“The Dominator” Kaylee McKeown Chasing Another Slice of Backstroking History
Kaylee McKeown will be chasing another slice of backstroking history after qualifying for her third event at this year’s World Championships – winning last night’s 200m backstroke in 2:04.47 at the Australian Trials in the fastest time for 2025.
The 21-year-old, now back where her Olympic career began at USC Spartans on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast will be chasing an unprecedented third 200m backstroke world championship – having won her two previous titles in Budapest in 2022 and Fukuoka in 2023.
THE DOMINATOR: Kaylee McKeown on deck at the 2025 Australian Trials. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)
“The Dominator” won everything there is to win – with her back-to-back Olympic 200m gold medals in Tokyo 2021 and Paris 2024 on top of the list; adding in the World Short Course title in 2022 in Melbourne and the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022 – unbeaten over the past five years – starting her international career at 15 in 2019 when she won silver in the 200m backstroke behind her arch rival Regan Smith – the last time she was beaten.
Kaylee McKeown’s LC World Championship Record – 200m backstroke
2019 (Gwangju) Silver
2022 (Budapest) Gold
2023 (Fukuoka) Gold
Her winning time lat night of 2:04.47 (29.12; 1:00.68;1:32.66) was the 17th fastest time ever swum and McKeown owns 13 of those fastest 20 times in history.
Second home behind McKeown was 22-year-old Hannah Fredericks (St Peters Western, QLD) rewarded with a place on her first Australian Team after agonisingly missing the Paris Olympic team – clocking her personal best and a QT of 2:09.54 ahead of club mate Jenna Forrester (2:11;79)
But McKeown knows there is still a lot of work to be done, saying: “I’ve got about six weeks to try and pull something together for the world stage.” said McKeown and with plenty of praise for Fredericks.
“I’ve been racing alongside Hannah for the longest time and you know, when you have friends that you race and they don’t do what they want to do in a race that is really tough, you take it on board yourself.
“I wasn’t happy with my race tonight, but I look across and Hannah’s in tears, it makes me so happy to see someone fulfil their dreams.”
Fredericks was in tears after qualifying for her first Australian team, thanking SPW coach Dean Boxall for taking her under his wing.
“To Dean thank you, this will make me cry even more, two years ago was the last time I swam in this pool. I swam a time that would probably never make a team ever,” said Fredericks.
“Dean took me under his wing, he believed in me, and I honestly can’t thank him enough. He dedicates everything to us his swimmers and to the sport of swimming, he’s had a tough bloody six months.
“He really just opened the world to me, to be honest I absolutely adore that man.
“This moment was always going to make me emotional. Last year I was so close and just missed the team, so this means the world to me.”
Victorian Connection Dominate 200IM
Meanwhile the Victorian connection – David Schlicht (MLC Aquatic, VIC) and Arizona State University and Will Petric (St Peters Western, VIC) and formerly of Nunawading, VIC dominated the men’s 200IM.
VICTORIAN CONNECTION: David Schlicht and Will Petric. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr Swimming Australia
Schlicht winning in a personal best time of 1:58.10 to make his first National LC team, from Paris debutant Petric 1:58.25.
Saying how privileged he was to train under the legendary coach Bob Bowman and alongside Olympic champions Leon Marchand and
“I learnt a lot from racing in the USA system, racing under any circumstance, I grew as an athlete, the squad I trained with were just phenomenal and being able to learn from Leon and Chase, they were just incredible, racing day-in-day out, even when you don’t really want to do it
“I want to dedicate this race tonight to my dad (Andrew); we lost him late last year. I know he would have been stoked to see that. I’m really happy to do that for him and my mum (Katrina) as well”
“Mum’s been holding down the fort since dad passed away and allowing me to just focus on swimming and she’s dealing with all the stress outside of that, so shout out to Mum, she really is the GOAT.”
True Britt Breaks Through With 200 Fly Win
The women’s 200m butterfly saw local South Australian rising star, Brittany Castelluzzo (Tea Tree Gully, S A) finally realise a lifelong dream to make her first Australian Long Course team, winning a neck-and-neck three-way tussle with Paris Olympians Abbey Connor (USC Spartans, QLD) and Lizzie Deckers (Griffith University, QLD).
With her family and Tea Tree Gully club mates cheering her on, a brave Castelluzzo led all the way to keep the Olympians at bay, staking her place in a personal best time of 2:06.91; Connor second in 2.07.14.
Third place meant heartbreak For Dekkers, the fastest qualifier into the final and 2023 World Championship silver medallist, who was fourth in the Paris Olympic
FLYING HIGH: Brittany Castelluzzo makes first Long Course Team. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr Swimming Australia.
.“Making this team means a lot,” said Castelluzzo.
“I’ve got friends and family in the stands. It means so much that they can come and watch me and the support from a home crowd is really nice.
“After the World Short Course last year it means a lot that I can finally break into a long course team and be with the best of the best in the world.”
Connor saying: “Post Olympics, I got told, it can be quite a ride. I definitely rode that one, it’s been a hard year, but a change of coach with Michael Sage has been great, I couldn’t be happier.”
PARTING PIXS……Love Ya Mum!
Photos Courtesy Delly Carr Swimming Australia
