It is not common to see female swimmers achieving fast times in backstroke and breaststroke events.
In fact, in shorter events, especially in short course meters, this isn’t too outside of the norm.
For example, in short course, Australia’s Emily Seebohm is the 11th fastest swimmer in history in the 50 backstroke at 25.83, and has a respectable 29.96 in the 50 breaststroke, nearly putting her in the top 50 all-time performers ranking.
Israeli Anastasia Gorbenko is the 14th-fastest performer of all-time in the 50 breast at 29.34, and is also Israel’s National Record holder in the 50 back in a time of 26.63.
Some other swimmers who have fast times in both events are American Kathleen Baker, Poland’s Aleksandra Urbanczyk and Finland’s Jenna Laukkanen.
But that’s in 50-meter events, in a short course meters, where speed and underwaters can be more decisive than swimming technique.
But what about 200-meter events in long course meters? The appearance of swimmers with fast times in the backstroke and breaststroke events is certainly much more rare.
It’s so rare that Kaylee McKeown achieved a rare feat during the 2023 Australian Swimming Championships on the Gold Coast.
By winning the 200 breaststroke in 2:24.18 (85th all-time performer), she became only the second swimmer in history to go under 2:25 in the event and also under 2:10 in the 200 backstroke.
(For those who don’t remember, McKeown is the current world record holder in the 200 backstroke, breaking Regan Smith‘s 2019 record of 2:03.35 in 2:03.14 in March.)
Only one other swimmer had achieved the feat: China’s Ye Shiwen, the 2012 Olympic champion in the 200 and 400 IM. Her personal best in the 200 back is 2:09.12, set in 2013 (91st all-time performer), and 2:22.53 in the 200 breast from 2019 (36th all-time performer).
Back in December, we took a look at the female swimmers with the fastest 800 IM add-up times (using PBs in each stroke 200). McKeown doesn’t have a 200 fly time on record, but with her impressive showings in the 200 breast and 200 free (1:56.88) at the Australian Championships to go along with her 200 back world record, a 2:10.32 200 fly performance would be enough to make her the fastest of all-time in an 800 IM add-up (Katinka Hosszu leads at 8:34.53). Ye ranks second in this category at 8:37.54.
McKeown and Ye are also the only two swimmers in the all-time top 100 performers ranking in both events in long course meters.
Below is a list of other female swimmers with noteworthy times in the 200 back and 200 breast. But they don’t come close to the level of excellence of McKeown and Ye in both events – so much so that the only top 100 all-time swimmer in one of the two events is Sydney Pickrem in the 200 breast, and she’s not even inside the top 300 in the 200 back.
Anastasia Gorbenko (ISR)
- 200 backstroke: 2:10.84 (2022)
- 200 breaststroke: 2:25.20 (2021)
Yui Ohashi (JPN)
- 200 backstroke: 2:10.39 (2017)
- 200 breaststroke: 2:26.30 (2021)
Noelle Peplowski (USA)
- 200 backstroke: 2:11.21 (2022)
- 200 breaststroke: 2:27.44 (2022)
Sydney Pickrem (CAN)
- 200 backstroke: 2:11.42 (2012)
- 200 breaststroke: 2:22.63 (2019)
Mary Sophie-Harvey (CAN)
- 200 backstroke: 2:10.60 (2021)
- 200 breaststroke: 2:25.37 (2017)
Allie Szekely (USA)
- 200 backstroke: 2:11.29 (2014)
- 200 breaststroke: 2:26.35 (2012)
If Summer trained breastroke more often she could do that too
If Summer wanted to be a unicorn she could as well.
I am currently of the opinion that she’s just not that talented at breaststroke ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ and I don’t think she will ever be able to be better at backstroke than either Kaylee or Regan (her backstroke split from her WR was slightly better than Hosszu’s, and Hosszu’s best 200 back is 2:05.85, the only time she was ever sub 2:06), even if she focused on it.
Summer will easily beat kaylee in breaststroke if she trained for it
Still not as impressive as mcintosh
McIntosh 🇨🇦🐐🇨🇦🐐🇨🇦🐐🇨🇦🐐🇨🇦
She is more naturally talented than Australian female swimmers
Was Beisel close at all? She had a decent breaststroke for someone who wasn’t a breaststroke specialist.
PB of 2:31.29 at a Grand Prix meet.
She did have a solid-to-good breaststroke leg of her IM as a non-breaststroker. Part of the challenge with accomplishing some of these things is the willingness to swim the race at a championship meet (where rested or not, everyone just goes a little harder).
I’m not sure Kaylee could produce a 2:10 200 fly tbh. She does not like it haha.
But she does have the fastest 100 stroke add ups of any swimmer. If she could somehow get the fastest 100 and 200 add ups that would be mighty impressive.
What is her 100fly?
1:00.13 from March last year. You would think she could better that a little in her current form.
Yes, surely sub 59 would be a given
According to Bohly she’s not been able to do much fly work because of her shoulder.
