Kaylee McKeown swims second-fastest 100m backstroke ever at Australia Olympic Trials

Kaylee McKeown swam the second-fastest 100m backstroke in history to win the Australian Olympic Trials in Brisbane on Tuesday.

McKeown, an Olympic and world champion and world record holder in both backstrokes, clocked 57.41 seconds. She was eight hundredths off her world record from last October.

“I’m not going to lie, I was a bit disappointed with that,” McKeown said on Australia’s Nine network. “There’s always room for improvement.”

McKeown, 22, owns the six fastest 100m back times in history.

The next-fastest swimmer is American Regan Smith, who held the world record of 57.57 until McKeown broke it at the Australia Olympic Trials in 2021.

Smith will bid to make her second U.S. Olympic team at trials in Indianapolis, which start Saturday.

Mollie O’Callaghan, the world record holder in the 200m freestyle, placed second to McKeown in the 100m back on Tuesday in 57.88 seconds to become the fourth-fastest woman in history in that event.

O’Callaghan said she has yet to decide which events she will swim at the Olympics. The 100m back semifinals are in the same session as the 200m free final in Paris. The 100m back final is in the same session as the 100m free semifinals.

2024 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials TV, live stream schedule

The U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials air live on NBC Sports and Peacock from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.