McKeown untouchable at Australian trials as Chalmers, Pallister shine

Adelaide, Australia: Untouchable Olympic champion Kaylee McKeown completed the backstroke treble at the Australian trials Thursday while “King” Kyle Chalmers blitzed the 100m freestyle and Lani Pallister swam a sizzling 800m freestyle.

McKeown was under her own 200m backstroke world record pace at the halfway mark in Adelaide before easing up to touch in 2mins 04.47secs. Such was her dominance that she was more than five seconds clear of second-placed Hannah Fredericks, who also qualified for next month´s world championships in Singapore.

Like many top swimmers, McKeown did not go to the 2024 worlds in Doha, instead focusing on her Paris Olympic preparations. But at the 2023 event in Fukuoka she won all three backstroke gold.

Despite swimming the world´s fastest time this year, McKeown, who had already coasted to the 50m and 100m titles, was still not happy. “Look, there´s a lot of work that I´ve got to do in the next six weeks to try and pull something together for the world stage,” she said. “Hopefully I can manage that.”

Chalmers, who has medalled in the 100m free at three consecutive Olympics, including gold on debut in Rio 2016, surged home in 47.29 with Flynn Southern (47.69) also doing enough to qualify.

“Fastest time in Australia that I´ve ever done, so super happy with that,” said Chalmers, who will be looking for revenge in Singapore against China´s Pan Zhanle, who edged him to gold in Paris last year. “I´m just trusting what I have been doing in training, listening to what my coaches are telling me. trusting that we´ve done the work.”

Chalmers, the 2023 world champion, has also qualified for the 50m free. With Ariarne Titmus taking the season off, Pallister smashed her teammate´s Australian record in the 800m and will take the fight to American great Katie Ledecky in Singapore, clocking 8:10.84.

Only Ledecky and Canadian sensation Summer McIntosh have ever been under 8:10. “I´ve wanted that record for so long,” said Pallister. “It´s kind of bittersweet not have her (Titmus) in the pool at this moment. I have a lot to thank her for with what she´s done in inspiring me as an athlete.”

In an upset, Elizabeth Dekkers failed to qualify for the 200m butterfly, edged into third by Brittany Castelluzzo (2:06.91) and Abbey Connor (2:07.14). Dekkers came fourth in a stacked Olympic final behind McIntosh, American Regan Smith and China´s Zhang Yufei. She was the silver medallist at the 2023 worlds, trailing only McIntosh.

In other races, David Schlicht (1:58.10) and William Petric (1:58.25) both made the grade in the men´s 200 medley, lining up a showdown next month with French superstar Leon Marchand.