"What better way to top it off with 2 world records" - Kaylee McKeown on "absolute beauty" 2023 season
22-year-old Kaylee McKeown achieved two wonderful milestones at the World Cup event in Budapest. The Australian swimmer has become the first woman in history to hold backstroke world records in 50m, 100m, and 200m.
Kaylee McKeown has emerged as one of the most promising swimmers in the international domain in recent years. She first showed her swimming prowess to the world in 2017 when the young swimmer competed at the World Aquatics Championships to win the silver medal in the 4x100m Medley. She also won the 50m, 100m, and 200m races in the 2023 world championship.
Besides being the reigning world champion in the three events, Kaylee McKeown recently clocked two impressive time-frames to become the record holder in the 50m and 100m races. At the World Cup event, the Australian swimmer emerged victorious in the 50m race with a time of 26.86 seconds, breaking the previous world record of 26.98s set by China's Liu Xiang in 2018.
Moreover, the 100m and 200m Olympic winner also bettered her existing 100m world record timing by clocking 57.33s. McKeown achieved 200m world record timing at the NSW State Championships where she finished the race with a timing of 2:03.14s in March 2023.
The Australian is now officially the first female swimmer to hold every backstroke record in the world. Celebrating her wonderful achievement, she posted a picture of herself on her Instagram and wrote:
"Crazy scenes here in Budapest and surprised with my results to say the least 🤭 It’s been an absolute beauty of a year and what better way to top it off with 2x WRs….excited and nervous for this coming season 🤪 Always a huge shout out and thank you to my support crew and sponsors 🫶🏼🫶🏼" she wrote.
Kaylee McKeown gives verdict on breaking the 50m world record
After breaking the world record in the 50m race at the World Cup event in Budapest, Kaylee McKeown said the record was just the result of her love for racing.
In a quick post-race interview with World Aquatics, she said:
"Look I don't know how, I think it's just a matter of coming and racing, I love racing, and I love getting up and saying what I can put myself through in a 50 and 50. It doesn't really matter what you do, you've just gotta put yourself on the line."
Furthermore, she also expressed her love for racing at Duna Arena in Budapest, Hungary. It’s the same pool where she won her first world title victory in 2022. She continued:
"I love this pool, I do have a bit of a love-hate relationship with it, but obviously I love it tonight, especially after that race, so it's good to be here, it's a good atmosphere, Hungarians always have the largest crowd, so it's really enjoyable."