKeown overtook the previous World Record mark of 2:03.35 American Regan Smith put on the books in the semi-final of this event at the 2019 World Championships in Gwangju.
| Smith’s Previous WR | McKeown’s New WR |
| 29.06 | 29.34 |
| 31.31 | 31.39 |
| 31.47 | 31.11 |
| 31.51 | 31.3 |
| 2:03.35 | 2:03.14 |
Entering this meet, 21-year-old McKeown’s lifetime best rested at the 2:04.28 national record she produced at the 2021 Australian Swimming Trials. That rendered her the world’s 3rd fastest performer in history behind the aforementioned Smith and American Missy Franklin.
What’s more, McKeown’s elder sister, retired Olympian Taylor McKeown, posted on social media that Kaylee was ‘not even rested’ for this eye-popping swim.
McKeown is already the World Record holder in the 100m back as well, owning that mark at the 57.45 she produced in 2021 as well. She is also the reigning Olympic champion in both the 100m and 200m backstroke events.
“The race was actually swum 20 minutes earlier than it was scheduled on the time line – I was so rushed…and talking to Molly I said ”what’s going on…?” McKeown told The Advertiser after tonight’s race. “I actually like sitting in marshalling and kind of gathering my thoughts before my race..but I had no time for that…so I just pulled up my straps and went for it really…but I love racing….it’s what we train for.
“I knew it was going to be a new level heading into the Olympics and I think it’s great seeing Regan Smith doing all her double ups – it’s scary and it’s daunting to me looking when you are looking at a competitor or competitors that fierce – even Molly O’Callaghan in Australia – the backstroke depth is definitely coming back at that top level so it’s exciting.”
Additionally, McKeown told NSW Swimming, “After the Olympics, I found it hard to get up behind the blocks again.
“I found a new love for the sport, and it just goes to show that a happy swimmer is a fast swimmer. I haven’t necessarily changed anything in my program or training-wise. It’s just that I’m happier.”
Last year McKeown became the second woman ever to concurrently hold Olympic, Commonwealth, long-course world, and short-course world titles in the same event – the 200m back. Ariarne Titmus also accomplished the feat in the 400 free at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, 2018 World Championships (short course) 2019 World Championships (long course), and 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
Can’t leave this post on 299 comments, so I will say congrats Kaylee on a wonderful swim and momentous achievement. 👏👏👏
There….300 comments lol!!
Sorry
Interesting how the women’s 200 LCM backstroke is pretty clearly faster than fly right now and yet it’s the other way around for the men’s. Although I guess that’s what happens when the male butterfliers and female backstrokers are historically fast while the male backstroke and female butterfly world records still remain from the 2000s
Butterfly really should be faster than backstroke and pretty much always is. But yeah, McKeown being historically fast throws that out a bit. If you look at the 50th fastest time in each, which removes the outliers at the top, then fly is faster for both men and women. 50th fastest in 200 fly in 2022 was 2:10.42 while for 200 back it was 2:11.31.
However, what’s also interesting to note is that different strokes have different levels of slowing down at different distances. When you compare 100m to 200m, backstroke has the smallest % difference in time between the two distances while butterfly has the biggest difference (and that goes for both genders). So basically, someone swimming a 200… Read more »
Good points, but I want to add that it makes sense that backstroke has the smallest drop-off between 100 and 200. It benefits the least from the start, so doubling the swimming has less of an impact. It’s the same reason why you will almost always see less of a differential between first and second 50s in a backstroke race.
It’s also way more common for a 100 backstroker to post a good 200 than the same in fly, because 200 fly is a whole different beast(same goes for breast)
The fact that the 2back pace slows less compared to 1back compared to other strokes probably explains why more people are able to win the double in backstroke than other strokes
This is a really interesting observation. And it kind of shows the Liu’s 200fly WR is in theory reacheable. It really just takes a McKeown level talent (or peak Regan Smith) nothing more, nothing less
(a Summer McIntosh level talent also.)
That is not surprising. The freestyle and backstrokes are long axis strokes. They are supposed to be faster than breaststroke and butterfly in theory.
