Australia May Rely on McKeown in Breaststroke

Kylie McKeown has caught attention with her great speed in backstroke events, setting a world record, but she may compete in breaststroke at the World Championships next month in Japan, hoping to help Australia secure a gold in the medley relay. Currently, Australia has limited options in breaststroke ahead of the championship in Fukuoka, with Gina Strauch and Chelsea Hodges absent due to injury. Relying on McKeown, the Olympic champion in the 100 and 200 meters backstroke, for the relay may seem intuitive, unlike pushing her into breaststroke. Additionally, the improvement of Mollie O'Callaghan, the world champion in the 100-meter freestyle, has increased the options available for coach Rohan Taylor. Taylor told reporters on Thursday, on the sidelines of Australia's qualifiers for the World Championships, "I think all options are on the table, definitely." He said, "Kylie has reduced her 100-meter breaststroke time, which is currently the fastest we have seen this season. So we need to take this into consideration, and of course, Mollie in backstroke, and she is probably third in the world ranking." McKeown performed well in the World Championship qualifiers this week, clocking a time of 57.50 seconds in the 100-meter breaststroke on Wednesday, which is the third-best time ever, just 0.05 seconds away from her record set in 2021.