Night 2 Finals - Australian Swimming Trials

KAYLEE McKeown nudged her world record when swimming the second-fastest women’s 100m backstroke ever – and was disappointed.

McKeown came within eight-hundredths of a second of her global benchmark tonight at the Australian Swimming Trials at Brisbane Aquatic Centre stopping the clock at 57.41 seconds.

“I’m a little bit disappointed,” McKeown said.

“But I have booked myself another ticket to Paris so that’s just another chance to go faster.”

The 22-year-old now holds the six fastest times in the event’s history and the reigning Olympic 100m and 200m backstroke champion is adding the 200m individual medley to her program at next month’s Paris Games.

McKeown on Monday night set a Commonwealth record in the medley, a feat that may have denied her a fresh backstroke benchmark.

“If you’re going to get up and do a 200 (medley) at max effort, you’re not going to come in the next day being refreshed – no matter what you do,” she said.

“The Olympics is just like that. If all goes to plan I will have nine individual events plus relays, so I have got to put myself in harm’s way here.”

Freestyle ace Mollie O’Callaghan finished second in 57.88 to secure a spot in what she described as her “fun event”.

But given her packed freestyle schedule, O’Callaghan may opt out of the backstroke in Paris.

“I don’t know yet. It really depends on if I qualify for the next few (freestyle) events, that’s the main thing,” the 200m freestyle world record holder said.

“The 100 backstroke for me is a fun event, I don’t really train for it, so to go out there and do a 57 is just amazing.”

Also having fun was 15-year-old Sienna Toohey who tonight broke a National Age Record set by one of the Dolphins’ greatest – Leisel Jones.

Toohey shot out of the blocks and although she was overtaken by veteran Jenna Strauch and Ella Ramsay, she touched in 1:07.01 to place third – and break the 24-year-old mark of 1:07.31 of Jones in Sydney.

It was a swim by Jones that won her silver at a home Games.
As Mitch Larkin missed his initial opportunity to become the first Australian man picked to swim at four Olympics, the Dolphins are also set to cap Tasmanian Maximillian Giuliani after the Tasmanian won the 200m men’s freestyle in 1:45.83 from Thomas Neill (1:46.02).

Triple Olympian Larkin finished fourth in the men’s 100m backstroke final, with Isaac Cooper first in 53.46 ahead of Bradley Woodward (53.53) and Enoch Robb (54.14).

In the men’s 50m freestyle battle, S10 athlete Tom Gallagher edged Rowan Crothers in thrilling para-sprint – 23.50 to 23.91 while Grant “Scooter” Patterson clocked 1:04.89 in SB2 50m breaststroke.