Swimming-McKeown deflated after world record near miss at Olympic trials | WKZO | All Kalamazoo

MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Kaylee McKeown came within a whisker of her world record in the 100 meters backstroke at the Olympic trials in Australia on Tuesday but was more impressed by rival Mollie O'Callaghan's swim than her own.

Olympic champion McKeown won the final in 57.41 seconds, the second fastest swim in history and just 0.08 seconds off her best time (57.33) from the World Cup in Hungary Last year.

Challenged by runner-up O'Callaghan, who clocked 57.88, McKeown was well ahead of the record pace until he collapsed in the final meters at the Brisbane Aquatics Centre.

“I'm not going to lie, I was a little disappointed,” said the 22-year-old, who now holds the seven fastest times in the event as well as the world record in the 200m backstroke.

“You know there’s always room for improvement. I'm glad someone else is joining the 57-second club.

McKeown's torrid swim came a day after he set the fourth-fastest time in the 200m individual medley for victory in the final.

O'Callaghan, world champion in the 100 and 200m freestyle, transformed himself into a formidable backstroke swimmer this year to encourage McKeown.

The redhead broke her previous personal best of 58.09 set at the Australian Open Championships in April and became the fourth swimmer to break 58 seconds, joining McKeown, American Regan Smith and Canadian Kylie Masse.

“I wasn't expecting it, but I'm really happy with the result,” said O'Callaghan, 20, who has yet to compete in her freestyle events.

“There’s more to come this week. So, it's definitely nerve-wracking, but it's a great way to start.

BRACE WEAKNESS

O'Callaghan's improved back has bolstered Australia's medley relay depth for Paris, although the breaststroke remains a clear weakness after Chelsea Hodges retired last month due to injury.

Hodges helped Australia beat the mighty United States for gold at the Tokyo Games, but no notable successor emerged from Tuesday's 100m breaststroke final.

Jenna Strauch won in 1:06.90, edging Ella Ramsay by 0.04 seconds, but neither met the Australian Olympic qualifying standard of 1:06.31.

Abbey Harkin, a member of the silver medal-winning national medley relay team at last year's Fukuoka World Championships, was further off the pace in fourth (1:07.18).

There was also disappointment in the men's 100m backstroke as winner Isaac Cooper (53.46), the non-Olympic 50m backstroke world champion, failed to reach the Australian Olympic benchmark (53.21).

Australia has better hopes in the men's 200m freestyle, three years after winning bronze in the relay won by Great Britain in Tokyo.

Max Giuliani, second to Ian Thorpe in the national 200m record book, won the final in 1:45.83 ahead of Thomas Neill (1:46.02).

“You can count on Australia having a very strong team for this (relay) and trying to stick with the Brits,” Neill said.

(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; editing by Ken Ferris)