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:
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 |
