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Kaylee McKeown Wins The 100 Backstroke With A New Record
Kaylee McKeown Wins The 100 Backstroke With A New Record

Forbes

time2 hours ago

  • Sport
  • Forbes

Kaylee McKeown Wins The 100 Backstroke With A New Record

FUKUOKA, JAPAN - JULY 29: Kaylee McKeown of Team Australia celebrates winning gold in the in the ... More Women's 200m Backstroke Final on day seven of the Fukuoka 2023 World Aquatics Championships at Marine Messe Fukuoka Hall A on July 29, 2023 in Fukuoka, Japan. (Photo by) On the third night in Singapore, Kaylee McKeown reclaimed the 100 backstroke title. The 24-year-old touched the wall in 57.16 to clock the second fastest time in history. She was followed by her long-time in-pool rival, Regan Smith, who swam her third-fastest time ever in 57.35. Team U.S. also picked up bronze as 24-year-old Katherine Berkoff placed third in 58.15. The order for the podium was the same as the Paris Olympics and the 2023 Worlds, despite McKeown dislocating her shoulder a few weeks before. Nonetheless, with the full-time efforts of her medical team, she was able to swim her new personal best in Singapore, setting a new championship, Oceania, Commonwealth and Australian record in the process. McKeown, who has previously opened up about the post-Olympic blues, admitted not looking forward to racing the backstroke event on Monday. But now the swimmer is happy with her results as she is "trying to love the sport again." At the 2023 World Championships, she won her first individual long-course world title in the 100 backstroke, surpassing Regan Smith. However, over the next two years, McKeown faced setbacks, struggling to maintain her passion for the sport. But one thing continued to remain the same: her dominance in the 100 backstroke category. Last year, after claiming two gold medals in Paris, McKeown decided to withdraw from multiple events and take a break from the sport. 'After constant training for five years, she opened up about the onslaught both mentally and physically.' In April 2025, the swimmer also decided to return to the Sunshine Coast to train with Michael Sage after three years at Griffith University. 'It's a personal best I'm so, so happy with that… It's really emotional after the lows I came back from after the Paris Olympics,'said McKeown, who was happy to forget the press and the stress that comes along with the sport and just swim with her mother,'Sharon, in the crowd holding that 'Boxing Kangaroo' mascot.' McKeown was not expecting to set a new personal best tonight, lowering the previous record by 0.17 seconds. Her time was only 0.03 seconds off Smith's world record. Smith was also happy with her performance as she swam top times, despite several team members falling ill with gastroenteritis. 'We had a really unfortunate situation happen to us during a training camp and I did not think I was going to go 57.35.' Smith and McKeown both have showcased a strong front in the 100 backstroke category, on and off, claiming the world record in the event since 2019. Last year, Smith managed to reclaim her 100-meter backstroke world record, which she had first set at the age of 17. At the Olympic trials, she touched the wall in 57.13, lowering McKeown's record set in 2023 by 0.2 seconds. However, the swimmer is yet to break Kaylee McKeown's streak of winning the 100 backstroke event at major meets for six years.

Roundup: China bags two diving golds, Li Bingjie adds swimming silver at Singapore Worlds
Roundup: China bags two diving golds, Li Bingjie adds swimming silver at Singapore Worlds

The Star

time2 days ago

  • Sport
  • The Star

Roundup: China bags two diving golds, Li Bingjie adds swimming silver at Singapore Worlds

SINGAPORE, July 27 (Xinhua) -- China clinched two gold medals in the mixed synchronized 10-meter platform and the men's one-meter springboard events, while Li Bingjie claimed silver in the women's 400-meter freestyle at the World Aquatics Championships here on Sunday. Paired up just a little more than a month, Zhu Yongxin and 15-year-old Xie Peiling finished atop the podium with 298.86 points in their championship debut, edging DPR Korea duo Choe Wi Hyon and Jo Jin Mi by a razor-thin margin of 0.06 points. Neutral athletes Aleksandr Bondar and Anna Konanykhina claimed bronze. "This wasn't an easy win; it was a tough battle, and in the end, we won by just a tiny margin," said Zhu. "Looking back, I felt a bit nervous about how close it was. But ultimately, I'm really glad we managed to secure the victory." In the men's one-meter springboard final, China's Zheng Jiuyuan delivered a consistent and composed performance to take gold with 443.70 points, fending off Mexico's Osmar Olvera Ibarra. China's Yan Siyu earned the bronze. China's first medal in the swimming pool came courtesy of Li, winning silver in the women's 400-meter freestyle. Canada's Summer McIntosh claimed gold in three minutes 56.26 seconds, American legend Katie Ledecky took bronze in 3:58.49. Li, 23, clocked 3:58.21, breaking her own Asian record and finishing ahead of Ledecky for the first time in a major international competition. "I was really surprised - I didn't expect to beat her (Ledecky)," Li said. "Even though she may not be in peak form right now, this victory means a lot to me - it's truly significant." The youngest swimmer of the tournament, China's 12-year-old Yu Zidi qualified seventh overall for the women's 200-meter individual medley final with a time of two minutes 10.22 seconds. "I'm really happy. I made the final in my first world championships," Yu said after the race. "That's pretty exciting. I'll keep working hard in the future. I hope this competition helps me break through and really show my true level." Qin Haiyang topped the men's 100-meter breaststroke semifinals in 58.24 seconds to advance to Monday's final. Team Australia dominated the 4x100m freestyle relays, claiming gold in both men's and women's events, with their men's quartet setting a new championship record. Earlier in the day, 30-year-old James Lichtenstein produced a clutch final-round performance to capture gold in the men's 27-meter high diving, earning the United States' first gold in Singapore.