The breastrokes and butterfly are short axis strokes. They are supposed to be slower in theory. Howerver butterflters are swimming as fast as backstrokrs these days with the likes of kristoff milak and zhang yufei with zhang yufei being a tad behind the backsrokers as she sits at a 2:03 high. Both historically great butterfliers along with the GOAT himself, michael phelps.
https://www.rookieroad.com/swimming/what-are-the-types-of-strokes-in-swimming/
The butterfly has no business nearing the backstroke time wise.
50 free
Jack 24.26
McKeon 24.69
Harris 24.74
Jack lookin like a medal contender in the 50 this year. Both Jansen and Wunsch not far off their PBs.
Her trials time last year would have won silver. If she keeps this up she’s definitely up there.
Will depend how fast a race it is; ie. where the medals are ‘swam at’.
Do I think she has a sub 24sec in her ? I do not; so if it’s a fast one then I think she’ll probably come up short by a place or two.
Another race where at least the minors are 24low-lowish ? If she can swim around her PB from last year then she may certainly be in business.
The common party pooper has spoken
Just calling it as I see it. I DID say she may well have a shot at a medal …. should race circumstances fall her way; ie medals are swam in her range. Not sure that qualifies as party pooping but … I’m frankly not bothered.
I think it’s probably a little pessimistic and included some unnecessary qualifiers. Her time is 18th all time, 7th of currently active swimmers. Of those currently active, that includes Cate, Bronte and Manuel, all of whom haven’t set a PB in 5+ years.
Her time would have won silver in Budapest and bronze in Tokyo. I think acting like she’ll have a minor chance at a medal only if she swims her PB is a little silly. To my knowledge the 2009 world champs are the only time in history where all medallists were sub 24.
All were sub 24 in 2017.
As Troy stated, 2017 was another case.
Leaving C1 out of the current equation, of the current contenders both Sjostrom & McKeon have multiple sub24s on their CVs as well as multiple international medals at this distance. Fair to say, I rank them ahead of Jack.
Wasick has a faster PB and has swam her best times in international competition. Furthermore, as a 50 specialist and from a country with no relays, she’s going to be fresh going into the event.
That’s 3 that I rank above her. Should she surprise me and swim a 24dead or better then of course I’ll reconsider. Until that occurs or one of Sjostrom/McKeon have issues; I’ll have her on the rung of… Read more »
I don’t think anyone actually predicted she’d win a medal and I even called her a “medal contender”.
It’s her fastest time outside of trials last year so she still seems to be improving.
Wombat is the most pessimistic commenter on here.
Any doubts on Cate Campbell have been unveiled after her 53.5 100free in Brisbane tonight also 🫢 not bad for your first swim back old girl, go get em.
We discussed that this morning cause the 100 finals are in the morning in Brisbane 😁
I’m up in the flood ravaged NW of the state, blame it on the slow internet connection lol!! Didn’t see any discussion about Cate’s swim and just saw result on meet mobile. Stunning swim regardless of how slow I was to comment on it 😉.
1:57.21 for JES in the 2 back. If he’s not tapered then that’s a great time from him. Only half a second off his trials time last year, 1.7 off his PB.
Think 1.56 mid-low is certainly in play for Trials; maybe a 1.55. A clear level above anyone else in the country given Larkin appears a spent force. The question is whether JES can/will bring this game to international waters.
He already went 1:55 in December.
Well aware of that and his other good domestic swims last year. Also aware that he fizzled at CG. Early days in his career certainly but it would be good to see him step up in international competition. No expectation of medals … but making World final should be an achievable aim.
Men’s 1breast is a good time to go to the loo or get a snack.
Down the S bend is probably an accurate placement of AUS 100 breaststroke prospects should Yong fail to progress.
59.4 is also really good for Mollie untapered.
Edit: Especially so soon after a 400 PB.
Especially after a 400 PB.
She comfortably has a 58.2 in her, just finding a single session to do it in tapered is so hard.
57.84!
57.84
Excellent! Takes back the top time of the year.