2025 AUSTRALIAN SWIMMING TRIALS
- Monday, June 9th – Saturday, June 14th
- SA Aquatic & Leisure Centre, Oaklands Park, South Australia
- Prelims at 11am local (9:30pm ET night before)/Finals at 7:30pm local (6:00am ET) nights 1&2; 7pm local (5:30am ET) nights 3-6
- LCM (50m)
- Swimming Australia World Championships Selection Criteria
- Meet Central
- Livestream (VPN needed outside of Australia)
- Start List
- Heat Sheets
- Live Results
- Recaps
- Prelims: Day 1
Women’s 50 Backstroke – Prelims
- World Record: 26.86 – Kaylee McKeown, AUS (2023)
- Australian Record: 26.86 – Kaylee McKeown, (2023)
- All-Comers Record: 26.86 – Kaylee McKeown, AUS (2023)
- 2023 Trials Champion: Bronte Job – 27.73
- SwimAustralia Qualifying Time: 27.74
Top 8
- Kaylee McKeown (USCS) – 27.27
- Mollie O’Callaghan (STPET) – 27.72
- Hannah Fredericks (STPET) – 28.21
- Alyssa Burgess (HLDR) – 28.28
- Elizabeth Gan (SYDU) – 28.32
- Semra Olowoniyi (NUN) – 28.46
- Layla Day (BOND) – 28.49
- Emily Jones (HUNT) – 28.52
- Zoe Ammundsen (NCOLL) – 28.54
UPDATE: Kaylee McKeown‘s result of 27.27 appears atop the Live Results page as the top seed. With the delay of the publication of tonight’s heat sheet, one had to wonder if she had won the appeal and its subsequent release confirmed the suspicions. Tom Decent of the Sydney Morning Herald reported the news and reasoning behind the withdrawal of the disqualification.
Confirmed by Swimming Aus: “McKeown, the world record holder, was DQ’d after being ruled to initiate an early start from lane four of heat one but her protest was upheld after officials ruled in her favour that she was distracted by a movement immediately prior to the signal.” https://t.co/e5kxlwYjqG
— Tom Decent (@tomdecent) June 9, 2025
McKeown will take the middle lane in the A-Final, with Zoe Ammundsen relegated to the first alternate.
World Record holder and 2023 World Gold medalist Kaylee McKeown was disqualified in the first heat of the prelims of the Women’s 50 backstroke. McKeown, who opted not to enter the 200 IM, which was earlier in the session, was called for a false start after initially recording a time of 27.27.
McKeown has 30 minutes to contest the call, but the video replay shows the slightest of head nods upon the start.
World Record Holder Kaylee McKeown was called for a False Start in the 50 Back Prelims. (McKeown is in lane 4) https://t.co/EuBLX9t7V8
— SwimSwam Live (@SwimSwamLive) June 9, 2025
This is not the first time that the Australian star has been DQed at a major meet. In 2023, she was disqualified for an illegal back to breaststroke turn in the semifinals of the 200 IM at the Fukuoka Worlds.
Taking the top seed in McKeown’s place tonight is fellow 2024 Olympic gold medalist Mollie O’Callaghan. The 200 free champion finished in a time of 27.72, and while it was an addition of .56 from her seed, she was the only swimmer, save McKeown to not only be under the SwimAustralia Qualifying time of 27.74, but she was the only swimer under 28.00.
If the DQ is upheld and no more than two swimmers go under the time, McKeown could still swim the event if she makes the Australian team in another event, a likely scenario as she is the top seed in both the 100 and 200 back.
Only in Australia …….
Can’t blame the Aussies for showing preferential treatment to their superstar. USA would do the same for Gretchen or Ledecky
Based on her current form, McKeown only has a 5% chance of winning the 50 back at WCs. Berkoff for the win.
there are things I do not like about American culture, but this is not one of them.
What’s “this”?
That’s blatantly false. Tell that to Emma Weyant, the silver medalist in the W 400 IM at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, at the 2023 Phillips 66 National Championships.
You obviously watch people to watch results….ads flashing continuously can,t see races….hopefully another avenue arise so races can be seen
I wish I was there for the finals of this event — with my Cow Bell!
I slowed the replay down frame-by-frame. I think I’ve found what’s going on.
Kaylee begins her start with her back pushing backward, whereas most of the other women begin their movement by throwing their head back.
With that said, Kaylee does not initiate any sort of movement prior to any of the other women initiating movement; it just so happens different body parts (and of different sizes) are moving, but they are definitely simultaneous.
Even with the replay I couldn’t even find it
Me neither, and the video was on X so as soon as I accidentally let it get to the end they sent me to a video of 2 men in masks breaking into a convenience store. By comparison Mckeown’s start seems pretty innocuous😂
Her head moves after she is set but well before the beep. It’s so subtle that I’m surprised it was called in the first place. Glad it was overturned.
There’s a video of her start close up with just her in frame that shows it pretty clearly, she starts to throw her head back then stops. The one in the article is really not clear
You can do it Kaylee !!
Yay