Kaylee McKeown frustrated by own performances despite backstroke dominance

Australian swimmer Kaylee McKeown, a world and Olympic champion, voiced her frustration with her own performances at the recent Australian Swimming Trials, even as she secured victories in the 50m, 100m, and 200m backstroke events. McKeown, who has been battling illness, indicated that she felt significantly below her best during the competition.

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I just wanted to go out and see what I could come with.

"I just wanted to go out and see what I could come with," McKeown told Channel Nine after her program concluded. She described feeling immense pain during the grueling 200m race on Thursday night, adding, "In that last 50m I was in so much pain." Earlier, after winning the 100m on Tuesday, she humorously remarked that she felt "about 86 years old."

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In that last 50m I was in so much pain.

Despite her physical struggles, McKeown's dominance in backstroke remains undisputed. She clocked a season-best time of 2:03.98 in the 200m, finishing nearly four seconds ahead of the second-place competitor. However, this performance was still 0.84 seconds shy of her own world record, a 2:03.14 set in 2023. McKeown admitted to being "fed up with waiting" to break her own records, a sentiment stemming from her high personal standards.

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I felt about 86 years old.

McKeown has not achieved a personal best in the 200m backstroke in approximately three and a half years. While she did swim a personal best in the 100m at last year's world championships in Singapore, she narrowly missed Regan Smith's world record. McKeown's self-critical approach highlights her relentless pursuit of perfection, even amidst significant success.

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I haven't PB'd in like three-and-a-half years, so I'm waiting for it.