2021 SYDNEY OPEN
- Thursday, May 13th – Sunday, May 16th
- Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre
- LCM (50m)
- Heats at 6pm local; Finals at 9am local
- Meet Site
- Start List
- SwimSwam Preview
- Results or Meet Mobile
Olympic medalist Emma McKeon dropped the hammer on the women’s 100m free field on day 2 of the 2021 Sydney Open. Competing in the morning finals, 26-year-old McKeon unleashed a time of 52.29, clocking a new New South Wales All Comers Record in the process.
After establishing herself as the 2nd-seeded swimmer with a prelim swim of 53.33 last night, the Griffith University star busted out the fastest time of her career. Opening in 25.71 and closing in 26.58, McKeon’s time this morning overtook her own career-quickest of 52.41 from the 2019 World Championships Trials. In Gwangju, McKeon ultimately placed 4th in the individual 100m free event with a time of 52.75.
With her monster 52.29 PB here this morning from Sydney, McKeon remains Australia’s 3rd fastest performer in history behind Cate and Bronte Campbell, both of whom were in this final. C1 (Cate) touched in 53.27, remarkably about a second behind McKeon, as runner-up while Bronte finished 5th in 54.59. McKeon also remains the world’s 6th fastest 100m freestyler in history.
In terms of all-time Aussie performances, McKeon’s 52.29 checks in as the nation’s 5th fastest time ever, cracking C1’s streak of having owned the top 10 performances all-time for Australia.
McKeon now wears the world rankings crown, beating out C1 to top the entire field with Tokyo on the horizon.
2020-2021 LCM Women 100 Free
McKeon
51.96
| 2 | Siobhan Haughey | HKG | 52.27 | 07/30 |
| 3 | Cate Campbell | AUS | 52.43 | 04/15 |
| 4 | Penny Oleksiak | CAN | 52.59 | 07/30 |
| 5 | Sarah Sjostrom | SWE | 52.62 | 07/25 |
That’s got to be the fastest ever closing 50. Steffen was 26.61 in a super suit when she set the WR in 09, Sjostrom was 26.88 when she set the WR in Budapest, C1 typically attacks the 1st 50 a lot harder. Funny that the current best Australian 100 freestylers for men and women sit back that much going out then close like tanks.
Cate swam slower than she usually does/ last month and just pulled out of the 50. Am I reading too much into this, or have there been injury/illness concerns?
I love it when the Aussies leave it all in their home pools before the Olympics.
At this point it looks like the US women might have a drought in 4X100 Free for 24 years or even longer!
Hopefully Jenny Thompson’s kids will be old enough come Paris
I still think the American women will sweep the relays in Tokyo the 400 relay they American women already has 3 swimmers un 54 in season (Abby weitzeil, Linnea Mack and tori Huske) and we still have the Atlanta and Austin meet and Simone has yet to race a competitive 100 free yet before trials
Yeah, but look how different are yesterday’s news in America and Australia.
America: News. Linnea Mack brakes 54 sec barrier for the first time in her career entering the competition for the place in Olympic team.
Australia: News. Emma McKeon also set personal best making under 52.5 prerequisite for the ticket to Tokyo in individual race.
There was a hope after Rio with the emergence of new young 52 sec names in American sprint: Manuel, Comerford, Weitzeil.
And Australian relay is really old. But somehow the American hope for the gold medal doesn’t look that bright today.
🇨🇦 says hello. Remember🇨🇦 was leading after 300m in 2019. The 18-19 yrv old in that team are now 20-21 and all in the mix. The ‘weak’ legs on the team have just gone a LC best time, Kayla, and have ripped up NCAAs, Maggie. Not sure they’ll be able to handle the fire of the Aussie squad, but they will for sure give the US a run.
LOL
I just rediscovered this gem of a comment. 🤣
Incredible swims. Horrible results page.
