2023 SYDNEY OPEN & UNISPORT NATIONALS
- Friday, May 12th – Sunday, May 14th
- Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Center (SOPAC)
- LCM (50m)
- Meet Site
- Start Lists
- SwimSwam Preview
- Day 1 Finals Recap/Day 2 Finals Recap
- Live Results
The 2023 Sydney Open concluded tonight from SOPAC but not before 21-year-old Kaylee McKeown put up another explosive performance.
Already having scorched new personal bests in the 200m IM and 400m IM here, Olympic multi-medalist McKeown crushed a time of 2:04.18 in the 200m back.
Opening in 1:01.04 and closing in 1:03.14, McKeown beat the field by over 10 seconds tonight en route to producing the 2nd fastest time of her career.
McKeown set the World Record in this 200m back last month at the Australian National Championships, hitting a time of 2:03.14, while her personal best before that rested at the blistering 2:04.28 logged at the 2021 Australian Trials.
Kaylee McKeown‘s Top 5 200 Backstroke Times
- 2:03.14, 2023
- 2:04.18, 2023
- 2:04.28, 2021
- 2:04.31, 2021
- 2:04.69, 2020
McKeown’s time of 2:04.18 ranks as the 5th fastest performance in history and the Aussie now owns 2 of the top 5 best swims ever.
Top 5 Women’s LCM 200 Backstroke Performances All-Time
- 2:03.14 – Kaylee McKeown (AUS), 2023
- 2:03.35 – Regan Smith (USA), 2019
- 2:03.69 – Regan Smith (USA), 2019
- 2:04.06 – Missy Franklin (USA), 2012
- 2:04.18 – Kaylee McKeown (AUS), 2023
I’ll pay treefiddy for an Australian competition without inane comments.
The comments have been crappy ever since Australia’s success in Tokyo.
No they haven’t. There’s just a herd of you Australians who run around and dump on everyone and everything under the sun, but the second anyone even looks sideways as an Australian, y’all send the bat signal out about how “omg it’s so terrible in here.”
I don’t know if it’s all Australians, or just the crew that comments here, but you guys dish what you can’t take, and it’s starting to really get old. Just talk about swimming. Stop whining about how mean everyone in the comments is to Australians. It’s boring and nobody cares.
Would you like to cite some examples?
Yeah all Australians sit here & wait to dump on everyone and everything under the sun & we dished it all out & play victims when we under attack, we are all total ratbags.
Maybe read what you write before writing
Exactly. If you can’t take the heat, then get out of the kitchen! Let them enjoy their hand me down gold medals from the Covid Olympics lol
I think you’ll actually find, if you look properly, that nearly all Australian commentators on here are respectful of all swimmers regardless of nationality.
Yes we cheer our swimmers the most, but we also respect Ledecky and McIntosh etc etc.
Lol. Goes out of his way to attack Australians on an article about Australia saying that no one ever attacks Australia.
Irony = 100. Self awareness = 0.
Australians are easily triggered. It’s fun trolling them. They think they have it all. But now there’s a new darling in swimming and she’s so much more talented!
McKeown is swimming very fast.
Time vs. Place. Regan vs. Kaylee. At the three most-important events in swimming – Olympics, World Championships, Olympic Trials – place is superior to time. As for all the other meets, time wins out. We remember Michael Phelps for Olympic gold medals won, not world records set. Records are temporary, medals are forever. Right now, Kaylee owns three Olympic gold medals – two individual, one relay. Regan owns zero. Kaylee is the one who is in the right place at the right time.
Phelps was a racer, he loved to race, that is why he’s the GOAT.
Is Phelps the only one in the history of swimming who loved to race, who loves to race? Or, can there be room for more? Also, Phelps’ Olympics success had nothing to do with his becoming a ”GOAT?” Interesting.
No there was a lot more to Phelps.
What I meant was despite having huge programs, while others fatigued, Phelps got up everytime, he was a racer, hence my comment, not the only reason he is the GOAT.
