Mollie O’Callaghan and Kaylee McKeown made a remarkable start to Australia’s era after Ariarne Titmus by setting new short course world records at the World Cup event in Westmont, Illinois. O’Callaghan, the Olympic 200-meter freestyle champion, achieved victory in the same event with a time of 1:49.77 on Saturday, surpassing the previous record set by Siobhan Haughey of Hong Kong in 2021.
McKeown followed up by winning the 200 backstroke in 1:57.87 on the final night of the meet, defeating her strong competitor Regan Smith and breaking Smith’s previous record from the short course world championships in December. McKeown’s performance marked a turnaround from her loss to Smith in the 100 backstroke, where Smith also equaled her own world record.
In the 200 backstroke, McKeown took an early lead and managed to maintain it until the finish line, a strategy different from her usual approach. The 24-year-old Australian expressed her determination to push her limits and praised Smith for motivating her throughout the race.
McKeown holds the world records for both short and long course in the 200 backstroke, while Smith dominates the 100 backstroke records. These outstanding achievements by the Australian swimmers came shortly after Ariarne Titmus, the former Olympic 400 freestyle champion, announced her retirement at the age of 25.
Kate Douglass of the United States also shone at the event, setting a new world record of 50.19 in the 100 freestyle, surpassing the previous record held by Cate Campbell of Australia. Douglass, who already holds world records in the 200 individual medley and 200 breaststroke, expressed her excitement and gratitude for her achievements.
The upcoming World Cup series will conclude with the third and final meet scheduled to start in Toronto on Thursday.