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Australian swim star Kaylee McKeown has broken a second world record in the space of two days at the World Cup meet in Budapest.
The 22-year-old Queenslander bettered her own 100m backstroke record on Sunday with a time of 57.33 seconds, shaving 0.12 off the mark that she 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.
McKeown is also in the box seat to claim the overall World Cup series crown, which carries a six-figure bonus.
Kaylee McKeown reacts after breaking the world record in the 50m backstroke final in Budapest.Credit: Getty
She is the first woman to hold all three long-course backstroke world records – 50m, 100m and 200m.
The 22-year-old’s latest world record came at a World Cup meet in Budapest early Saturday (AEDT).
McKeown clocked 26.86 seconds, bettering the previous record of 26.98s set by China’s Liu Xiang in 2018.
“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.”
In July, McKeown became the first female swimmer to win the backstroke treble over 50m, 100m and 200m at a world championships.
That feat followed gold medals at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics in the 100m and 200m backstroke – the 50m backstroke isn’t raced at the Olympic Games.
McKeown will seek to extend her dominance in her favoured pet stroke at next year’s Paris Olympics.
“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.”
McKeown set the 100m backstroke world record in June 2021 and claimed the 200m world record in March this year.
AAP
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