- Kaylee McKeown breaks second world record
- Aussie smashed the record in the 100m backstroke
- Had previously set record in the 50m backstroke
Australian swimming sensation Kaylee McKeown has broken a second world record in the space of 24 hours at the World Cup meet in Budapest.
The 22-year-old Queenslander bettered her own 100m backstroke record on Saturday (Sunday AEDT) with a time of 57.33 seconds, shaving 0.12 off the mark that she set in Adelaide before the Tokyo Olympic Games.
It follows her record-breaking swim on Friday evening when she clocked 26.86 for 50m backstroke, eclipsing the previous record of 26.98 set by China’s Liu Xiang in 2018.
McKeown was nearly two seconds clear of second-placed Canadian Kylie Masse in the 100m final.
She has earned $US40,000 ($63,350) in bonuses for her two world marks in the Hungarian capital and could add to her record-breaking haul in the 200m backstroke final on Sunday.
Kaylee McKeown has broken a second world record in the space of 24 hours
![The Queenslander bettered her own 100m backstroke record on Saturday](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/10/22/04/76851865-12658371-image-a-38_1697946595440.jpg)
The Queenslander bettered her own 100m backstroke record on Saturday
McKeown is also in the box seat to claim the overall World Cup series crown, which carries a six-figure bonus.
She is the first woman to hold all three long-course backstroke world records.
‘I never saw myself as a sprinter so it’s really nice to have that under my belt,’ McKeown said.
‘I just wanted to get out fast and see what I can do … I am super stoked with that.’
The Aussie heads to Paris in red-hot form, having also taken out the gold in the 50-metre backstroke final at the World Aquatics Championships earlier this year.
She took out the gold medal in the 100-metre backstroke as well as the 200-metre and the 4×100-metre medley, but has not been resting on her laurels ahead of Paris.
‘Next year is going to be a really tough year so the more confidence I can build, the better,’ she said.
‘I have been surprising … I have been trying to do a couple of things differently and I am pleased that they are working.’
![The 22-year-old is in career-best form as she gears up for the Paris Olympics in 2024](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/10/22/04/76852033-12658371-image-a-39_1697946653015.jpg)
The 22-year-old is in career-best form as she gears up for the Paris Olympics in 2024
The reigning Olympic champion took to social media after the race to share her news.
‘Crazy scenes here in Budapest and surprised with my results to say the least,’ McKeown wrote on Instagram.
‘It’s been an absolute beauty of a year and what better way to top it off (than) with two world records.
‘Excited and nervous for this coming season.’
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