Queensland swimmer Kaylee McKeown has broken the world record in the women’s 100 metres backstroke at the Australian Olympic swimming trials.
McKeown swam a time of 57.45 seconds to beat the previous world record mark of 57.57, set by the United States’ Regan Smith in 2019, by more than one 10th of a second.
McKeown’s father Sholto passed away in August last year from brain cancer.
“With COVID and the passing of my dad in August last year, it has been a huge, huge build-up to these trials,” she said.
“And I have turned it into a bit of a hunger and motivation behind me.
“So to get up and do that tonight is not really for me but my family.”
The 19-year-old finished more than a second ahead of five-time Olympic medallist Emily Seebohm, who came in at 58.59 to book a ticket to her fourth Olympic Games.
ABC/AAP