Australian Swimming Trials: Kaylee McKeown’s ‘dark place’ admission after winning 200m backstroke

Swimming superstar Kaylee McKeown has revealed how she struggled to find motivation after the Paris Olympics and found herself “in a dark place”.

Olympic star Kaylee McKeown swam a 2025 world-best 200m backstroke time with a stunning race at the Australian Swimming Trials in Adelaide.

The 23-year-old had previously been disappointed with her times at the trials but produced an explosive performance to finish with a 2:09.54 time.

McKeown was pleased with her performance

“I’m not going to be harsh on myself tonight, I am happy with that. It’s a good step in the right direction,” she said.

“I’ve got to get myself settled now and really use this year to dig my heels in and see what I can do over the next couple years.”

Kaylee McKeown powers through the water.

McKeown took out the 100m backstroke title earlier in the trials but had not been content with her swim, a time of 57.71 seconds, just 0.58 seconds slower than the current world record.

The Paris gold medallist revealed she had been struggling to find motivation after experiencing a post-Olympics lull.

“If I look back on my preparation for this year I had four months off, I wasn’t finding myself very happy,” she said.

“Coming off of the Olympics I was in a dark place mentally — I think when you’re coming off of such a high and you go back to such a low you struggle to find ideas of what to do next.”

With the top 200m backstroke time in the world this year now under her belt, McKeown has now turned her focus to the World Championships in Singapore and the 2028 Olympics in LA.

“It doesn’t matter what you do here, it matters what you do in an international meet so I just need to get my mind right and see what I can do in a few weeks.

“I want to go to my third Olympics, I want to be on American soil and show them what the Aussies have.”

Kaylee McKeown hugs Hannah Fredericks after winning the Women's 200 Metre Backstroke.

Finishing second in the final and qualifying for her first Dolphins team, junior or senior, was St Peters Western swimmer Hannah Fredericks.

The Dean Boxall-coached 22-year-old was overcome with emotion after her swim, which resulted in a 2:09.54 time.

“I can’t put into words how I feel,” she said.

“The time wasn’t the best thing in the world but when I touched that wall I did not give a shit about the time, as long as I qualified.

“Last year I lost a lot of belief in myself, I was so close to making the team last year.

“I’m so grateful for my parents and for Dean … I can’t put into words how much I idolise him.

“This means the world to me … to be competing alongside some of my best mates at the sport is amazing and I’m so stoked.”

Alexa Leary after winning the Womens Multi Class 100 LC Metre Freestyle.

CHALMERS IN BEST SHAPE OF HIS CAREER

Olympic champion Kyle Chalmers believes he is in the best physical shape he has ever been in after winning the national swimming trials 100m freestyle final.

The 26-year-old Olympic gold medallist exploded to a 47.29 second time in Adelaide, faster than the effort which saw him claim silver in Paris last year.

He credited the work he had done with his new coach as well as his mentality away from the pool for his newfound form.

“I think I’m just extremely happy,” Chalmers said.

Kyle Chalmers looks at the clock after winning the 100m freestyle crown. Picture: Getty Images

“I’m really content - I’ve got a fantastic new coach (Shaun Curtis) and people who work with me every day, I have a fiance who is incredible and I’m preparing to be a dad so there are so many amazing things going on outside of the pool that are allowing me to swim well in the pool.

“I think there have been significant improvements physically also - I’m not injured at the moment, my shoulders are great, my back is good…I’m in a really good place.

“It’s been a long time since my body has felt this good, if ever.”

Chalmers has done significant work to improve his 100m time since losing to Chinese swimmer Phan Zhanle in the Paris final.

Kyle Chalmers believes he’s in the best shape of his career. Picture: Getty Images

He said that while he was as competitive and driven as ever to reach new heights, he had also learned to put things in perspective and enjoy the journey.

“I’m able to flick that competitive switch very quickly and easily - I’m so desperate to win and I want to beat everyone…that comes very naturally to me but the challenge has been flicking that switch off when I’m away from the pool and I’m finally doing that.

“Everyone is very different but I think you have to enjoy what you’re doing.

“I look at my career and this is my 10th year on the Australian team - it goes so quickly, it doesn’t feel like it was that long ago that I was here for the 2012 London Olympics trials and standing next to Geoff Huegill at the urinal and I remember getting stage fright and having to go to the cubicle.

“Your career goes so quickly and you never know when it is going to end so I think you need to take some time to enjoy it…focus on the positives and live with gratitude.”

PALLISTER SMASHES NATIONAL RECORD

Emerging Australian swimming star Lani Pallister has broken the Australian record in the 800m freestyle with a remarkable swim in the national trials final.

The 23-year-old, who joined coach Dean Boxall at St Peters Western just months ago, posted a time of 8:10.84 to smash her personal best and claim the record previously held by Ariarne Titmus with an 8:12.29 set at last year’s Olympics.

Lani Pallister celebrates breaking the Australian record in the women's 800m freestyle with godmother Dawn Fraser. Picture: Getty Images

A thrilled Pallister credited squad mate Titmus and her coach after her race.

“I’ve wanted that record for so long,” she said.

“It’s bittersweet not having Arnie in the pool in this moment, she’s done so much for us and for Australian swimming.

“I have to thank her for what she’s done and for inspiring me as an athlete.

“I’m really stoked…I’ve only been working with Dean for eight to 10 weeks now so it’s going to be a big three years and I can’t wait to see what happens in this cycle before LA.”

Pallister made the decision to join Boxall’s squad and train alongside the likes of Titmus and Mollie O’Callaghan ahead of the 2025 season.

Lani Pallister smashed the 800m national record. Picture: Getty Images

She said she had already been pushed to new heights by her new coach’s approach and the quality of her teammates.

“I think it has been really interesting.

“For me (the move) was mostly about having a good group of distance swimmers to swim with and to challenge me every day.

“Everyone sees how passionate he (Boxall) is when we’re racing but I think what we have at St Peters is something really special and I’m really lucky I get to be a part of that now.

“The energy that comes out of that St Peters pool is electrifying.

“Everything now we’re treating as stepping stones towards LA (Olympics) and the goals we have for that.”

LEARY ALMOST BREAKS HER OWN WORLD RECORD

Paralympic champion Alexa Leary again came close to breaking her own world record in the women’s multi-class 100m freestyle final at the national swimming trials.

The 23-year-old gold medallist blitzed her way to a 59.54 second time, just 0.32 seconds slower than the world record she set in April.

The race adds to an already dominant trials performance by Leary, who also claimed the 50m final earlier this week.

“I was just off of it (the world record), I’m loving it,” Leary said of her result.

“I’m doing a lot of work with my coach Jon Bell, he’s an amazing coach.

“My tanks are 100 percent going to be aiming for the world record (at the Singapore World Championships.”

Originally published as Australian Swimming Trials: Kaylee McKeown’s ‘dark place’ admission after winning 200m backstroke