Olympics 2021 swimming: Who will benefit from Kaylee McKeown's 200m medley withdrawal?

Australian swimmer and World No.1 Kaylee McKeown has pulled out of the 200m individual medley at the 2021 Olympics due to a packed schedule.

The Aussie has announced her withdrawal to focus on the two backstroke races and the relays. Courtesy of her top rankings, she is the top contender for gold in all three events.

Swimming events will start on July 24th in Tokyo. McKeown's decision has left the Australian swimming team with zero representatives in women’s individual medley event in Tokyo. The World No. 1 was a gold medal hopeful at the event.

Speaking about McKeown's decision, Australian head coach Rohan Taylor cited workload and schedule management as the reasons for the top swimmer's withdrawal. Taylor also asserted that Kaylee is focused on winning both the 100 and 200-meter backstroke events.

Aussie Kaylee McKeown withdrawal open a potential spot for a medal in the 200m Medley, the athletes to watch out #Swimming #Tokyo2020 👇https://t.co/qp8PWf4maw

— FINA (@fina1908) July 23, 2021

McKeown's withdrawal from the 200m has cleared the way for the rivals:

McKeown's decision to opt out came as a shock to the swimming fraternity and has cleared the way for her US rivals.

Big swimming news as Kaylee McKeown withdraws from the 200m IM at #Tokyo2020. Was favourite for that race but will focus on twin backstrokes plus relays. Coach Rohan Taylor cites workload and schedule management #swimming

— Phil Lutton (@phillutton78) July 22, 2021

Australian Swimmer Ariarne Titmus is another strong medal contender in the 200m and 400m freestyle events at the Olympics. She claimed three gold medals at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Katinka Hosszu, the second-seeded swimmer from Hungary, will now look to sweep a gold medal in the 200m individual medley event in Tokyo. The Iron Lady from Hungary is the ultimate favorite to win the event.

Regan Smith (USA) vs Kaylee McKeown is also a riveting rivalry in women's swimming. 19-year-old McKeown broke the world record of 57.57 set by Regan Smith at the 2019 World Championships in Gwangju. McKeown swam a record 57.45 seconds.

Who's your favourite? 🇦🇺Kaylee Mckeown's stunning performance at the Australian swimming trials 2021 makes the Women's 100 Backstroke very unpredictable!The Aussie ripped the World Record from Regan Smith 🇺🇸 third fastest time this year behind 🇨🇦 Kylie Masse.#swimming pic.twitter.com/IBKyd7l53B

— FINA (@fina1908) July 20, 2021

In addition to the two hot favorites, Canadian swimmer Kylie Masse is also a contender for a podium finish in Tokyo.

The Olympics will prove to be a challenging event this year. There is a lot of intense rivalry and high-level competitiveness amongst the swimmers. New record breakers like Titmus and McKeown are ready to take the fight to the likes of Ledecky and Smith.