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Kaylee McKeown was honored as the Best Swimmer of the Year 2023 along with China's Haiyang Qin at the future headquarters of World Aquatics in Budapest, Hungary, on Monday, October 23.
The 2023 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup Series, consisting of three meets, was held in three different countries. The first meeting was held in Berlin, Germany from October 6 to 8, 2023, followed by the second meeting in Athens, Greece from October 13 to 15, 2023. The final meeting was held in Budapest, Hungary from October 20 to 22, 2023.
The 22-year-old Australian showed an incredible display at all the meets, clinching 12 medals from the series. To recognize her remarkable performance, she was honored with the Best Swimmer of the Year. She took to social media and expressed her gratitude.
"What a way to finish off the 2023 World Cup Tour. It’s been an epic experience and I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to be presented swimming athlete of the year along with @haiyangqin."
The Chinese swimmer, Qin, was also exceptional in all three meets of the World Cup, clinching nine gold medals. He completed a clean sweep in the men's 50m breaststroke, 100m breaststroke, and 200m breaststroke, winning gold medals in the three events in Berlin, Athens, and Budapest.
Kaylee McKeown at the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup 2023
Kaylee McKeown secured four gold medals, including women's 50m backstroke, 100m backstroke, 200m backstroke, and 200m medley at Meet 1 in Germany and in Meet 2 in Greece.
Additionally, in Athens, she secured a team gold medal alongside Jenna Strauch, Alexandria Perkins, and Cate Campbell in the women's 4x100m medley relay. She won a bronze medal in the women's 200m medley.
Continuing her winning streak at the third meet in the Hungarian capital, the Australian clinched three gold medals, winning in the 50m backstroke, 100m backstroke, and 200m backstroke yet again.
The World Aquatics Swimming World Cup served as the qualifiers for the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar. The prize money for the overall top winner of the series as well as the top finishers at each meet can be found here.