Bronte will be the wild card here. Because she’s injured, Simon’s been managing her workload, I’m hoping she still makes the Top 6 to get a relay spot. The reason I say that is because Titmus swam the 100m Free at the Nationals last month, so it depends if she’ll do that again or withdraw so she can concentrate on the 200 onwards (including that relay). I honestly think the only event C2 may qualify for individually is the 50m Free, it just depends what happens at the Nationals, since that event is really a what happens on the day kind of thing.
The 50m is always a coin tossing raffle, Cate, Emma and Bronte, Maddi Wilson?
Yeah those are the four who have been dominating since they recommenced the meets.
Emma and Cate have swapped wins of late. Though I honestly think the switch to the mornings haven’t helped Cate, because she’s a known better night swimmer, while Emma is consistent across the board.
Bronte is a great competitor and relay swimmer, would be sad if she misses the final 4….
Same. I hope she makes it because apart from Rio when she shouldn’t even have been there in hindsight with the amount of injuries she had, Bronte has the knack of turning up at the big meets.
It will be interesting to see if Titmus puts her name down on the Start List for the 100m next month. Because obviously if she finished ahead of C2 and Wilson then she would have to make the decision whether to swim the relay or bring someone in a fresh, like they have done previously (solely for relays etc).
It’s kind like the predicament that Emma has with her ton of events as well as Kaylee, because those two will have a balancing… Read more »
Titmus is not a threat for C2.
If those young guns , Mollie or Harris drops more time at trials , they will challenge C2 for those relay spots.
But more importantly , i think Throssel is the dark horse in these free events.
She has been 53 high and 1.56 high in 1 free and 2 free. And she’s doing really well in this season and normally performs better at international events too.
Watch out her to drop 53 mid and 1.56 low at trials.
With Titmus it was more a question, because she swam the 100m at the Nationals last month, so I’m curious to see if it is a one-off thing just because she’s coming back from her shoulder injury or if they’ll be doing that at the Trials. I don’t expect her to be in the actual 100m relay LOL.
Agree about Throssel, being the dark horse though. Personally if I had to pick the team relay, on who turns up at a relay (regardless if they’re carrying an injury), I’d have C1, C2, McKeon and Throssel with Wilson as the backup for the final, etc.
C2 was just as fast at nationals this year as she was at nationals in 2019 when she proceeded to go 52.8 at trials. Somehow C2 always finds a way to be 52 high even with her injury troubles.
That is a smokin swim🔥 Now everyone get ready for her to drop a 52.8 at the Olympics
More like a 51.8!
I feel ya.
I hope coaches have McKeon lead off the 4×100 FR in Tokyo. McKeon – Wilson or O’Callaghan? – C2 – C1
Throssell is a contender too. She was actually the one on the 4×1 free relay final team in 2019 worlds
She lead off the relay in rio and Manuel actually outsplit her on the lead off (McKeon was ranked 4th in the world with 52.8) 53.36-53.41 McKeon has had a history of performing very fast early and has yet to perform on the international stage
Haha!!!!
1 Olympics 1 gold, 2 silvers in relays & 1 Bronze individual events.
2017 World Championship 2 silvers & 2 Bronzes in relays & 2 silvers in Individual events
2019 World Championship 3 golds & 2 silvers in relays & a Bronze in Individual event.
Any woman that medals in the 200m at the Olympics deserves respect!
McKeon had the 100 fly semi before that relay. Meanwhile Manuel was 0.66 slower on that relay lead off than her individual swim later in the week and only 0.05s faster than McKeon despite having no other swims in the same session.
O’Callaghan for heats only I think.
Finals: Wilson, C2, McKeon, C1.
Heats: McKeown, O’Callaghan, Throssell, Titmus
Why: australia will qualify for the final, let’s get McKeown and Titmus another medal!
That heat line up might not get us a centre lane. The reason I suggest McKeon as lead off is C2 seems to more consistently make the most of a fly start. She’s basically always 0.5+ faster than her flat start on a relay while McKeon is more mixed so it seems a waste to put C2 on lead off especially when McKeon is now consistently producing so many very fast flat starts