‘I'm still baffled': Penalty costs Australia place in final at Great Britain SailGP
‘I'm still baffled': Penalty costs Australia place in final at Great Britain SailGP

News.com.au

time21-07-2025

  • Sport
  • News.com.au

‘I'm still baffled': Penalty costs Australia place in final at Great Britain SailGP

Australia's hopes of a podium finish at the Great Britain Sail Grand Prix came undone in dramatic fashion overnight on Sunday, with extreme conditions and a contentious umpire call combining to derail their finals campaign. With top-end winds and waves pounding the fleet in Portsmouth, teams were pushed to the limit in what many described as 'survival racing'. The high stakes racing on Sunday saw Great Britain and Spain both suffer tech issues during racing, near-misses across the fleet, and boats reaching speeds of up to 83km/h in wild conditions. Tom Slingsby's crew were in the hunt for the third spot in the winner-takes-all final ahead of Switzerland after the team secured a fourth place in the fifth fleet race. However the defining moment for the Australians came in the sixth race, when they were hit with a controversial penalty in a four-boat incident involving Canada, Denmark and Great Britain. Commentator Stevie Morrison said: 'Oh my lord, Australia relative (to) Canada, that's unbelievable. Huge penalty to the Roos.' Watch the moment Australia was penalised for in the video above Australia was deemed the outside boat failing to give room to Canada by the umpires, a decision that forced the team to go behind Canada losing several places in the fleet and ultimately a place in the final. Slingsby disagreed with the penalty, saying: 'We obviously didn't even see Canada, they were three boats apart. 'I have seen the footage and I am still shocked as to how we got the penalty. GBR didn't even attempt to gybe and if they did we would have had to avoid and keep clear of them, but I am still baffled by the decision. That cost us the final.' New Zealand's Black Foils claimed victory on the Solent in Portsmouth, edging out Great Britain and Switzerland, while Australia finished fourth overall at the UK event. Slingsby said there was plenty to take away from the weekend, but he was left wanting more as the BONDS Flying Roos chase their second win of the season after saluting in Auckland in January. 'We've got speed and we've got the skills to do it,' Slingsby said. 'We had some really great moments and some average moments, but we know we can sail better than that so we will regroup and review the footage so we can keep improving.' The Kiwi win has triggered a shake-up at the top of the season five leaderboard with New Zealand now moving into first place on 54 points, narrowly ahead of the BONDS Flying Roos on 52 points, and Spain close behind on 51 points. New Zealand have been one of the most consistent and successful teams over the course of SailGP's existence but the Black Foils are yet to win an overall championship. The Rolex SailGP Championship now shifts to Sassnitz, Germany, with the next Grand Prix scheduled for August 16-17, as the BONDS Flying Roos continue their campaign for a fourth championship title.

‘Where am I?': Aussie stuns with second world title
‘Where am I?': Aussie stuns with second world title

Yahoo

time18-07-2025

  • Sport
  • Yahoo

‘Where am I?': Aussie stuns with second world title

Less than two days after snaring Australia's opening gold medal at World Aquatic Championships in Singapore, distance swimmer Moesha Johnson has done it again. Johnson 27, was in shock after adding the 5km to the 10km title she won on Monday with a chance to add a third in the mixed-team relay event at the weekend. Swimming in 30C water that was likened to 'human soup', Johnson delivered a second remarkable performance, defying her sore body to capture a memorable double. 'A little bit of shock,' an exhausted Johnson said after the race. 'That was harder than I expected. The body's not feeling too crash hot. 'I could not hold a line … I was like where am I? 'To come away with two world titles in two plus days, in 30 degrees plus water, you can't ask for much more than that. 'And I am so proud for our sport and I am stoked for my country.' Johnson, who prepped for the race by listening to Australian music including Jimmy Barnes front and centre, led throughout the race to claim a narrow victory.

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