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 Saturday (Sunday AEDT) with a time of 57.33 seconds, shaving 0.12 off the mark that she in Adelaide before the Tokyo Olympic Games.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Kaylee McKeown breaks second world record in two days.
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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 now holds seven of the top 10 times ever recorded in the 100m backstroke.
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.
The Aussie superstar is just the second swimmer to hold the three backstroke records at the same time after American Lenny Krayzelburg did it at the 1999 Pan Pacific Championships.
She’s also only the second ever woman to hold world records in every event of one stroke. South Africa’s Penny Heyns did it for breaststroke in the 1990s and 2000s.
It’s an ominous performance ahead of next year’s Paris Olympics, where she will be the red hot favourite to repeat the 100 and 200m gold double she did in Tokyo.
When asked after the 50m triumph how she did it, McKeown said: “I don’t know.”
“It’s just a matter of coming and racing. I love racing and I love getting up and seeing what I can put myself through.
“A 50’s a 50; it doesn’t really matter what you do, you’ve just got to put yourself on the line.
“I love this pool. I do have a bit of a love-hate relationship with it, but obviously I love it tonight, especially after that race.
“It’s good to be here, it’s a good atmosphere, Hungarians always have the loudest crowd, so it’s really enjoyable.”
– With Harrison Reid
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