Australia’s double Olympic champion Kaylee McKeown has lived up to her “unstoppable” tag winning her second 100m backstroke World title in Singapore – just 0.03 outside the world record.
In a classic duel in the pool, the 22-year-old Queenslander maintained her six-year unbeaten record, clocking 57.16, the second fastest time in history, out-touching US rival and world record holder Regan Smith (57.35) with her American team mate Katharine Berkoff taking bronze for a second time in 58.15 – the same podium order from the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka.
McKeown’s time a new Championship, Oceania, Commonwealth and Australian record time in a race she admitted she wasn’t that keen on racing – preferring to concentrate on the 200m but now so glad she did.
McKeown had already withdrawn from the 50m backstroke and admitted she was nervous coming into the race, with reports she has been managing a shoulder injury.
It has been a rivalry for the ages between McKeown and Smith who has never beaten McKeown in a major 100m backstroke final
The Australian won Olympic double individual gold in both Tokyo and Paris while winning four individual world backstroke titles in between and a fifth tonight.
Her sweep of the 50, 100 and 200-meter events in 2023 made her the first woman to ever pull off that triple for any stroke on the global level, Smith, who was the silver medallist in all three backstroke events in 2023 and in the 100 and 200 at the Paris Games.
Both girls have won previous world titles in the 100m backstroke – Smith in 2022 in Budapest when McKeown chose not to race as she prepared for the Commonwealth Games.
McKeown won her first 100m title in 2023 when she beat Smith and Berkoff.
Canadian Kyle Masse (fourth in tonight’s final) won back to back crowns in 2017 and 2019 when fellow Canadian Taylor Ruck (7th tonight) finished fourth and McKeown fifth.
McKeown has never been beaten since – winning every major 100m backstroke final over the last six years – including those two Olympic gold medals in 2021 and 2024.
When it comes to times Smith holds the world record at 57.13, set and the 2024 Olympic Trials and also the third fastest time 57.28 swum in Paris when she set a new Olympic record leading off in the US gold medal-winning medley relay.
The Fastest Top 12 Times:
57.13WR Regan Smith (2024 Olympic Trials)
57.;16 Kaylee McKeown (2025 Worlds)
57.28 Regan Smith (2024 Olympics)
57.33 Kaylee McKeown (2023, World Cup)
57.33 Kaylee McKeown (2024, Olympics)
57.35 Regan Smith (2025. Worlds)
57.41 Kaylee McKeown (2021, Olympic Trials)
57.45 Kaylee McKeown (2021, Olympic Trials)
57.46 Regan Smith (2025, TYR)
57.47 Kaylee McKeown (2024, Olympic Trials)
57.47 Kaylee McKeown (2020, Olympics)
57.50 Kaylee McKeown (2023, World Trials)
