McKeown Scorches 2:05.6 200 Back, Chalmers Coming To Form | SwimSwam

By Retta Race on SwimSwam

NEW SOUTH WALES STATE OPEN C’SHIPS

• Thursday, March 18th – Sunday, March 21st
• Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Center
• LCM (50m)
• Heats in evening (5 pm local)/Finals in morning (10 am local)
• Start List
• Day 1 Prelims
• Results – Meet Mobile

Last night we saw some major sparks across both the men’s and women’s events on day 1 of this 2021 New South Wales State Championships and the momentum continued into this morning’s session. As a reminder, the heats are taking place at night, with finals in the AM, replicating the timing set to take place t this summer’s Olympic Games.

Making a statement right off the bat this morning was St. Peters Western standout Elijah Winnington. Racing in the men’s 400m free final, Winnington fired off the 3rd fastest time of his career, posting a mark of 3:44.83. That beat out the next closest competitor, Olympic champion Mack Horton, who touched in a time of 3:50.70.

For Winnington, the man already owns a super speedy season-best of 3:43.90, a time he established at the Queensland Championships last December. That made him Australia’s 6th fastest performer all-time, with this morning’s outing less than a second behind.

Making waves in two events on the morning was 26-year-old Emma McKeon. The multi-Olympic medalist first topped the women’s 50m fly event, crushing a time of 25.97 as the only sub-26 second swimmer of the field. En route to climbing atop the podium, McKeon clocked the 2nd best time of her prolific career, sitting only second to the 25.87 she registered at this same meet last year.

Runner-up this morning was Emily Seebohm, also of Griffith, who followed her teammate with a swift 26.83.

Just a handful of events later, McKeon unleashed a 52.59 stunner to double up on gold with a victory in the women’s 100m free. Taking it out in 25.40 and bringing it home in 27.19, McKeon held off a charging Cate Campbell who settled for silver this time around in 52.83.

Of note, Marion speedster Madi Wilson rounded out the top 3 in a time of 53.47, a new lifetime best for her. Entering this meet, Wilson’s personal best was represented by the 53.50 she produced at this same meet a year ago.

The men’s 100m free saw Olympic champion Kyle Chalmers make it happen in style, clocking a time of 48.50 in his first individual event after having had shoulder surgery. Chalmers split 23.64/24.86 en route to posting the only sub-49 second time of the field. This was after he claimed the top seed last night in a prelims outing of 49.16.

Finally, the women’s 200m back saw national record holder Kaylee McKeown do her thing, smoking a big-time result of 2:05.66 to win by well over 3 seconds. The USC Spartan produced a first-half of 1:02.02 before registering 1:03.64 on the back half to check-in with the 4th fastest time of her career.

McKeown already owns the fastest time ever performed by an Aussie with the lifetime best of 2:04.49 she logged in November of last year. That outing rendered the 19-year-old as the world’s 4th fastest performer all-time.

Tonight’s performance checks-in as the 6th fastest women’s 2back time ever.

Additional Winners:

• Abbey Harkin led a foursome of 1:07-range swimmers in the women’s 100m breast, hitting the wall first in 1:07.37. Next in line was Bond’s Jenna Strauch who sneaked in just .04 later in 1:07.41. Jess Hansen and Georgia Bohl were also in the mix with times of 1:07.76 and 1:07.99, respectively.
• The men’s 50m breast saw Matt Wilson score the only sub-38 second time en route to victory, touching in 27.93.
• Hunter’s Meg Bailey got it done in the women’s 400m IM in 4:44.49.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: McKeown Scorches 2:05.6 200 Back, Chalmers Coming To Form