McKeown Crushes 2:07.19 200 IM Personal Best, Drops Nearly One Second

2023 SYDNEY OPEN & UNISPORT NATIONALS

With the Australian World Championships Trials on the horizon for next month, swimmers are taking the opportunity to get in some final tune-ups at the 2023 Sydney Open which kicked off today at SOPAC.

Among the eye-catching swims on day one was a new personal best by Kaylee McKeown in the women’s 200m IM.

21-year-old McKeown ripped a new career-quickest result of 2:07.19 en route to gold tonight, becoming the world’s 7th fastest woman ever in the process.

The Olympic multi-medalist scorched the 2IM field this evening, with the next-closest competitor represented by Ella Ramsay who touched in 2:14.15 for silver while Kayla Hardy rounded out the top 3 in 2:15.05 for bronze.

As for McKeown, the Griffith swimmer’s lifetime best entering this 3-day competition rested at the 2:08.16 she recently put up at the Australian National Championships last month. That already scored a new All Comers Record and rendered her the 3rd fastest Australian in history.

Splits below show how McKeown attacked the race on the front half, while her breaststroke split represented a .29 drop from her April PB.

MCKEOWN’S NEW 2:07.19 PB MCKEOWN’S PREVIOUS 2:08.16 PB
27.88 28.14
31.95 32.45
37.03 37.32
30.33 30.25

With tonight’s effort, McKeown now frog-hops Alicia Coutts to sit only behind Stephanie Rice as the #2 Australian in history. In fact, McKeown is fast approaching Olympic champion Rice’s longstanding Australian Record of 2:07.03, falling just .16 shy of the mark Rice logged over a decade ago.

Top 5 Australian Women’s LCM 200 IM Performers All-Time

  1. Stephanie Rice – 2:07.03, 2009
  2. Kaylee McKeown – 2:07.19, 2023
  3. Alicia Coutts – 2:08.15, 2012
  4. Jenna Forrester – 2:09.32, 2023
  5. Emily Seebohm – 2:09.93, 2010

McKeown already ranked #2 in the world entering this Sydney Open and she remains in that slot, however, she further sets herself apart from the rest of the world. She only ranks behind Canada’s phenom Summer McIntosh who established a monster World Junior Record of 2:06.89 at the Canadian Trials.

2022-2023 LCM Women 200 IM

SummerCAN
McIntosh
03/30
2:06.89 WJR
2Kate
Douglass
USA2:07.0907/01
3Kaylee
McKeown
AUS2:07.1905/12
4Alex
Walsh
USA2:07.8907/01
5Yu
Yiting
CHN2:08.3405/02
View Top 26»

 

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Miss M
1 year ago

58:33 for Kaylee in the 100 back.

Miss M
Reply to  Miss M
1 year ago

28:82
29:51

She makes sub-59 look very easy.

Sub13
Reply to  Miss M
1 year ago

Absolutely. A 58.3 has only been beaten by herself and Smith this year, so swimming that in the same session as a 400IM PB is pretty remarkable.

Nono
1 year ago

After an amazing 50free, I was looking forward to Cam’s 100free.
Just checked the program and looks like he is not even entered, which was also the case at Nationals. I thought it was just a scratch.

I hope we see him swim it at Trials.

Miss M
Reply to  Nono
1 year ago

I have a suspicion he’s switched to the 50 only.

Miss M
1 year ago

47:69 for Chalmers in the 100

Boomer
Reply to  Miss M
1 year ago

Damn! That’s fast

Miss M
Reply to  Boomer
1 year ago
Sub13
Reply to  Miss M
1 year ago

Wow that looked totally effortless too. I still believe we haven’t seen Kyle’s PB in the 100 free yet.

Joel
Reply to  Sub13
1 year ago

Agree Sub13

Sub13
Reply to  Miss M
1 year ago

If that’s unrested then that is a spicy time. That would have to be one of his fastest if not fastest time at a minor/in season meet?

Argentina on top 🇦🇷
Reply to  Sub13
1 year ago

No, his fastest was 47.48 in April 2019.

Miss M
Reply to  Sub13
1 year ago

All the Marion swimmers looking good – I’d say they have had some rest.

Nono
1 year ago

First sub 48 this year for KK
47.69

Sub13
1 year ago

Fair weather 1:55.8 in the 200.

Wilson and Pallister both about a second off their PBs which is pretty good for in-season. Both significantly faster than Nationals.

Swifter
1 year ago

What a real deal and role model this young woman is.
Chapeau.

flicker
1 year ago

every breath you take playing during Kaylee’s 400im lol

Joel
1 year ago

4.31.68 PB 400 IM for McKeown

Sub13
Reply to  Joel
1 year ago

By 0.06 haha. But still a PB. Pretty good effort for an event she has already announced she won’t swim internationally.

Joel
Reply to  Sub13
1 year ago

Good practice for 200IM

Sub13
Reply to  Sub13
1 year ago

Actually just had a quick look and she’s set PBs in 7 events this year (multiple PBs in some events):

200 Free, 200 Back, 50/100/200 Breast, 200/400 IM

Multiple Olympic Champ and WR holder and she’s still making significant improvements

Nono
Reply to  Joel
1 year ago

She really loves this pool. A WR and a few PBs.

Torchbearer
Reply to  Joel
1 year ago

She is such an amazing swimmer, that at a small meet, in a non-core event, she swims a 4:31 400m IM and we all go …….. meh!

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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