Kaylee McKeown secret shows she is Australia’s most under-appreciated star
News kept secret by an Aussie sporting phenom before her world championship swim shows why she is Australia’s most under-appreciated athlete.
Swimming
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Some Aussies just don’t get it.
For those that do recognise Kaylee McKeown as one of Australia’s greatest athletes, it’s easy to see why.
The 24-year-old phenom on Tuesday night added another chapter to her legendary tale when she produced a personal best swim to take gold over rival Regan Smith at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore.
The ocker-as-they-come, unassuming assassin produced one of her greatest swims to finish just 0.03 seconds short of her American rival’s world record in the 100m backstroke.
It was only after the event that McKeown confirmed she had dislocated her shoulder in the lead up to the event.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, McKeown and her team had deliberately kept the news quiet.
It would be enough to wipe out most athletes, but McKeown is no normal athlete. She also won gold at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 with a shoulder injury that was eventually revealed to have been a serious labrum tear.
She has battled personal issues, changes of coach, injuries, fatigue and extreme nerves, but there is no stopping her when she gets in the water.
Her championship record time of 57.16sec was 0.19sec quicker than Smith. She did it in fairytale fashion, coming over the top of her opposition in the final 25m.
This was another chapter in the storied rivalry between the arch-rivals.
The 23-year-old American set a world record of 57.13sec at the 2024 US Olympic trials, snatching McKeown’s world record.
However, McKeown got the better of the American to win gold at the Paris Olympics, relegating Smith into silver in both the 100m and 200m backstroke.
Ahead of Singapore, McKeown and Smith shared the 20 fastest times in history. Smith once more pushed McKeown all the way, the Australian’s time a personal best on the way to a fifth world gold.
“I’m really, really proud. It’s a little bit emotional, I’ve worked so hard just to get myself into a happy state and it’s just what I’ve been focusing on,” said McKeown.
“I think it goes to show that a happy swimmer is a fast swimmer. I have trained hard but I wasn’t expecting to make a personal best tonight.”
The five-time Olympic gold medallist’s victory underlines her status as the undisputed force in women’s backstroke.
Smith is the world record holder, but nobody can touch McKeown when it comes to racing when it really matters.
McKeown has done the double-double at Olympic level and is the only Aussie — in any sport — to win four individual gold medals after taking gold in the 100m backstroke and 200m backstroke at the Paris Games, defending her crowns from Tokyo in 2021.
She is far from finished.
On the horizon is the goal of becoming one of only a handful of athletes — including Dawn Fraser — to have won the same event at three Olympics.
Her performance on Tuesday night showed you’d be a fool to write her off.
In commentary on Channel 9, Mat Thompson said: “She’s the ultimate racer. She’s unbelievable. She’s unstoppable”.
It’s why it’s time for Australia to put some damn respect on her name. Here is an athlete deserving of more public praise. An absolute warrior.
While she remains nothing but respectful and full of class in public appearances, her comments on Tuesday night showed she has a killer-instinct that all champions have.
When asked about her rivalry with Smith and if she felt sorry for always beating her at major meets, McKeown said “Not at all. That’s swimming and the nature of it. You’ve got to be competitive and get up there.
“If she beats me, she would feel the same way. It’s just what happens. People beat people.”
Code Sports reporter Lachlan McKirdy was one of many swimming commentators to try to explain McKeown’s performance.
“Kaylee McKeown, Queen of the Backstroke. Just incredible, yet again,” he posted on X.
Aussie Olympic champion Mollie O’Callaghan said McKeown is “an absolute beast”.
Iconic TV news anchor Sandra Sully wrote: “McKeown dislocated her shoulder four weeks ago. She just produced one of the swims of her life”.
One fan wrote: “Kaylee McKeown has the biggest cajones of any Australian sports person I can remember.
“All she does is win in any circumstance. Our greatest swimmer ever.”
Another person posted: “At her most physically vulnerable, McKeown used the bit above her shoulders and got it done.
“Not sure Australia has ever produced a more clinical swimmer in individual competition.”
McKeown still has the 200m backstroke to come this meet where she will be chasing Ian Thorpe’s record of six individual gold medals at the World Aquatics Championships.
She already has five and it appears there will be plenty of gold to come.
Originally published as Kaylee McKeown secret shows she is Australia’s most under-appreciated star
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