Kaylee McKeown could leave Paris next month as Australia’s greatest Olympian of all time, in terms of gold medals won. Not that too many Australians would know it. “I feel that sometimes Kaylee’s name gets lost with the Australian public because we have so many superstars on the team at the moment,” dual Olympian Giaan Rooney says.
“She is one of our most consistently dominant athletes we’ve ever had.” Past performances, world rankings and current form has put McKeown in an auspicious position to surpass swimming icons like Dawn Fraser, Ian Thorpe and Emma McKeon if all goes to plan. The strength and depth of Australia’s swimming team, fresh off 13 gold medals at last year’s world championships, means superstars like McKeown can fly under the radar more than years gone by.
Standing between McKeown and Olympic immortality is an American swimmer trained by Michael Phelps’ former coach with a point to prove against Australia’s – and the world’s – best backstroker for the past three years. Her name is Regan Smith and she just broke one of McKeown’s world records, in the 100m backstroke, at the US Olympic swimming trials in Indianapolis. Welcome to the most tantalising showdown, from an Australian and US perspective, in the Olympic pool in Paris.
“We’ll be rubbing our hands together looking forward to the battle,” Australian head coach Rohan Taylor says. “You’ve seen Kaylee’s competitiveness. She won’t back down.
” Less than a year afte.