You are absolutely right. When the stakes were the highest, so was he. And no one – before or since – has come close to his accomplishments. But had he raced just as hard each and every time and finished second instead of first, he would not be considered the GOAT. Even if he had set all those world records. Which was my original point. A swimmer’s place in history is superior to a swimmer’s time in history. And when the discussion is Kaylee vs. Regan, Kaylee must be considered the better swimmer at this point in their careers, unless somehow silver and bronze have usurped gold at the Olympics.
Yes I agree.
Unless I missed something, the article doesn’t even mention Smith. Totally unnecessary to take a swipe at her to pump Kaylee up.
I’ve never seen your username before and I’ve noticed a lot of new accounts recently posting nasty and inflammatory stuff just to drum up fighting. I assume you’re one of those.
Have you read the comments, as well? It seems Regan’s name is quite popular. And if you look at the time of my posts, I was not the first to bring her name into the conversation. I was neither taking a swipe at her, nor was I posting anything nasty or inflammatory. But you can continue to read between the lines of what was written. There are those who choose sides based on times swam, and other who prefer to look at medals won. What is more memorable? There are countless photos of those with medals hung around their necks. Never seen a single snapshot of someone wearing a world-record time at the bottom of a ribbon draped over their… Read more »
This girl only posts fast times only in Australia. It must be nice having a 49m pool.
Yeah ok, I’ll bite. This swim is in the pool used and built for the Sydney Olympics, pretty certain it was built within specs and is NOT 49m as you suggest.
I heard those dirty Aussies pushed the walls in on either side 1/2 metre each end.
This is why McKeown only posts fast time in Australia & can’t win elsewhere, Oh hang about didn’t she Olympic & WC wins??? Na she was racing girls with short arms at the Olympics.
Macewan and her Covid gold medals lol. Let’s see if she can get a WR/best time when she swims a legit pool outside of Australia.
Her winning times at the so called ‘covid olympics’ are yet to be matched by another swimmer since then. Or was the Tokyo pool also 49m?
You’re just jealous because your inflatable pool has a hole in it.
Tell me, why is it that Australians only get WRs at home and nowhere else? When was the last time they had a WR outside their country. Australians are bigger cheats than the Russians smh
When was the last time Summer had a WR outside of her country?
Strawman. If you can’t answer my question, then it’s true that Australians are cheaters. Ps. Summer was dropping big times last year and this year (outside of Canada) before the WRs at home. A true talent!
I’m just trolling the troll. Aussies did just fine at the 2021 Olympics and 2022 Worlds without any WRs. Do you think you can build a 49m pool and just get away with it? Doesn’t work like that, friend.
Australia did set world records in both the Tokyo Olympics and 2022 Worlds actually.
It’s annoying that the trolling on here is getting worse and worse and nothing is being done about it. But I like that you take on the trolls haha.
They were all relay WRs though right (not taking away any of the credit, but this gentleman is talking about individual WRs I think)?
Can’t wait to see Summer absolutely destroy Titmus and McGoon in a legit pool! Stay tuned!
It’s so fun seeing you try all kinds of angles to troll after running dry of arguments. It’s cute.
Can’t wait for you to cry when Summer destroy the Aussie women. Imagine getting owned by a 16 year old.
Maan I always have so much fun telling you trolls this: I am not Australian. I like Summer McIntosh, and I am very excited for whatever she might achieve. I like the aussies better but that’s irrelevant.
Make sure you buy Kleenex from Costco then. You’ll be crying cus the Aussie women will be embarrassed. lol
We don’t have Costco here 🙁 however will I survive?
Even worse. Must be Brit. No wonder you cheer for the Aussies. Your women can’t deliver lol
Wrong again. Please do try to figure out my nationality though, these insults are so entertaining.
In the past two years Australians have set world records in Tokyo, Birmingham, Budapest, Kazan, Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne.
Pretty sure no other country even comes close to that diversity lol. But nice troll attempt.
Those lame short course WRs no one cares about? lol
Kazan and Melbourne are the only cities I listed with SCM WRs. The other 5 cities had LCM WRs set by Aussies 😊
She was only 0.02s off her WR in the 100 back final in Tokyo (faster than Smith’s previous WR) and she’s broken WRs in three different pools so I guess they all must be short.
