WESTMONT: Australian swimmers Mollie O’Callaghan and Kaylee McKeown marked the start of a new chapter in Australian swimming by breaking short course world records at the World Cup meet in Westmont, Illinois, over the weekend. Their performances signaled that the country remains a powerhouse in the pool even after the retirement of Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus.
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Olympic 200m freestyle gold medalist O’Callaghan set the tone on Saturday with a stunning 1:49.77 in the 200m freestyle, eclipsing the previous record of 1:50.31 set by Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey in 2021. Her swim not only earned her victory but also reinforced her position as one of the most dominant freestyle swimmers in the world.
Not to be outdone, McKeown followed with a world-class performance of her own in the 200m backstroke on Sunday night. The 24-year-old clocked 1:57.87 to edge out her fierce American rival Regan Smith, breaking Smith’s own record of 1:58.04 set last December.
McKeown’s victory was particularly satisfying, as Smith had narrowly beaten her in the 100m backstroke the previous day, matching her own short course world record of 54.02. Determined to turn the tables, McKeown attacked from the start in the 200m event and held off Smith’s late surge to the finish.
“I wanted to see what I could do tonight,” McKeown said after her record-breaking swim. “Regan pushed me through all the way. I went out hard and just tried to hold on—it’s not something I usually do.” The Australian now holds both the short and long course world records in the 200m backstroke, while Smith retains both in the 100m.
The remarkable swims by O’Callaghan and McKeown came just days after Ariarne Titmus, the reigning Olympic 400m freestyle champion, announced her surprise retirement from competitive swimming at the age of 25. Their dominance in Westmont suggests the Australian women’s team remains strong and ready to carry the nation’s proud legacy forward.
Adding to the weekend’s excitement, American swimmer Kate Douglass shattered another world record in the 100m freestyle, finishing in 50.19 seconds to erase Australian Cate Campbell’s 2017 mark of 50.25. It was the versatile 23-year-old’s third short course world record, following her achievements in the 200m individual medley and 200m breaststroke.
“I kind of wanted to go for it tonight,” Douglass said. “It’s definitely crazy to think that I now have a breaststroke and freestyle world record. Pretty cool.”
The Westmont meet, the second leg of the World Cup series, concluded with Australia once again asserting its dominance on the global stage. The final stop of the series will take place in Toronto starting Thursday, where O’Callaghan, McKeown, and other stars will look to continue their world-beating form.
