The McKeown family legacy grew on Friday at the 2015 Swimming Australia Grand Prix in Townsville, when 13-year old Kaylee McKeown broke the Australian Age Record in the 200 long course meter backstroke, swimming a 2:12.04 for 3rd-place overall.
Kaylee is the younger sister of Taylor McKeown, who won the 200 breaststroke at the 2014 Commonwealth Games last year.
The younger McKeown’s time was more than a second clear of the old record, which was a 2:13.11 done by Amy Forrester in 2012.
Comparing internationally, this time is well faster than a 13-year old Missy Franklin swam, but not quite as fast as the fastest American 13-year old in recent memory Elizabeth Beisel, who swam a 2:11.6 in 2006.
Editor’s note: since we know you’re all wondering, Krisztina Egerszegi, who is historically the gold standard for young backstrokers, was a 2:11.86 in December of 1987 when she was 13 years old. She would go on to win the gold medal at the 1988 Olympic Games the next year just after her 14th birthday. That 1987 swim still stands as Hungary’s National Age Group Record.
According to the records of the Hungarian Swimming Association (http://www.muszuszoranglista.hu/#) Krisztina Egerszegi, born in 1974, swam, on 20-12-1987 in Orlando, 2:11.86 on 200 back. With this she still detains the NAG record of her country.
Good find Piponya, though she would’ve been 14 by December 12th. Some countries define age records by year rather than by actual age.
In fact, no: she was born on 16 August 1974, and turned 14 just a month before the Olympic Games. Her winning time in Seoul, achieved on September 25 1988, was 2:09,29.
You’re right, I was off by a year. I’ll mention above.