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Kaylee McKeown has once again made history, breaking the 50m backstroke world record. The Australian had come within 0.4 seconds of the record in Athens earlier this month, and many were excited to see if she could cross the 26.98 seconds mark set by China's Liu Xiang in 2018.
McKeown certainly didn't disappoint as she raced to a stunning 26.86 finish at the Budapest World Cup on Friday. With this, the swimmer holds the best times across all three backstroke categories - the 50m, 100m, and 200m. She is the first person to do so, male or female.
Speaking in a quick post-race interview, while she seemed happy, Kaylee McKeown clearly wasn't surprised at breaking the world record.
"Look I don't know how, I think it's just a matter of coming and racing, I love racing, and I love getting up and saying what I can put myself through in a 50 and 50. It doesn't really matter what you do, you've just gotta put yourself on the line."
For the Olympic gold medalist, the Duna Arena in Budapest has brought a couple of major achievements. This pool brought her first world finals back in 2017 and was the site of her first world title victory in 2022. Now the Australian's list of accomplishments on Hungarian soil grows longer with this 50m backstroke world record.
Speaking about competing at the Duna Arena, Kaylee McKeown expressed her love for the loud Hungarian crowd:
"I love this pool, I do have a bit of a love-hate relationship with it, but obviously I love it tonight, especially after that race, so it's good to be here, it's a good atmosphere, Hungarians always have the largest crowd, so it's really enjoyable."
With the women's 100m and 200m backstroke finals slated for the 21st and 22nd of October, Kaylee McKeown remains the favorite to recreate her feat from Athens and claim victory in all three races.
Kaylee McKeown's 100m and 200m backstroke records
Kaylee McKeown has long since been a force to be reckoned with in the swimming world. The Australian's first world record came as a 20-year-old at the 2021 Australian Swimming Trials. She clocked a 57.45 to create history in the 100m backstroke.
Her 200m backstroke world record was a more recent achievement. She raced to a 2:03.14 at the 2023 NSW State Open Championships to break the record.
Kaylee has come close to bettering her own 100m record and might create history again at the Budapest World Cup.
