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McKeown announced her withdrawal after a record-setting day in Shanghai, winning the women’s 50 back with the second-fastest swim in history. Archive photo via Jack Spitser/Spitser Photography
Kate Douglass shattered the American Record in the 100 IM on Friday and joined Katinka Hosszu as the only woman under 57 seconds in the event.
McKeown announced her withdrawal after a record-setting day in Shanghai, winning the women’s 50 back with the second-fastest swim in history.
China’s Qin Haiyang hit a new lifetime best of 55.73 to turn in a new national and Asian continental record en route to winning the 100m breast at home.
Olympic medalist Noe Ponti of Switzerland crushed a new lifetime best of 48.40 to take gold and establish a new European Record in the men’s 100m fly.
American Regan Smith put her nation’s record on notice en route to winning the women’s 200m fly on day one of the 2024 World Cup in Shanghai.
October 18th, 2024
After a record-setting day in Shanghai, Kaylee McKeown has announced her withdrawal from the remainder of the World Cup Series.
On Day 1 of the opening leg of the circuit, McKeown broke the Oceanian, Australian and World Cup Record in the women’s 50 backstroke, clocking 25.36 for the second-fastest swim of all-time, just 11 one-hundredths shy of the world record.
The 23-year-old followed up by placing third in the 100 IM in a time of 57.76, but after a successful opening day, McKeown announced she was pulling out of the series to prioritize her mental health.
She wrote on Instagram:
I would like to thank World Aquatics for the opportunity to come out and race at World Cups, it’s been so much fun here in Shanghai.
Putting my mental health first I’ve decided to cut my experience short. As an athlete It’s so important to listen to your heart and to know when enough is enough.
Time for a well overdue break
Peace and love to you all ✌🏽❤️
A post shared by Kaylee McKeown OAM (@kaylee_mckeown)
Two weeks ago, McKeown announced she was dropping out of the Short Course World Championships in December, citing the physical and mental toll the Olympic year has had on her. At the time, she said she would still race the World Cup series, but has opted out after just one day of racing in China.
The Shanghai leg of the series will run for the next two days, and although it sounds as though McKeown will stop competing immediately, she stills appears on the heat sheets for Saturday morning’s session.
Last year, McKeown was a dominant force on the World Cup series, winning the overall women’s title and walking away with a total prize purse of $186,000 after breaking multiple world records and earning three ‘Triple Crown’ bonuses for sweeping the women’s backstroke events at all three stops.
In the lead-up to the Olympics, the series was contested in long course meters last fall, but has returned to the traditional SCM format this year.
At the Paris Olympics, McKeown was unstoppable in the women’s 100 and 200 back, sweeping the events for the second straight Games while adding a third individual medal in the 200 IM (bronze) and a pair of relay medals for a total haul of five.
The withdrawal leaves American Regan Smith, McKeown’s primary rival, as the clear-cut favorite to dominate the women’s backstroke events for the rest of the series and into SC Worlds. In the 50 back on Friday, Smith was the runner-up to McKeown in a time of 25.70.
As a swim fan I’m sad we won’t get to see her swim this series, but I’m glad she’s doing what she needs to do to look after herself!
I’m not saying this is an improper use of it, but the blanket “but my mental health!!” as an excuse to just do whatever sometimes goes a little far.
Funny you never said this when Dressel fled from Budapest without even saying anything.
At least Kaylee is woman enough to tell the world.
I hope she can take the time she needs to recover and get in a better mental space. It’s pretty obvious from interviews that something has been off with her since the Olympics and she never really took the break she had planned. Obviously I’m sad to miss the races we could have seen but she’s making the right decision if she’s feeling this way.
I wonder if she originally wanted to swim this series and now changed her mind or if she only agreed because WA offered her an incentive?
She’s been very open and candid in interviews recently. On Unfiltered Waters she admitted that she only did the Australian SC Champs because the rest of her training group was doing it and she didn’t want to be in the pool alone. Even though she isn’t training full time, she’s only been swimming because she wants to so isn’t in a full on program though when she’s there she works because that’s what she does. So in the context of things she’s been saying about enjoying the time with family and being able to say yes to things like hanging out with friends and not having to leave before 9pm to stick with a rigorous schedule this makes sense. She… Read more »
every interview she does is a gem
Too bad for us swim fans, but a well deserved break for Kaylee
James swam five years at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, specializing in the 200 free, back and IM. He finished up his collegiate swimming career in 2018, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in economics. In 2019 he completed his graduate degree in sports journalism. Prior to going to Laurentian, James swam …
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