2023 SYDNEY OPEN & UNISPORT NATIONALS
- Friday, May 12th – Sunday, May 14th
- Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Center (SOPAC)
- LCM (50m)
- Meet Site
- Start Lists
- SwimSwam Preview
- Day 1 Prelims Recap
- Live Results
With the Australian World Championships Trials on the horizon for next month, swimmers are taking the opportunity to get in some final tune-ups at the 2023 Sydney Open which kicked off today at SOPAC.
Among the eye-catching swims on day one was a new personal best by Kaylee McKeown in the women’s 200m IM.
21-year-old McKeown ripped a new career-quickest result of 2:07.19 en route to gold tonight, becoming the world’s 7th fastest woman ever in the process.
The Olympic multi-medalist scorched the 2IM field this evening, with the next-closest competitor represented by Ella Ramsay who touched in 2:14.15 for silver while Kayla Hardy rounded out the top 3 in 2:15.05 for bronze.
As for McKeown, the Griffith swimmer’s lifetime best entering this 3-day competition rested at the 2:08.16 she recently put up at the Australian National Championships last month. That already scored a new All Comers Record and rendered her the 3rd fastest Australian in history.
Splits below show how McKeown attacked the race on the front half, while her breaststroke split represented a .29 drop from her April PB.
| MCKEOWN’S NEW 2:07.19 PB | MCKEOWN’S PREVIOUS 2:08.16 PB |
| 27.88 | 28.14 |
| 31.95 | 32.45 |
| 37.03 | 37.32 |
| 30.33 | 30.25 |
With tonight’s effort, McKeown now frog-hops Alicia Coutts to sit only behind Stephanie Rice as the #2 Australian in history. In fact, McKeown is fast approaching Olympic champion Rice’s longstanding Australian Record of 2:07.03, falling just .16 shy of the mark Rice logged over a decade ago.
Top 5 Australian Women’s LCM 200 IM Performers All-Time
- Stephanie Rice – 2:07.03, 2009
- Kaylee McKeown – 2:07.19, 2023
- Alicia Coutts – 2:08.15, 2012
- Jenna Forrester – 2:09.32, 2023
- Emily Seebohm – 2:09.93, 2010
McKeown already ranked #2 in the world entering this Sydney Open and she remains in that slot, however, she further sets herself apart from the rest of the world. She only ranks behind Canada’s phenom Summer McIntosh who established a monster World Junior Record of 2:06.89 at the Canadian Trials.
2022-2023 LCM Women 200 IM
McIntosh
2:06.89 WJR
| 2 | Kate Douglass | USA | 2:07.09 | 07/01 |
| 3 | Kaylee McKeown | AUS | 2:07.19 | 05/12 |
| 4 | Alex Walsh | USA | 2:07.89 | 07/01 |
| 5 | Yu Yiting | CHN | 2:08.34 | 05/02 |
58:33 for Kaylee in the 100 back.
28:82
29:51
She makes sub-59 look very easy.
Absolutely. A 58.3 has only been beaten by herself and Smith this year, so swimming that in the same session as a 400IM PB is pretty remarkable.
After an amazing 50free, I was looking forward to Cam’s 100free.
Just checked the program and looks like he is not even entered, which was also the case at Nationals. I thought it was just a scratch.
I hope we see him swim it at Trials.
I have a suspicion he’s switched to the 50 only.
47:69 for Chalmers in the 100
Damn! That’s fast
Race video: https://youtu.be/DMAcZt_8b9U
Wow that looked totally effortless too. I still believe we haven’t seen Kyle’s PB in the 100 free yet.
Agree Sub13
If that’s unrested then that is a spicy time. That would have to be one of his fastest if not fastest time at a minor/in season meet?
No, his fastest was 47.48 in April 2019.
All the Marion swimmers looking good – I’d say they have had some rest.
First sub 48 this year for KK
47.69
Fair weather 1:55.8 in the 200.
Wilson and Pallister both about a second off their PBs which is pretty good for in-season. Both significantly faster than Nationals.
What a real deal and role model this young woman is.
Chapeau.
every breath you take playing during Kaylee’s 400im lol
4.31.68 PB 400 IM for McKeown
By 0.06 haha. But still a PB. Pretty good effort for an event she has already announced she won’t swim internationally.
Good practice for 200IM
Actually just had a quick look and she’s set PBs in 7 events this year (multiple PBs in some events):
200 Free, 200 Back, 50/100/200 Breast, 200/400 IM
Multiple Olympic Champ and WR holder and she’s still making significant improvements
She really loves this pool. A WR and a few PBs.
She is such an amazing swimmer, that at a small meet, in a non-core event, she swims a 4:31 400m IM and we all go …….. meh!