Kaylee McKeown is continuing her gold rush in Asia, following her triumphs in the waters of the French capital. After making history at Tokyo 2020 by winning three Olympic gold medals, the hype around McKeown reached new heights leading into the Paris Olympics. In an era dominated by Katie Ledecky, the Australian swimmer made waves with her remarkable performance. Living up to the expectations, McKeown added two more golds to her tally, bringing her total to five Olympic gold medals. Additionally, the 23-year-old secured a silver and two bronze medals, firmly establishing herself as a rising star in the world of swimming.

Following her highly successful Olympics run, Kaylee McKeown appeared to be shifting gears. Citing the intense workload she endured leading up to the Olympics, McKeown felt the need for a break. As a result, she promptly announced her withdrawal from the World Short Course Championships in December. However, the Australian star couldn’t resist the thrill of competing in a World Cup event. Held in Shanghai, the competition presented a golden opportunity for McKeown to further enhance her impressive record. And with her opening performance, she made it clear that she’s not going anywhere—she’s here to stay.

Participating in the women’s 50m backstroke event, McKeown fared exceptionally well to break the existing World Cup record. Clocking a whirlwind time of 25.36s, McKeown took the pole position, much to the delight of her fans. Her incredible feat was posted on the official X account by World Aquatics. The post read, “What a way to start the #SWC2024 in Shanghai Kaylee McKeown in the #FASTLANE sets a new World Cup Record.” Such a feat also saw McKeown beat her arch rival, USA’s Regan Smith, by a subsequent margin. While the Aussie enjoyed all the glory, Smith ended up in the second position, clocking a time of 25.70s.

For the uninitiated, Regan Smith recently emerged as one of the fastest swimmers in the backstroke category. Coming into the Olympics, the women’s 100m backstroke was touted as the fastest swimming event in recent history. Thus, obliterating the competition from Smith was no mean feat for McKeown. With the World Cup just starting, there are multiple possibilities as to how the Australian swimmer’s success story progresses. With no cap on the maximum number of events an athlete can participate in, it remains to be seen how many categories the 5x champion opts for. Interestingly, despite garnering 9 Olympic medals from two outings, Paris might have been the last time we have seen Kaylee McKeown. 

Kaylee McKeown remains doubtful for LA28

Kaylee McKeon might be enjoying all the spotlight at the moment. However, the immense toll of mental pressure to succeed in the professional front is weighing heavy. The Olympic champion had previously opened up about her struggles with mental health and self-doubt. McKeown detailed that once she achieves something, the thought of moving on to the next makes her doubt herself. She feels sad as she cannot cherish her present moment and glory. Instead, McKeown is always making plans for her future endeavors. 

Recently appearing on the Unfiltered Waters with Missy Franklin and Katie Hoff, McKeown was asked about her plans for the next Olympics. Shocking her fans, the Aussie said, “Last Olympics, I said to myself that this was going to be my last Olympics.” Well, this might be a statement of immense sadness for her fans. But things don’t look done and dusted just yet. Continuing with her analysis about her future, McKeown said that she was thinking too much and was taking things as it came. The 5x Olympic gold medalist stated, “I’m really trying to focus on just relaxing myself and being okay in the present moment, and not thinking about 2028, thinking about how am I going to continue this longevity in the sport for another four years.”. Thus, with things looking quite in the balance, swimming fans would want to see more of Kaylee McKeown, getting mesmerized by her swimming beauty in the chlorine soaked pools.