Australian Swimming Championships, Day 2: News, results, and records from Olympic tune-up

Kaylee McKeown may have just become the third-fastest woman in history in the 400m individual medley but she’s adamant the event will not be appearing on her schedule any time soon.

Kaylee McKeown broke her second national record in two days after a big win in the 400m Individual Medley. Picture: Getty Images

One and done.

Kaylee McKeown may have just become the third-fastest woman in history in the 400m individual medley but she’s adamant the event will not be appearing on her schedule any time soon.

McKeown laid down one of the best times in history, her 4min 28.22sec victory slicing more than a second from Stephanie Rice’s national record and erasing the Beijing Olympic gold medallist from the record books after she snared her 200m IM mark on the opening night of competition.

McKeown showed she would be a genuine gold medal chance in the event in Paris with a time that sits behind only current world record-holder, Canadian teen prodigy Summer McIntosh, and Rio Olympic champion Katinka Hosszu.

“I’m definitely happy I’ve done it,” McKeown said of knocking off Rice’s record.

“I do enjoy being challenged - as much as I hold a grudge to it.

“I’m just glad that I’ve got up and challenged myself in that way and hopefully in the long run, it’ll help me back up my racing in Paris.”

Kaylee McKeown competes in the Women’s 400m Individual Medley Heats during the 2024 Australian Open Swimming Championships at Gold Coast Aquatic Centre. Picture: Getty Images

The 22-year-old was racing under sufferance after believing her effort to win the 200m IM in a national record on the opening night of competition at the Australian championships on the Gold Coast would allow her to escape the gruelling event.

But coach Michael Bohl wanted her to build endurance ahead of what will be an exhausting Olympic program in Paris, where she will attempt to defend her 100m and 200m backstroke titles as well as add the 200m IM.

“We stick to one a year (in the 400m IM) and I’ve ticked that box now, so it’s off the table,” she said.

“I’m really fortunate that I can kind of just adapt into racing.

“I don’t need much of a rest as much of a taper at all. I just had Monday, Tuesday (off) and I’ve been able to get up and race really well so far.”

Kaylee McKeown looks on after winning the 400m individual medley. Picture: Getty Images`

The effort meant McKeown was absent from the 100m backstroke, which was won by Mollie O’Callaghan in 58.09.

“I’ve got a lot of work under my belt for the 100, so I don’t need to necessarily keep proving it to myself over and over again,” McKeown said of missing that event.

“I think the 400m is so out of my comfort zone that that’s what I kind of need at the moment.”

Olympic champion Zac Stubblety-Cook staged a trademark surge in the final 50m to beat a strong field in the 200m breaststroke, showing he is on track for a strong time at Olympic trials in eight weeks’ time.

Kaylee McKeown set a new Australian record in the 400m individual medley. Picture: Delly Carr

Stubblety-Cook trailed Japan’s Ippei Watanabe by more than half a second at the final turn but surged home to hit the wall in 2:07.50, well outside his former world mark of 2:05.95 but holding plenty of promise for later in the year.

“I’m just trusting my process and trying to get the best out of myself and that was probably a pretty honest effort tonight,” he said.

“There’s still a bit to work on, I think I rushed that first 50 but it hurt me a little bit at the end but we live and learn.”

Young gun Flynn Southam won the 200m freestyle from a crack field in 1:48.62, while Meg Harris and Shayna Jack dead-heated in the 50m freestyle in 24.28, while Lizzie Deckers set an Australian allcomers record to win the 200m butterfly in 2:05.20.

Sam Short won the 1500m in 15:03.25, a gutsy effort just 24 hours after setting the second-fastest 400m time in the world this year after being touched out by national teammate Elijah Winnington.

On track for a sub 15-minute swim for the first 1200m of the race, Short will line up again in the 800m on Friday against Winnington and South Korea’s world champion Kim Woo-min in a big week at work.

“I’m not rested at all, in heavy training so I tried to hurt myself as much as possible, it’s just money in the bank,” Short said.

“I was really good for 700 there and then started to fall apart a bit but it comes from hard training - was in no man’s land as well.

“So that’s kind of a mental battle and that’ll pay dividends every time.”

Kyle Chalmers pulled out of the 200m freestyle heats on Thursday morning but swam a butterfly leg for new Queensland outfit St Andrews, clawing ahead of the two swimmers that hit the water ahead of him with a split of 51.12.