Kaylee McKeown Wants Her World Record Back As She Battles Injuries And A Nervous Olympic Defence In LA

Kaylee McKeown Wants Her World Record Back As She Battles Injuries And A Nervous Olympic Defence In LA

Four-time Olympic backstroke champion Kaylee McKeown will this weekend kick-start her 2026 racing season on the road to the 2028 LA Olympics, when she continues her love affair with Australia’s “pool of dreams” the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.

McKeown will be amongst a host of Olympic and Paralympic champions, world record holders and rising international stars who will converge on the SOPAC pool for the 2026 NSW Speedo State Open Championships.

And for McKeown it’s about launching her next big goal. To take back the world record for the 100m backstroke from US archrival Regan Smith as she also battles to manage her injuries on the way to LA28.

Between McKeown and Smith, the two fastest female backstrokers in history own all 25 of world’s fastest 100m backstroke times – McKeown with 13 and Smith 12 – the US girl on top with her world mark of 57.13.

Here is a look at the Top Ten Fastest Times

It will be one of the LA Games’ most intriguing contests with the US Games just two years away and the pair set to resume their rivalry at this year’s Pan Pacs in Irvine, California.

McKeown revealing, she continues to battle injuries, having persevered through significant left shoulder issues, including a labrum tear before the Tokyo Olympics and a dislocation just weeks prior to the 2025 World Championships in Singapore.

Despite these injuries, Australia’s backstroking golden girl has won gold at both events, using rehab and physiotherapy to manage the pain

“We are just managing my way through (towards the Trials in June) but the older I get the more injuries that keep coming up. I’m just trying to plan my way up to LA,” McKeown told Channel 7 during the recent Australian Dolphins training camp on the Sunshine Coast.

REACHING FOR TH STARS:  Kaylee McKeown in action at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre. Photo Courtesy Wade Brennan (Wade’s Photos)

And admitting she was nervous thinking about the 2028 Games.

“I think I’ll be nervous and anxious walking into an atmosphere where two of my greatest rivals, world record holder Smith and Katharine Berkoff (Olympic and World Championship medallist) are both Americans,” said McKeown.

And even though she may have Olympic gold medals, world championships and world records, the 25-year-old says she still hasn’t fulfilled everything that she wants to, revealing: “I still want to get that world record back in the 100m.”

The women’s 100m backstroke world record (long course) has recently been defined by a fierce rivalry with Smith setting the current record of 57.13 seconds in June 2024; the record dropping from 57.57 (Smith, 2019) to 57.45 (McKeown, 2021) and 57.33 (McKeown, 2023) before Smith’s 2024 mark.

And for the next Olympic Games?

“I’m just going to enjoy it…I don’t think in my career I have enjoyed every step along the way. And If that means I don’t even make a final then so be it…I want to make myself proud for once,” she says.

McKeown has now settled back into her original training base as an age grouper on the Sunshine Coast, returning home after spending the last two Olympic cycles on the Gold Coast.

SEIZING THE MOMENT: Coach Michael Sage and Kayleen McKeown embrace post her win in the 100m backstroke, Singapore 2025. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)

And feeling right at home under new coach Michael Sage at the University of Sunshine Coast and the USC Spartans group – she heads to Sydney after just coming off the National Training Camp at her home pool.

And this weekend, McKeown will again head to the Harbour City and the 2026 NSW Open Championships, the three-day meet attracting a host of Olympic and Paralympic champions and world record holders.

The venue of the Sydney 2000 Olympics, the record breaking 1999 Pan Pacs and the Australian Olympic Trials in 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008 has been McKeown’s happiest hunting ground over the past decade.

The two-time dual Olympic champion over 100 and 200m backstroke has produced multiple world-class performances and world record-breaking swims at the SOPAC pool, notably at the Sydney Open and NSW State Championships.

Setting the 200m backstroke world record of 2:03.14 in 2023, followed by a dominant 200m backstroke victory at last year’s NSW State Championships, cementing her status as the world’s premier female backstroker.

