Kaylee McKeown Withdraws From Commonwealth Games And Pan Pacific Championships This Summer

Kaylee McKeown has announced that she has withdrawn from the Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific Championships this summer after contracting mononucleosis, also known as glandular fever.

 

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The backstroke world record holder had been ill during the recent Australian trials, which had led to her withdrawing from the 200 IM on the first day of competition, but she went on to win all three backstroke events, posting the fastest time in the world this season in the 200 back.

McKeown has arguably been the world’s top female backstroker since winning double gold at the Tokyo Olympics, being beaten in only two major long course competitions since, and going unbeaten in the 200 back for five consecutive summers and in the 100 back in 2021, 2023, 2024, and 2025. She withdrew from the 100 back at the 2022 World Championships to focus on the 200 IM.

There has been no recovery timeline published, and the recovery period for glandular fever can extend to several weeks with fatigue the most long-lasting symptom. According to the BBC, McKeown has been fighting glandular fever for a few months know having initially thought she was suffering from flu, and has made the decision to withdraw to reduce the risk of developing chronic fatigue.

Her withdrawal from this summer’s meets will have far-reaching consequences, with a serious title contender in all three backstroke events for both meets now missing. Regan Smith and Katharine Berkoff now look like the favorites at the Pan Pacific Games, although Smith will be denied a matchup with her longtime rival McKeown.

This will be the first major international meet since 2018 that McKeown has not attended. Over that period, she has won two individual world silver medals – the 200 back in 2019 and the 200 IM in 2022 – and ten individual world or Olympic titles, all in backstroke.

Her absence from the Commonwealth Games opens the field up more however. Iona Anderson will now be the fastest entrant in the 100 back and 200 back, but there will now be two podium spots open behind her rather than one. The 50 back now appears to be a battle between Ingrid Wilm and Lauren Cox, both of whom will be seeking their first Commonwealth title.

McKeown won the 100 back and 200 back in Birmingham four years ago, as well as taking silver in the 200 IM and bronze in the 50 back.

At the Pan Pacific Championships, her absence will have a definite effect on the location of the medals. McKeown and Smith were heavy favorites to medal in all three distances, but now swimmers like Taylor Ruck, who just set a lifetime best of 58.37 in the 100 back, Kylie Masse, and Team USA’s Claire Curzan will all have their eyes on the podium.

McKeown is the reigning world champion in the 100 back and 200 back, clocking an Oceanian record of 57.16 in the former and a new Championship record of 2:03.33 in the latter. Those were the #2 and #3 times in the history of their respective events.

She posted the fastest 200 back time in the world this season at Australian Trials at the start of June, breaking 2:04 with a 2:03.98 for her eighth swim under that barrier. She ranked 3rd in the world this season in the 100 back in 57.77, behind Regan Smith (57.49) and Isabelle Stadden (57.55), and 3rd in the 50 back behind Katharine Berkoff (26.98) and Sara Curtis (27.07).

In McKeown’s absence, Iona Anderson and Hannah Fredericks look to be Australia’s female backstrokers at the Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific Championships. Anderson ranks 9th in the world in the 50 back (27.33), 8th in the 100 back (58.60), and 8th in the 200 back (2:07.59), while Fredericks ranks 10th in the 200 back (2:07.99). Mollie O’Callaghan may swim the 50 back after clocking 27.19 behind McKeown at Australian Trials.