Kaylee McKeown swims second-fastest 200m backstroke ever at Australia Olympic Trials

Australian Kaylee McKeown swam her third historic time in four days, recording the second-fastest 200m backstroke in history at the Australia Olympic Trials on Thursday.

McKeown clocked 2 minutes, 3.30 seconds in Brisbane, missing her own world record by 16 hundredths of a second.

Earlier this week, McKeown won the 100m back in the second-fastest time in history and the 200m individual medley in the fourth-fastest time in history (and world’s best time in nearly eight years).

McKeown, 22, is the reigning Olympic gold medalist in the 100m and 200m back, a world champion in both events and the world record holder in both events.

In the 200m IM, she took silver at the 2022 Worlds, then was disqualified after her semifinal at the 2023 Worlds for an illegal turn.

At the Paris Olympics, her primary challenger in each event could be an American. The U.S. Olympic Trials start Saturday (broadcast schedule here).

Regan Smith is the second-fastest woman in history in the 100m and 200m backstrokes and took silver to McKeown in both events at the 2023 World Championships.

Kate Douglass is the two-time reigning world champion in the 200m IM.

On Aug. 2 at the Olympics, the women’s 200m back final is at 8:39 p.m. local time. The women’s 200m IM semifinals start at 9:34 p.m.