KAYLEE MCKEOWN CRUSHES 2:05.83 200 BACK LIFETIME BEST TO TAKE OVER WORLD #1

2020 SOUTH AUSTRALIA STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

18-year-old Kaylee McKeown already made a statement at these 2020 South Australia State Championships with a lifetime best time of 58.52 in the women’s 100m back. That performance on day 2 marked her first occasion ever under the 59-second threshold in the sprint.

But the Sunshine Coast athlete was far from finished, as McKeown logged another career quickest outing on day 3, this time in the 200m backstroke distance. The teen produced a monster 2:05.83 to take gold at the SA Aquatic & Leisure Centre, as well as now rank among the sport’s greats.

Composed of splits of 1:02.06/1:03.77, McKeown’s 2:05.83 effort marks the first time the teen has ever been under 2:06 in the event. Entering these Championships, the younger sister of Olympic finalist Taylor McKeown’s lifetime best rested at the 2:06.26 put up at the 2019 FINA Aquatic World Championships.

There in Gwangju, McKeown’s 2:06.26 included splits of 1:01.36/1:04.90 to give her the silver behind American Regan Smith. Smith snagged gold in the world’s 2nd fastest performance of all-time of 2:03.69. Smith had earlier taken down Missy Franklin’s World Record in the semi-finals, establishing the new standard at an other-worldly 2:03.35.

Speaking of Smith, the 17-year-old phenom also nailed a 2:05 time this week, hitting a mark of 2:05.94 at the Pro Swim Series in Knoxville. That checked-in with a new meet series record and, briefly, set the world rankings standard for the 2019/20 season.

With McKeown’s menacing 2:05.83, the teen from down under now takes over the world rankings top spot early on this year.

TOP 5 WORLD RANKINGS- WOMEN’S 200 BACK LCM (AS OF 1/20/20)

1. Kaylee McKeown (AUS) – 2:05.83
2. Regan Smith (USA)- 2:05.94, 1/19/2020
3. Rio Shirai (JPN)- 2:07.87, 9/6/2019
4. Isabelle Stadden (USA)- 2:08.16, 11/8/2019
5. Taylor Ruck (CAN)- 2:08.21, 10/13/2019

Although Smith’s 2:03.35 World Record clearly puts the American in a league of her own, McKeown’s massive time drop at this January meet shows she is anything but backing down heading into the 2020 Olympic Games.

Her PB now makes McKeown the 2nd fastest Aussie of all-time, positioned only behind national record holder Emily Seebohm. Seebohm owns the Aussie NR at 2:05.61, a result she produced in 2017.

McKeown becomes just the 2nd woman from her nation to ever dip under the 2:06 threshold, making the Olympic hopeful the 7th fastest 200m backstroke performer in history.

All-Time Women’s 200m Backstroke Performers

Article Original Source by Swimswam