Still won’t beat mcintosh in individual medley events
In the present, I think Kate douglass is the most versatile swimmer in the 100m and Kaylee Mckeown in the 200m actually.
kate’s back fails and kaylee’s butterfly, but the other brands totally make up for it🤯
(Mention Summer mcintosh obv, Alex walsh, gorbenko too)
Kate 100: 53(free), 1.06/1.07 (breast), 56 (fly)
Kate will be about 1.06 in the 100 breaststroke, feet starting the 200 makes 1.08
Kaylee 200: 1.56 (free), 2.03 (back), 2.24 (breast)
Curzan in the 100? 52.6 free with relay start, 58.39 back and 56.20 fly
Yes, curzan too
but there are always more examples like her, that the breaststroke is one of those that you are good at is more difficult to see
like curzan mcneil, sjostrom…
More easy douglass have better back
Sjostrom has no breaststroke but her other three strokes put her in the picture: 51 (free), 55 (fly) and 59 (back).
Most definitely !!
Kaylee’s times in the 100:
Free 54.29, Back 57.45, Breast 1:06.86, Fly 1:00.13
That’s 3:58.73, which is the fastest add up of all time.
Kate Douglass in the 100 (taken from FINA so correct me if I’m wrong):
Free 53.99, Back 1:04.04, Breast 1:08.51, Fly 56.56
That’s 4:03.10
GORBENKO
54.35 + 58.23 + 59.30 + 1.06.69 = 3.58.57
Hosszu & O’connor were probably capable of combined 3.57s, but both had one stroke they didn’t really swim during their peak.
Been waiting for Gorbenko to pop a really fast 2IM for several years already.
She needs to actually train for that to happen.
Crazy talent, not enough work ethic
How do u know about gorbenko’s work ethic?
Oh I didn’t even think about Gorbenko! Interesting
Those times from FINA are surprisingly accurate for Douglass but her 100 breast and 100 back times are quite old. Hopefully she at least swims a 100 breast soon.
It’ll be interesting to see how much swimming at pro swims/etc KD does next year as a pro rather than college swimmer, she just hasn’t put up a lot of LCM (and SCM) times outside of trials meets and world championships. For whatever reason UVA doesn’t seem to send groups to TYR pro swims or world cup meets
Douglass is younger than kaylee she still can improve
Their birthdays are 5 months apart. They’re the same age.
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Tracy Caulkins?. Different era with baggy suits, but maybe?
Kaylee is super talented, like Alex Walsh, Kate Douglass, Summer McIntosh, and Katie Grimes.
I hope she’ll try the IMs in the big meets, even if she’s going to have the tough competition of those other women.
Bit disrespectful to compare McIntosh to … Douglass, Walsh, McKeown
True. Three of them have Olympic medals and one of them doesn’t.
Mcintosh will soon surpass kaylee btw she is so young
How many head injuries did you suffer as a child?
Sorry – I say ‘as a child’ as though you’re no longer one. Let me rephrase.
How many head injuries have you suffered in your 9 years on earth?
Hmm let’s see:
Kaylee: 2 LCM WRs
Summer: 2 LCM WRs
That’s a tie so far.
Kaylee: 3 olympic gold medals, 1 bronze
Summer: 0 olympic medals
Uh-oh, not looking good for Summer.
Kaylee: 7 WC medals
Summer: 4 WC medals
I have to agree: the comparison is disrespectful… to Kaylee.
Hmm let’s break it down a little more:
Kaylee: 2 LCM WRs
Summer: 2 LCM WRs
Definitely a tie so far.
Let’s break it down to Individual medals that they both competed at.
Tokyo Olympics 2021
Kaylee: 2 Individual Gold medals
Summer: 0 Individual medals
Kaylee wins no contest.
Budapest 2022 WC LCM
Kaylee: 1 Gold, 2 Silver individual medals.
Summer: 2 Gold, 1 Silver individual medals.
Summer wins that round on the basis of 1 more individual gold even though both ladies won 3 individual medals each.
Birmingham 2022 Comm Games LCM
Kaylee: 2 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze individual medals.
Summer: 2 Gold, 1 Silver individual medals.
Kaylee wins… Read more »
Oh mate, I am Hungarian, I can do you better than vegamite xd. Also, I was obviously trolling that very disrespectful “phelpsfan” guy. I have no problem with Summer, but I can’t stand her annoying, idiotic superfans.
I agree whole heartedly with you. Look being a Canadian I can tell you we are very proud of Summer but some of the hot takes are quite embarrassing and do not speak for the majority of fans. Thank goodness I don’t have too worry about the vegemite!
I would take your bet except I have no doubt Summer’s going to win more medals and set more WRs than any other swimmer in the years to come, so I would be stupid to, even though a bottle of maple syrup does sound nice.
Mcintosh is younger than kaylee and will soon surpass her
Wonder if Alex Walsh could do this too? Her 200 breast PB is a 2:31 but that was from before junior year of high school