2020 QUEENSLAND CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Saturday, December 12th – Friday, December 18th (Day 1 relays only; Days 5-8 are age group)
- Brisbane Aquatic Center
- LCM (50m)
- SwimSwam Meet Preview
- Day 1 Recap/Day 2 Recap
- Entries/Live Results
- Live Stream ($)
Day 3 of the 2020 Queensland Championships brought the heat once again, with key players to the tune of Emma McKeon, Cameron McEvoy and Kaylee McKeown in the water.
The latter already did major damage at this meet, putting up an Australian national record in the women’s 100m back en route to becoming the 2nd fastest performer ever worldwide. McKeown also laid down a massive PB in the 400m IM that same night to become Australia’s 2nd fastest woman all-time. You can review those big-time swims in the recaps above.
Today, McKeown took on the 200m IM/200m back double, wreaking havoc across both.
In the former, she hit a new personal best of 2:08.23. That hacked more than a second off of her previous career-swiftest and established a new All Comers Record. You can read more about her achievement in this event here.
But the USC Spartan was far from finished, as she took on the 200m back event before the same session was through. Roaring to the wall first, McKeown crushed a winning effort of 2:05.16, beating the field by over two and a half seconds.
It was just last month that McKeown established the fastest time of her career and a new Australian national record in a menacing 2:04.49. That time rendered the teen as the 3rd quickest swimmer in history, situated only behind Regan Smith and Missy Franklin, both of the United States.
McKeown earned silver in the 200m back at the 2019 World Championships behind World Record Smith, with the Aussie producing a then-solid outing of 2:06.26. Flash forward to late 2020 and McKeown has already obliterated that with her aforementioned 2:04.49 while reinforcing her prowess with the 2:05.16 tonight after her 200m IM.
In its own right, the 2:05.16 ranks among the top 10 performances all-time, worldwide.
Splits for both of McKeown’s swims tonight are as follows:
2:08.23 200m IM 
2:05.16 200m Back
Anyone know where emily seebohm is ? You would think she will take the opportunity to race long course given it’s an Olympic year .. also maddie groves ?
Emily Seebohm has just returned from the ISL and undertaken the mandatory two weeks COVID isolation that is reserved for overseas travellers. Maddie Groves has not been on the racing scene since Pan Pacs and has struggled with endometriosis. Unlikely that Maddie would be considering the Olympics given her Struggles with limited training, no race practice, multiple changes of coaches, and illness over the last few years.
She is in the running for Female Swimmer of the Year I suspect…
You would hope so.
I wouldn’t be surprised if she swan a low 155 in the 200 free and get put on the relay
Stephanie Rice 2.
whoever downvoted this doesn’t know their swimming history. she reminds me SO much of stephanie rice! even looks like her
With her rate of improvement, perhaps she could win the 200IM in Tokyo. More wide open than the 100 back. She could also win the 100 back but will be tough tough tough tough but not impossible. Congrats!
She is the second most likely swimmer to win the 100 bk AT WORST.
Nah, I think she can win the silver, but Smith will go a 56.
ON FIRE
wow. she is a star. Love versatile swimmers
She’s impressive. though I’m not sure swimming back/IM qualifies as versatile these days. I suppose being medal-class in the 100 back and 4IM probably does qualify!
Doing a great IM by default is versatile.
She also did a 1:07 100 BR and 54 100 FS.
Not sure if anyone else in the world can match her across this range of events.
Idk, I think one swimmer in Rio finalled in both 100 bk and 400m IM. Oh right hosszu.
Don’t get me wrong. Mckeown is on fire and she’s looking to be great in Rio. But don’t claim she is “the most versatile” when hosszu did the exact same lineup with greater side events and sjöström does stuff like the 50 fly and 200m free combo in LCM.
Hosszu is an absolute champion, and I think you could make a very strong case she is the premier female swimmer of the last 20 odd years. But at present is nowhere near her peak (see ISL), and can’t swim these events near as fast as McKeown. Even at Hosszu’s prime she is well short of McKeown’s backstroke times, and probably lcm brst and fs as well.
McKeown comfortably beat Hosszu in most if not all of these events based on how they each have swam the last 2 years.
That may very well change by Tokyo and I wouldn’t be surprised, but right now Hosszu isn’t close.
The Lochte double! Very impressive. That’s some vicious splitting on the 2back: 30.0, 32.0, 32.1, 31.0. It does help some when she can cruise 2:15 and 2:17 respectively in prelims.
Very impressive. How long between these swims? If she wants both IM and both Backstroke at Tokyo the double is 100Bk/2IM I think which is surely possible on this evidence. A hard decision on whether to drop one or not though. She has a stong shot at 4 medals if she goes for them all (the backstrokes do look especially loaded this time though).
There’s considerable difference from a domestic meet where she can dawdle along in the heats then smoke it in the finals to Olympics where she cannot afford to fool around in the heats plus the complication of the extra (full-on) swim required in semis.
The 400IM (being straight heats/finals at beginning of Olympic program) is therefore an easier addition than the 3 additional swims involved with adding the 200IM. She may well look to adding it to her roster for majors (Worlds/Olympics) going forward but its debateable she will take on all 4 individual events (not taking into account relays) for Tokyo.
About 25 minutes between the two swims