Kaylee McKeown Comes Close to World Record with 2:03.30 in 200 Backstroke

The 2024 Australian Olympic Trials Women’s 200 Back final saw Kaylee McKeown just miss her own World Record with a time of 2:03.30, making it the #2 swim of all time. She holds multiple records in the event, including the Australian Record, Oceanic Record, and Commonwealth Record, all set in 2023. Jaclyn Barclay and Hannah Fredericks also qualified for the Olympics with their performances in the final.

McKeown’s near miss in the 200 backstroke came after another close call in the 100 backstroke earlier in the meet, where she swam a 57.41, just off her own World Record of 57.33. She will be looking to defend her Olympic title later this summer, having won the event at the Tokyo Games in 2020. Regan Smith, the #2 performer of all time in the event, was not part of that field.

At the 2023 World Championships, McKeown and Smith battled it out in the backstroke events, with McKeown coming out on top. Smith currently sits behind McKeown this season with a time of 2:03.99 in the 200 backstroke. McKeown’s consistency in posting some of the fastest swims of all time outside of major competitions is evident in her performances at the Australian Trials. No other swimmer has gone below the 2:05 mark this season in the event.