Australia’s multi-Olympic gold medalist Kaylee McKeown hasn’t stopped since Tokyo, already putting up the top 100m back and 200m back times in the world this year.
McKeown clocked both of the #1 times in the world at last month’s Victorian Open, with the versatile ace posting marks of 58.31 and 2:04.64, respectively. The latter time beat out what it took McKeown to win gold in the event in Tokyo (57.47, Olympic Record).
With these types of recent performances, it appears that McKeown’s move from the USC Spartans under Chris Mooney to Griffith under coach Michael Bohl has been a smooth transition. Mooney is now at the helm of the Bond swimming program and McKeown chose to move in a different direction.
Speaking to NewsCorp Australia, McKeown said that family was a big part of her decision to move to train alongside sister and 2016 Olympic finalist Taylor McKeown,
“(Family) was probably 90 percent of my reasoning to move down to the Gold Coast,” she said. “My mum is moving down to the hinterland and Taylor is already down here so it was going to be quite lonely for me and I’m a big family and friends person, so to not have that support there I knew I would struggle.
“I think the move not only swimming-wise but outside of the pool-wise has been really good for me.
“I think surrounding yourself with people who are driven and motivated really does put you up in a level of training that you may not be able to reach in certain squads and surrounding myself with those sorts of people will inevitably make me a better swimmer.
“I think it was just the right path for me to go down if I wanted to make myself a better person and grow mentally and physically as well.”
McKeown’s father Sholto, died in August 2020 at the age of 53 after a two-year battle with brain cancer.
Looking ahead to the Commonwealth Games, which take place in Birmingham in July and August, McKeown is reportedly thinking of adding two additional individual races to her 100m/200m backstroke double.
The 50m backstroke, 400m IM and 200m IM are being tossed around, the latter of which she actually qualified for Tokyo before deciding to drop the race from her program.
Should McKeown race all 3, she could match Ian Thorpe or Susie O’Neill’s 6-gold medal Commonwealth Games hauls. But, it’s a big ‘if’ for adding all three events.
“I’m not going to lie, I hate swimming the 400 IM so if I can get out of that I definitely will, but I do love the 200 medley so we will see what happens,” McKeown gold Newscorp Australia.
“It could be something to look out for that is for sure.
”You want to have this (year) as a pathway and step to eventually getting behind the blocks at an Olympics and not only doing two individual events but potentially three or four.”
Schedule-wise, should McKeown race the 5 individual events plus relays, this is how her Commonwealth Games may look. The races are actually spread out quite nicely, save for the grueling 200m back/200m IM double on Monday, August 1st.
Possible McKeown Commonwealth Games Schedule:
Friday, July 29th:
- 400m IM Heats in AM
- 400m IM Final in PM
Saturday, July 30th:
- 100m Back Heats in AM
- 100m Back Semi-finals in PM
Sunday, July 31st:
- 100m Back Final in PM
Monday, August 1st:
- 200m Back Heats, 200m IM Heats in AM
- 200m Back Final, 200m IM Final in PM
Tuesday, August 2nd:
- 50m Back Heats in AM
- 50m Back Semi-finals, Mixed Medley Relay final in PM
Wednesday, August 3rd
- 50m Back Final, Women’s Medley Relay final in PM
McKeown’s best times and the all-time world and Australian ranks are below.
| Event | Best Time | Date | Aussie All-Time Rank | World All-Time Rank |
| 50m Back | 27.16 | May 2021 | 1 | 6 |
| 100m Back | 57.45 WR | June 2021 | 1 | 1 |
| 200m Back | 2:04.28 | June 2021 | 1 | 3 |
| 200m IM | 2:08.19 | June 2021 | 3 | 8 |
| 400m IM | 4:32.73 | December 2020 | 2 | 14 |
The selection criteria document for Comm Games has been updated and they appear to be pre-selecting medalists from Tokyo:
https://www.swimming.org.au/sites/default/files/assets/documents/2022_commonwealth_games_-_nomination_criteria_march_22.pdf
So I guess the only medalists that will peak for trials are those that intend to compete at Worlds?
The 400IM is a tough event. I would prefer to see it at the end of the program. However, the Commonwealth Games has weak fields relative to the major competitions. I’d like to see McKeown take it on. She could qualify without having to work too hard and then really go for it in the final. I would expect McIntosh to win but it would be quite a race.
McIntosh will be favourite if she swims it.
“The latter time beat out what it took McKeown to win gold in the event in Tokyo (57.47, Olympic Record).”
You mean it beat out the 2:04.68 Olympic Record, because 2:04.64 is not faster than 57.47 hehe
Commonwealth Games does seem the ideal place to try out the monster Phelps/Lochte level schedule. No semi finals for 200 events. A lower level of competition than Worlds/Olympics, though enough superstars to at least make the finals interesting (Kylie Masse in particular).
Same tbh
Why couldn’t they just get rid of semi-finals …….. period ???
Yes, there will be some events where you may have a couple of Olympic/World medallists so as to make THAT question interesting. However, there are, most likely, less than a handful (if any, really) where you would actually have a full 8 lanes of World finals level ….. and that is with 3 per country allowed.
Straight heats to finals would not only save major guns a number of extra swims; they would also mean the fringe finals contenders having to bring their A game to make finals. It goes without saying that it would also make extending their race programs a far more attractive proposition for the… Read more »
yes, agree – get rid of semi finals
Wasn’t there a deep dive done on that here? From memory the difference between the top 8 into the semis and those that made the final was negligible. Sure you’d get the odd Franziska van Almsick in ‘94 situation without semis – but that’s the exception. I’d rather see more stars take on bigger programs.
A certain young Canadian is a pretty good reason to dodge the 400IM. She’d be the favourite for the 200IM, but the 50bk would be pretty open imo.
Sounds like she doesn’t want to swim 4 IM, which is totally understandable lol.
But the 4IM fits perfectly into the schedule haha…