Kaylee McKeown Fires Off 57.57 100 Back At NSW Championships

By Retta Race on SwimSwam

2024 NEW SOUTH WALES STATE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Friday, March 15th – Sunday, March 17th
• Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Center
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Central
• SwimSwam Start List Preview
• Top 5 Races to Watch
• Heats Program
• Live Results
• Results also available via Meet Mobile: “2024 NSW State Open Championships”
• Day 1 Prelims Live Recap | Day 1 Finals Live Recap
• Day 2 Prelims Live Recap | Day 2 Finals Live Recap

While competing on day two of the 2024 New South Wales State Open Championships, world record holder Kaylee McKeown put up a scorcher of a swim to win the women’s 100m backstroke.

McKeown ripped a time of 57.57 to take the event by over a second tonight in Sydney, logging the 6th-best time of her career in the process.

Griffith’s 22-year-old McKeown opened in 28.27 and brought it home in 29.30 to separate herself from the field, one which included 200m free world record holder Mollie O’Callaghan and SCM 100 backstroke world record holder Minna Atherton.

19-year-old MOC registered a time of 58.71 (28.47/30.24) to snag the silver and Atherton was over the minute mark at 1:01.42 as this evening’s bronze medalist.

MOC was just off her lifetime best of 58.42 clocked at last year’s Australian National Championships. The St. Peters Western star now ranks 5th in the world on the season.

As for McKeown, her 57.57 represents the 6th-quickest performance in history.

Top 10 LCM 100 Backstroke Performances of Kaylee McKeown

1. 57.33, 2023 World Cup
2. 57.42, 2021 Australian Trials
3. 57.47, 2020 Olympic Games
4. 57.50, 2023 Australian Trials
5. 57.53, 2023 World Championships
6. 57.57, 2024 NSW Championships
7. 57.63, 2021 Sydney Open & 2023 World Cup
8. 57.79, 2023 Queensland Championships
9. 57.84, 2023 NSW Championships
10. 57.88, 2020 Olympic Games

Top 10 LCM 100 Backstroke Performances All-Time

1. 57.33 – Kaylee McKeown (AUS), 2023
2. 57.45 – Kaylee McKeown, 2021
3. 57.47 – Kaylee McKeown, 2021
4. 57.50 – Kaylee McKeown, 2023
5. 57.53 – Kaylee McKeown, 2023
6. 57.57 – Regan Smith (USA), 2019 & 57.57 – Kaylee McKeown, 2024
7. –
8. 57.63 – Kaylee McKeown, 2021 & 2023
9. –
10. 57.64 – Regan Smith, 2021 & 2024

The cat-and-mouse charade between McKeown and American Regan Smith continues.

Smith recently hit a time of 57.64 to establish a new U.S. Open Record at the Westmont Pro Swim Series. That ranks her #2 in the world behind McKeown’s world record-setting performance of 57.33 notched at the Budapest stop of the 2023 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup last October.

Now McKeown has surpassed Smith’s season-best again with tonight’s 57.57 head-turner.

SwimSwam: Kaylee McKeown Fires Off 57.57 100 Back At NSW Championships