SC 200 Back – Brisbane Aquatic Centre
LC 100 Back – SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre
LC 200 Back – Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre
Again Covid Olympics. And those are all in Australia. I’ll be impressed if she can do it in Japan soon.
Again, saying ‘covid olympics’ is not an argument.
It is an asterisk on the record book. Like that recent W200 breast.
Come on, at this point I’m just exasperated. What arguments do you have that this is the case? Saying it doesn’t make it true.
Did covid shrink only Kaylee’s lane in Tokyo? Clever virus.
Oh didn’t you know, Troyy? Australia invented Covid in order to win Olympic medals. The virus killed millions but it also was capable of temporarily changing pool lengths in specific lanes. It was a foolproof plan.
And they would have gotten away with it too, if it weren’ for…
Yes who could have guessed it would all be exposed by Titmus’s Sleep Paralysis Demon! LOL
I had fun. See you in the next comment section. Just a friendly reminder that the Aussie women’s days are numbered. Queen Summer is here!
Think of how fast she could have gone if they were playing an 80s soft-rock classic during the swim!
As impressive as Regan has been thus far this year (and she has been really impressive) it feels like Kaylee’s just constantly one-upping her. We will know more after Aus and US trials though.
Can Regan handle the sustained pressure?
While I agree that’s true, if you look at Regan’s in-season times from 2019, she’s had bigger drops than Kaylee. I’m really excited to see how it plays out this year.
She has a different coach now so I don’t think that logic necessarily applies. Bowman’s swimmers usually swim fast in season.
Aren’t Bowman’s swimmers always broken down from tons and tons of yardage?
Isn’t Regan in the pro group?
I’m not sure what you’re trying to say here: Smith had bigger time drops from in-season to Worlds in 2019 and therefore she will beat Kaylee at Worlds this year?
That doesn’t really track. You expect big drops from a teenager.
Never say never, but I think assuming Smith will drop the exact same amount this year as she did in 2019 is pretty misguided.
We won’t really know anything after Aus & US trials. After Worlds, we will know that Regan is once again the best backstroker in the world.
The success Kaylee has been having will actually be a big boost to Regan, because it essentially gives her permission to go faster. It can be destabilizing when success comes faster and easier than expected, and I think Regan had a hard time processing being so far ahead of the rest of the world as a 17-year old high school kid. She seems to have regained her winning mindset under Bowman, and Kaylee’s recent success will be the catalyst that propels Regan to new heights.
You realize kaylee mckeown is only 21 right? Double Olympic gold/World short course/ world record holder 100/200 back. Add in same for comm games, and 200m back gold for world long course
Interesting theory. How do you know Kaylee’s recent success won’t just turn into even more success? How are you so familiar with Regan’s mindset? From what we have seen so far, she can have trouble dealing with pressure. Let me be clear: I hope she will be at her best at Worlds. I am just of the opinion that – from everything we’ve seen so far this year – even her best might not be enough to beat Kaylee.
I don’t agree with this comment overall, but I found this point wise and thought-provoking. It reminds me of an interview with Ashton Eaton, the retired decathlon superstar, who was known for his thoughtful interviews nearly as much as his athletic ability. For those who aren’t familiar with Eaton, he was an incredible talent, long viewed as the next great decathlete in waiting. After dominating the collegiate ranks, he broke out in 2011, finishing second at Worlds with a score of 8505 points, and there was a lot of buzz around him leading up to the 2012 Olympics, that perhaps he could step up to the top step… Read more »
I’m certainly glad for Regan having extra motivation. But you seem extremely confident that she’ll definitely take both her WRs back at Worlds. Making any claim like that with any kind of certainty seems a bit silly at this point.
So I suppose we should apply this logic to Titmus as well- she will be energized by McIntosh to again reign as middle distance queen…or does this theory only work for Smith?
The theory only works for their favorite swimmers and don’t work for swimmers they don’t support.
The next 5 all time performances are Kaylee’s as well so 7 of top 10 performances.
Kaylee Mackeown now owns 6 of 10 fastest 200 back performances ever:
#1, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9