Kaylee McKeown had an incredible stint at the French capital. She walked away with 5 Olympic medals. But the swimmer also etched her name in the history books at the Paris La Défense Arena. During the women’s 200m backstroke, she left the swimming community shocked. The Aussie swam past her competitors to victory. She touched the wall in a blistering 2:03:73, crushing a 12-year-old record set at the 2012 London Olympics – 2:04:06. 

However, after racking up 2 golds, 1 silver, and 2 bronze at Paris, the swimmer decided to take some much-needed time off for herself. But she surprised the fans by contesting at the 2024 Australian Short Course Championships this week. On day one of the meet, she set the bar sky high. The Olympian competed in the 100m backstroke event on September 26, setting a new short course world record with a blistering 54.56. 

It turns out Kaylee McKeown hadn’t been training for the championships as much as she would have liked. In fact, getting back to practice after the Olympics was quite an experience for her. Despite only recently returning to training, she managed to shave off 0.33 seconds from the previous world record of 54.89 set by Minna Atherton in 2019. McKeown has now joined Atherton as the second woman in history to swim under the 55-second barrier in the 100m backstroke event.

What’s even better? The 23-year-old’s time is now the fastest 100m backstroke in history in a 25-meter pool. How incredible is that? However, shattering records has become the norm for the Aussie. She now holds short-course world records in both the 100m and 200m backstroke, as well as long-course world records in the 50m and 200m backstroke. But what do the fans have to say about this? Fans are in awe, flooding social media with praise, calling her a “living legend” and marveling at how she’s redefining the limits of the sport!

The swimming community goes ga ga over Kaylee McKeown’s dominance

The swimming leg of the 2024 Paris Olympics concluded on August 4, but many fans couldn’t get over the Aussie’s incredible performance throughout. However, they weren’t expecting to see her back in the pool just yet. Watching her shatter the glass ceiling yet again, many couldn’t help but sing her praises.

One fan marveled, “Kaylee McKeown just broke the 100 back short course WORLD RECORD. Bloody hell, she knows no chill.” By the looks of it, the swimmer definitely feels like she is unstoppable at this moment. Another fan agreed, “Kaylee Mckeown just casually breaking the 100back SC world record. What a legend” So, we understand why these fans are shocked by her incredible performance.

After successfully defending her title in the 100m and 200m backstroke, she clinched 4 medals in the women’s 4x100m medley relay (Silver), mixed 4x100m medley relay (Bronze), and women’s 200m IM (Bronze). Coming right off that Olympic bliss and making a splash in the pool is not for the fainthearted.

Another fan stated, “Had no idea she went back to practice” The swimmer wasn’t certain she would jump back into the pool as quickly either. Her dreamy Olympic stint was an unbeatable experience. However, if you love what you’re doing, we can see how hard it could be to stay away from that.

McKeown opened up about her experience, stating how difficult it was to come off the bliss after Paris. But she “only decided to do the Short Course at the last minute.” She even struggled for a bit during practice, clarifying that she couldn’t make it through a few sessions. But it was all worth it in the end, wasn’t it? 

A fan stated, “2022 vs 2024 13.01 – 12.82 13.92 – 13.87 14.20 – 13.90 14.36 – 13.97 55.49 – 54.56. She was faster at every part of the race” The swimmer has come a long way from her contention at the 2022 FINA Short Course World Swimming Championships in Melbourne, Australia. 

On day 2 of the event, Kaylee McKeown clinched an effortless victory with a personal best of 55.49. Despite not competing in 2023, the swimmer delivered one of her fastest performances ever at the SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre. No one could catch up to her as she smoothly carried the momentum from her success at the Paris Olympics, showcasing her dominance once again.

Another fan exclaimed, “kaylee mckeown setting a new wr as soon as she starts competing and it’s just september it’s gonna be a fun short course season.” We can definitely sense the excitement. The Olympian currently holds the 100m and 200m backstroke world records, but what’s her next stop after this? The Olympian’s 2024 Australian Short Course Championships performance has left an indelible mark on fans.

But she’s not done just yet. After this meet wraps up, the 23-year-old will shift her focus to the 2024 World Short Course Championships in Budapest this December. However, this was just day one. McKeown is set to return and compete in the 50m backstroke, 200m backstroke, and 100m IM at the meet. How will she fare in those events? Only time will tell.