McKeown Busts Out 4:28.22 400 IM Aussie Record To Overtake Rice’s Beijing Mark

2024 AUSTRALIAN OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS

Racing on night two of the 2024 Australian Open Championships, a non-Olympic qualifying competition, 22-year-old Kaylee McKeown fired off the best 400m IM time of her already-prolific career.

McKeown of Griffith University produced a monster effort of 4:28.22 to handily defeat the field en route to winning the Aussie national title. In doing so, her time overtook the legendary Stephanie Rice‘s longstanding Australian national record of 4:29.45 that’s been on the books since the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

McKeown attacked the race from start to finish, leading wire-to-wire to crush her previous personal best of 4:31.68 from last year’s Sydney Open, getting under the 4:30 barrier for the first time ever.

She now ranks as the #3 performer of all time in this grueling women’s 4IM.

All-Time Women’s LCM 400 IM Performers

  1. Summer McIntosh (CAN) – 4:25.87, 2023
  2. Katinka Hosszu (HUN) – 4:26.36, 2016
  3. Kaylee McKeown (AUS) – 4:28.22, 2024
  4. Ye Shiwen (CHN) – 4:28.43, 2012
  5. Stephanie Rice (AUS) – 4:29.45, 2008

This pairs with the mind-boggling 2:06.99 200 IM national record she set last night to become the 5th fastest performer in history.

Despite McKeown’s result coming within striking distance of Canadian Summer McIntosh‘s world record, the Aussie said after her race tonight that she is ‘one and done’ and will not be taking on this event at June’s Olympic Trials.

Splits Comparison

MCINTOSH – 2023 MCKEOWN – 2024 MCKEOWN – 2023
100 59.47 1:01.68 1:03.01
200 2:06.39 (1:06.92) 2:09.99 (1:08.31) 2:12.77 (1:09.76)
300 3:25.31 (1:18.92) 3:26.16 (1:16.17) 3:29.38 (1:16.61)
400 4:25.86 (1:00.56) 4:28.22 (1:02.06) 4:31.68 (1:02.30)

 

In This Story

75
Leave a Reply

Subscribe
Notify of

75 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Hose
7 months ago

Will we see MOC on backstroke and Kaylee in Breast in medley relay?

Southerly Buster
Reply to  Hose
7 months ago

It’s becoming more and more likely.

Hose
7 months ago

Imagine being the 3rd fastest swimmer in history in an event and being your 4th best individual event

Andy
Reply to  Hose
7 months ago

And it’s an event you only swim once a year cos your coach makes you

BairnOwl
7 months ago

If Kaylee can get over her dislike of the 400 IM enough to give it her all at these small meets, why not on the big stage? Maybe it’s different when there’s a lot more pressure.

I think the last time she swam this event at an international meet is 2018 Commonwealth Games where she placed 9th.

Sally
Reply to  BairnOwl
7 months ago

We need her not to be completely exhausted by the end of the week. Semi- finals are the reason. Plus she hates it.

BairnOwl
Reply to  Sally
7 months ago

Exhaustion doesn’t seem to affect her much at these in-season meets where she does a ton of swims in a few days and drops some of her best times, although maybe it’s not a completely direct comparison to a longer meet with more swims over more days.

Troyy
Reply to  BairnOwl
7 months ago

Major championships are also emotionally draining.

Robbos
Reply to  Troyy
7 months ago

This is exactly correct, these swimmers are used to swimming lots of laps, its the pressure of the major championship that is so emotionally draining.

This is why to achieve what Phelps did 2-3 times at the Olympics was just extraordinary, outta of this world.

Sub13
Reply to  BairnOwl
7 months ago

Swimming semis and relays and the high pressure environment is draining.

You’ll notice that her times get relatively slower towards the end of major meets basically every time.

Erik
Reply to  Sally
7 months ago

No semis in 400s, if that’s what you’re referring to here..

Sub13
Reply to  BairnOwl
7 months ago

I just think it doesn’t suit her program. Yes, it has no conflicts. But swimming 2 x 400s on day 1 for a mostly 100/200 swimmer is draining. If the schedule was different and 400IM was second last day before the medley I reckon she might give it a crack.

Beginner Swimmer at 25
7 months ago

McKeown >>> McIntosh

No way Swimswam should of put McIntosh over her

should’ve been

  1. McQeown
  2. MOC
  3. McInTosh 🖥️
  4. Titmus
  5. Li Bingie
Aragon Son of Arathorne
Reply to  Beginner Swimmer at 25
7 months ago

you have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.

Sub13
Reply to  Aragon Son of Arathorne
7 months ago

Beginner swimmer is American. They just like to start sh*t by pitting other swimmers against each other.

Facts
Reply to  Beginner Swimmer at 25
7 months ago

With a :05 second head start….. maybe

Facts
7 months ago

Funny how the 3 best IMers in the world all have a last name that starts with an M

Personal Best
Reply to  Facts
7 months ago

That’s cause the letter M has four strokes… so they’re used to it.

Robbos
Reply to  Personal Best
7 months ago

Brilliant.

Sub13
Reply to  Facts
7 months ago

I was like “who is Katinka Mosszu” and then I realised.

Jonathan
7 months ago

Kaylee McKeown‘s versatility and ability to swim ridiculously fast all season long is unbelievable.

You’d have to think McKeown and McIntosh are the two best female swimmers in the world right now.

anonymous
Reply to  Jonathan
7 months ago

I would even say they’re the two best swimmers in the world right now, I don’t think there’s any men better right now.

Jonathan
Reply to  anonymous
7 months ago

Tell that to Rowdy who keeps saying Marchand is the best swimmer in the world, man or woman.

anonymous
Reply to  Jonathan
7 months ago

Unfortunately Rowdy has yet to hear me when I yell it at my TV but trust, it’ll work next time for sure. 😔

Sacre Bleu!
Reply to  Jonathan
7 months ago

I didn’t know Rowdy is that ignoramus

snailSpace
Reply to  Jonathan
7 months ago

That’s wild. Both Kaylee and Summer are right there (and Ledecky)…

Adam H.
7 months ago

This is what, her 5th best event? 6th? Absolutely unreal. We’re so lucky to live in a world with so many incredibly talented — and versatile! — swimmers, especially on the female side. McKeown, McIntosh, Smith, Douglass, O’Callaghan… all dropping crazy times across 4+ events.

Facts
7 months ago

Only :03 seconds off of the teenagers time. Yay!!!!

About Retta Race

Former Masters swimmer and coach Loretta (Retta) thrives on a non-stop but productive schedule. Nowadays, that includes having earned her MBA while working full-time in IT while owning French 75 Boutique while also providing swimming insight for BBC.

Read More »