Illness forces star out of race in pursuit for Comm Games spot
Kaylee McKeown could see one event fall off her list at the Commonwealth Games as she has withdrawn from the race at Australian Swimming Trials.
McKeown was supposed to race in the women’s 200m individual medley heats on Monday morning at Sydney Olympic Park, but missed the race due to illness.
Kaylee McKeown seen in the pool at Australian trials. Chris Hyde
The 24-year-old, who is the Australian record-holder in the 200m IM, did, however, manage to return to for the women’s 50m backstroke heats later in the session.
McKeown’s pet events are in the backstroke races, but it was widely expected that she would medal in the 200m IM at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow next month given the absence of reigning world champion Summer McIntosh.
McIntosh, 18, will miss the event due to putting her focus into the Pan Pacific swimming championships (Pan Pacs) that will take place in California in August.
The Pan Pacs is the first major meet for non-European countries outside of the world championships and Olympics, with the likes of the US, Japan and Brazilian stars all competing at the meet.
Kaylee McKeown and Mollie O'Callaghan embrace in the pool. Chris Hyde
While McKeown will not feature in the final of the 200m IM at trials on Monday, there is still a chance that she could race the event in Glasgow. That pathway can only come to light if Australian team officials elect to enter her in the event.
Australian team officials may be persuaded to do so given she is all but certain to be in Glasgow already, competing in the 50, 100m and 200m backstroke events.
However, the will likely not do so if three athletes in Monday’s final touch the wall under 2:10.49, the qualifying time required to compete in the 200m IM in Glasgow.
Ella Ramsay, Tara Kinder and Jenna Forrester have all shown promise they could do exactly that, with Ramsay touching in just .21 of a second shy of that time in the heats.
Even if McKeown does not compete in the event at the Commonwealth Games, she will likely dive in for the 200m IM at the Pan Pacs the following month.
For now, she will focus on competing in the women’s 50m backstroke final, an event she is a world record holder in, on Monday evening.