McKeown Clocks 10th Fastest 100 Backstroke Performance In History

2023 NEW SOUTH WALES STATE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS

Multi-Olympic champion Kaylee McKeown broke the World Record in the women’s 200m backstroke on day one of the New South Wales State Open Championships but wasn’t close to resting on her laurels.

Racing on day two at SOPAC, 21-year-old McKeown ripped a time of 57.84 in the 100m backstroke to not only take gold here but also put up the 10th fastest performance in history.

After establishing herself as the 2nd-seeded swimming out of the heats with a mark of 1:00.76, McKeown got herself into an entirely other gear to crush the 57.84. The Griffith swimmer opened in 28.27 and closed in 29.57 to easily defeat Mollie O’Callaghan and Olivia Lefoe who touched behind for respective silver and bronze.

O’Callaghan put up a strong swim in her own right, producing a time of 59.41 while LeFoe was well back in 1:01.26 to round out the podium.

McKeown’s time tonight represents the 10th fastest performance in history and the Aussie now owns 4 of those top 10 times.

This 57.84 result would have easily taken gold at the 2022 World Championships and destroys the 58.60 McKeown posted for gold at last year’s Commonwealth Games.

Top 10 Women’s LCM 100 Backstroke Performances All-Time

  1. Kaylee McKeown, 57.45 2021
  2. Kaylee McKeown, 57.47 2021
  3. Regan Smith (USA), 57.57 2019
  4. Kaylee McKeown, 57.63 2021
  5. Regan Smith, 57.64 2021
  6. Regan Smith, 57.65 2022
  7. Kylie Masse (CAN), 57.70 2021
  8. Kylie Masse, 57.72 2021
  9. Regan Smith, 57.76 2022
  10. Kaylee McKeown 57.84 2023

Entering this meet, McKeown ranked as the 2nd swiftest swimmer on the season with her mark of 57.93 from the Vic Open, sitting behind American Regan Smith‘s 57.92 from the Pro Swim Series in Fort Lauderdale. Now McKeown is back on top, setting up a potentially monumental battle between the pair this summer in Fukuoka.

2022-2023 LCM Women 100 Back

2Regan
Smith
USA57.7106/30
3Katharine
Berkoff
USA58.0106/30
4Mollie
O'Callaghan
AUS58.4206/14
5Claire
Curzan
USA58.5906/30
View Top 26»

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John26
1 year ago

2:07 for McKeown 200IM tmr? If she drops as much time as her 200back. It should be doable

John
1 year ago

Crazy how 57.9 won’t crack the top 10 anymore

Chas
1 year ago

4/4/2. What other events have the top 10 all-time performances spread among currently active athletes?

Drives home what a special opportunity 2023-24 is for all of us. I hope the athletes and coaches enjoy it as much as the fans.

DK99
Reply to  Chas
1 year ago

Men’s 100 Breast and Women’s 4+8+15 come to mind

Steve Hulford
Reply to  Chas
1 year ago

This is one of the most exciting races these past years – with these three incredible women.

jeff
Reply to  Chas
1 year ago

there’s the 100 fly, with the top 26 performances held by active swimmers – 11 by Sjostrom, 6 by Zhang Yufei, 4 by Huske, 3 by McKeon, and 2 by MacNeil. Sjostrom and Zhang are tied for 25th at 55.96 and then 27th is Vollmer’s 55.98 from London

jeff
Reply to  jeff
1 year ago

the 100 back is close though with 18 swims under Baker’s former WR time

Willswim
Reply to  jeff
1 year ago

Do women’s 800 and 1500 count? All the top times were swum by an active swimmer.

jeff
Reply to  Willswim
1 year ago

oh yeah somehow I forgot about that but I guess that counts. The top 33 swims in the 800 are by active swimmers (Titmus has the 29th and 31st fastest) but only the 14th fastest in the 1500 are by Ledecky. Also the top 19 swims in the 400 are under Pellegrini’s best but that should go up a bunch in the next couple years given that McIntosh hasn’t even been under it yet

Sub13
Reply to  jeff
1 year ago

MacNeil only has two swims in the top 26!? She definitely picked the right two races to swim them in.

Jfhhfd
Reply to  Sub13
1 year ago

Would be more but maggie paces herself in prelims and semis

jeff
Reply to  Sub13
1 year ago

lmao yeah, the only two are her gold medal swims from 2019 Worlds and the 2020 Olympics

Emily Se-Bom Lee
Reply to  Chas
1 year ago

m200 breast – the top 20 times are from zsc, chupkov, sato, wilson, watanabe and kamminga

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.

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