She set a 200m backstroke world record of 2:03.14 in 2023, followed by a dominant 200m backstroke victory at the 2025 NSW State Championships, cementing her status as a premier backstroker.

Here are her key performances at Sydney Open/NSW Championships:

FLAGGED FOR SUCCESS: Kaylee McKeown celebrates her 2025 World Championship in the 100m backstroke. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)

2025: Secured #1 world ranking with a 2:04.57 in the 200m backstroke, following a 57.73 in the 100m backstroke at the NSW State Championships.

2024: Won the 100m backstroke in 57.57s and the 200m backstroke in 2:04.21 at the NSW State Open Championships.

2023: Set a world record in the 200m backstroke (2:03.14) and won the 400m IM (4:31.68) at the Sydney Open/NSW Championships.

2021: Established new national records in the 50m, 100m, and 200m backstroke over a single weekend.

Joining McKeown, in the pool of dreams, will be fellow Olympic champion and former world record holder Zac Stubblety-Cook (Griffith, QLD) Olympic medallists Olivia Wunsch (Carlile) and Kai Taylor (St Peters Western, QLD) alongside hometown Paralympic hero, gold medallist and world record holder Timothy Hodge (Blacktown, NSW).

With the Australian Trials, Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacs looming later this year, the NSW championships will again serve as a crucial hit-out for Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, ensuring intensity from the very first heat.

McKeown, who has entered the 50, 100 and 200m backstrokes and 200IM, will face WA rising star, Paris Olympian and world championship silver medalist Iona Anderson (Highlanders, WA) in what promises to be one of the must-watch clashes of the weekend.

The freestyle events will feature NSW Olympic gold medallist Wunsch who will go head-to-head with fellow World Championship gold medallist Milla Jansen (Bond, QLD) and Carlile teammate Jaimie DeLutiis.

FIST FULL OF TALENT: Kai Taylor. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr Swimming Australia

While the men’s sprint freestyles will feature Queensland’s two-time world relay champion and Paris silver and bronze medallist Taylor and his powerhouse club mate, Queensland champion Jamie Jack up against NSW young guns, Cranbrook pair Marcus Da Silva and 50m specialist Ollie Moclair.

Breaststroke fans will be treated to a stacked line-up, with Olympic sprint specialist and world 50m champion Sam Williamson (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) continuing his comeback from major surgery tom his leg after a successful Victorian State Championships and former world record holder Stubblety-Cook building momentum in the 200m towards a third Games in LA.

Albury’s 2025 World Championship breaststroke debutant Sienna Toohey will also look to continue her rapid against all-comers to protect her patch.

The women’s individual medley events also promise tactical, edge-of-your-seat racing, with Olympians Ella Ramsay (Griffith, QLD), Jenna Forrester (St Peters Western, QLD) and Tara Kinder (Melbourne Vicentre) all set to battle it out in both the 200m against McKeown and 400m IMs.

In the Multi Class events, Paralympic champion, world record holder and local hero Timothy Hodge (Blacktown) returns to a venue where he has enjoyed enormous success, contesting the 100m butterfly and 100m backstroke.

With fellow Paralympic gold medallist Tom Gallagher will also feature, following a standout 2025 campaign that included two individual silver medals at the World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore.

 Adding further international flavour, swimmers from New Zealand, Sweden, Korea, Japan and Ireland will take to the blocks, including Swedish pair, World champion ship medallists Louise Hansson and Olympian Sara Junevik in the butterfly events.

EVENT INFORMATION:

With heats starting from 9:00am daily and finals at 6:00pm Friday and Saturday (5:30pm Sunday), spectators can experience three full days of elite racing in one of Australia’s premier aquatic venues.

Tickets are just $10 and available now at TICKETBOOTH through – www.nsw.swimming.org.au/events/2026-nsw-state-open-championships

For fans watching from outside Sydney, finals sessions will also be streamed live at:

www.watchsport.com.au/channel/swim-nsw