The Australian Olympic Trials don’t take place until June but already we’re getting glimpses into prospective athletes’ schedules for the Games.
22-year-old Kaylee McKeown has made her ambitions known, targeting a potential six events for Paris 2024.
Already a 3-time gold medalist from Tokyo, McKeown has her sights set on the 100m/200m back, 200m IM, women’s 4x200m free relay, women’s 4x100m medley relay and the mixed medley relay.
McKeown already dabbled in this kind of hectic schedule at the New South Wales State Open Swimming Championships earlier this month. There she raced in a trio of events on the last night, racing in rapid-fire style in the 200m free, 200m IM and 50m back.
Should McKeown qualify across all six events, the Michael Bohl-trained star could be facing the following Olympic schedule.
Day 1
- OFF
Day 2
- OFF
Day 3
- Morning – 100m back prelim
- Evening – 100m back semi-final
Day 4
- Morning – OFF
- Evening – 100m back final
Day 5
- OFF
Day 6
- Morning – 200m back prelim, 4x200m free prelim
- Evening – 200m back semi-final (3:10 pm), 4x200m free final (3:48 pm)
Day 7
- Morning – 200m IM prelim, mixed medley relay prelim
- Evening – 200m back final (2:39 pm), 200m IM semi-final (3:34 pm)
Day 8
- Morning – women’s 4x100m medley prelim
- Evening – 200m IM final (2:50 pm), mixed medley relay final (3:33 pm)
Day 9
- Evening – women’s 4x100m medley relay
McKeown, who currently owns 4 individual world records, is up for the challenge, despite the fact that days 6-8 of the Olympic schedule could bring multiple finals on the same night with little rest in between.
“I don’t think anything’s crazy to be honest with you,’’ she said. “I think if you can think about it and dream about it, you have every opportunity and every kind of motivation to get up there and try to be one of the best.”
Bohl echoes her outlook, saying, “If there’s anyone who can double up, it’s Kaylee.
“She gives you everything she’s got all the time.”
i’m just here for the metric system. 🙌
Finally a story over this last week or so that isn’t about some 100y or 372m ‘world best’ lol
I think swimmers like Kaylee & Summer McIntosh will sit down with their coaches & decide whats best for them & both coach & swimmer will know better what is good for them.
Especially someone like Summer, who could medal in 6 individual events & this will be up to swimmer & coach to decide which event she takes on.
Eg as an Aussie, I’d prefer she took the 800 free instead of the 200 free as I would rather her take gold in the 800 as opposed to the 200. I’m sure as an American it would be the opposite, her choosing the 200 free ahead of the 800 free.
Well for Summer we know she is doing the 400IM the only event in which she is favored to win you could also argue about the 200 fly but no where near as dominant. the 400free i think she will give Titmus a better race this time but i do not see her overtaking her in 2024 i think she will eventually but not this year same for the 200m free not beating the 2 aussies we know how stacked the 200IM is. the 800free Ledecky more experience in that race and will probably taper big for olympics so i have her as the favorite i would be surprised if its added for this year in her program for Paris.
I think she should swim the heats, right now she could opt for fourth/fifth place, the final 2 remaining spots (after Mollie and Titmus) are for: Pallister, Throssel, Mckeown or Jack. Of these four, the ones I see the most are Pallister (sub 1.56) and Throssel, they both did pb this year, as did Mckeown, I would bet because Lani will surely swim this relay.
Throssel and Mckeown have PBs very similar 1:56.0
I think McKeown should skip the 200IM and focus on her other races.
I’m sure you’d love that lol
No way should Kaylee skip the 200 IM. I want to see all of the top 4/5 contenders battle it out in Paris. This race has the opportunity of being a classic if all of the top contenders swim to their level.
So do I, I just think she’s taking on too big of a schedule.
The 200 back depth isn’t great – a 2:11 and 2:09 would qualify out of heats and semis so she could cruise them. They could also just put her on heats – at the end of the day, a gold medal is a gold medal
Think you’re overstatring your case when you’re saying that a 2.11 then a 2.09 will be “done deals” to progress. Those times MAY be sufficient but you probably wouldn’t want to wager “ye olde family homestead” on that proposition.
You are correct in stating that McKeown can cruise the various rounds; just that her “cruise times” are more likely in the 2.09 then 2.07-2.06 ranges respectively.
A gold medal is indeed a gold medal but its also true that every swim is energy expended from the finite “fuel supply” they have for the meet. Swimming the 4X200 heats may well bring her an additional gold medal but does it come back to bit her in later races ?
She has… Read more »
Zero issues whatsoever with her pursuing such a schedule for Trials. Having said that; it will then be time for some cold-blooded analysis with regards to her eventual schedule for Paris.
We can take as settled: 100 & 200 back & 4XMED
80-90% set: Unless we see something miraculous from male backstrokers; she swims MMR final and 200IM only comes into question if her time is unusually slow.
IF her 200free time at Trials sets her out as a “must have” for the 4X200 finals line-up then she swims it; if she’s “just another heats swimmer” then only if they need her.
Will grant that her level in 200back is such that she can almost sleepwalk the heats and… Read more »
4×200 I’m counting Titmus, O’Callaghan and Pallister for Olympic final – maybe between Jack and McKeown for the 4th spot .. no weak legs please !!
Jack swam 1.55.3 not long ago but that might be an outlier. If you’re going to swim a completely new team in the final and the fourth spot comes down to Jack or McKeown, the safer bet in my view would be to go for McKeown.
Think you’re both underselling Throssell who actually has the “track record” with this relay. Whilst I’m bullish regarding Pallister’s prospects for this relay; she hasn’t yet locked in her finals slot.
Concur regarding Jack’s PB being a probable outlier so I’d probably rank it as being between Throssell and McKeown for the final spot (assuming Pallister as no3).
Outside of Jack’s 1.55.3, she also swam 1.55.6 in the WR relay at the WC last year.
She swam a very conservative race & pulled away from a charging Ledecky in the last lap.
So I wouldn’t sleep on Jack in the 200 free.The potential is there,
Can certainly agree she swam a sensible and mature leg in Fukuoka …. and deserves all due credit for it. Against that, we have her “fly and …..die an incredibly painful death” leg in Doha; admittedly in a much weaker line-up.
People talk up her 1.55.3 and it is indeed a matter of record however she has no other 200 outings of anywhere near that calibre, be they individual or relay (where her PB would suggest legitimate sub 1.55 potential).
She’s certainly a very real contender for selection for this relay; however I think Throssell has “more runs on the board” with this relay and what I’ve seen of Pallister so far this season has me mildly “bullish” regarding… Read more »
She is swimming 50-200 freestyle, the only Aussie contender doing all 3.
She trains with MOC & Titmus & she knows for this event she is not at their level.
She also trains with Throssel as well, so she knows what she needs to swim to make the 4X 200 team & the only event that required her to swim well was the 4×200 relay, which she swam a very smart race.
I agree. Jack’s 4×200 leg was impressive. She handled the pressure from Ledecky well. She didn’t panic and she kept enough petrol in the tank for a strong last 50 metres.
O’Callaghan and Titmus are the standouts in the 200FS and then you have about six swimmers who are bunched around 1.55 mid to 1.56 low. I think McKeown’s PB is around 1.56.1. She could finish anywhere from third to eighth at the trials. A low 1.55 isn’t out of the question which would likely get her third or fourth place. If she also has a bit of a gap to whoever places fifth, I can see the Australian coaches putting her straight into the final. I don’t think she’d be keen on just being a prelims swimmer. As for the clash with the semis of 200BK, she’s so good in the event that she can qualify with minimum effort leaving… Read more »