Australian Olympic champion Kaylee McKeown breaks world short course record
October 20, 2025 11:03 am
Australia’s five-time Olympic gold medallist Kaylee McKeown has set a world short course record in the women’s 200 metres backstroke.
McKeown swam 1 minute, 57.87 seconds at the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup in Westmont, Illinois on Monday AEDT.
She dipped under American rival Regan Smith’s previous world record mark of 1:58.04.
McKeown’s effort came a day after fellow Australian Mollie O’Callaghan broke the women’s world 200m freestyle record at the same meet.
In Monday’s final, McKeown edged out Smith (1:57.91), who had defeated the Queenslander in the 100m backstroke decider on Sunday.
Smith equalled her world record of 54.02 in winning the 100m event.
“I’ve had a pretty shocking week so far,” McKeown said.
“I wanted to see what I could do tonight. Regan pushed me … all the way. I wanted to go out hard and hold on.
“It’s not something that I’m used to doing.”
McKeown had swum 55.04 in finishing second to Smith in the 100m backstroke.
She relegated Smith to second place in the 100m and 200m backstroke finals at the World Aquatics Championships (long course) in Singapore earlier this year.
O’Callaghan, the reigning Olympic and world champion (long course) in the women’s 200m freestyle, swam 1:49.77 to break the world record on Sunday.
She became the first woman to swim under 1:50 for the 200m freestyle.
In the final of the women’s 100m freestyle on Monday, O’Callaghan could not catch American star Kate Douglass, who broke the short course world record held for eight years by Australia’s Cate Campbell.
Douglass won in 50.19 — 0.06 inside Campbell’s 2017 time — with O’Callaghan finishing second in 51.44.
Source: ABC
--Agencies
