2025 AUSTRALIAN SWIMMING TRIALS
Women’s 50 Backstroke – Prelims
- World Record: 26.86 – Kaylee McKeown, AUS (2023)
- Australian Record: 26.86 – Kaylee McKeown, (2023)
- All-Comers Record: 26.86 – Kaylee McKeown, AUS (2023)
- 2023 Trials Champion: Bronte Job – 27.73
- SwimAustralia Qualifying Time: 27.74
Top 8
- Kaylee McKeown (USCS) – 27.27
- Mollie O’Callaghan (STPET) – 27.72
- Hannah Fredericks (STPET) – 28.21
- Alyssa Burgess (HLDR) – 28.28
- Elizabeth Gan (SYDU) – 28.32
- Semra Olowoniyi (NUN) – 28.46
- Layla Day (BOND) – 28.49
- Emily Jones (HUNT) – 28.52
- Zoe Ammundsen (NCOLL) – 28.54
UPDATE: Kaylee McKeown‘s result of 27.27 appears atop the Live Results page as the top seed. With the delay of the publication of tonight’s heat sheet, one had to wonder if she had won the appeal and its subsequent release confirmed the suspicions. Tom Decent of the Sydney Morning Herald reported the news and reasoning behind the withdrawal of the disqualification.
Confirmed by Swimming Aus: “McKeown, the world record holder, was DQ’d after being ruled to initiate an early start from lane four of heat one but her protest was upheld after officials ruled in her favour that she was distracted by a movement immediately prior to the signal.” https://t.co/e5kxlwYjqG
— Tom Decent (@tomdecent) June 9, 2025
McKeown will take the middle lane in the A-Final, with Zoe Ammundsen relegated to the first alternate.
World Record holder and 2023 World Gold medalist Kaylee McKeown was disqualified in the first heat of the prelims of the Women’s 50 backstroke. McKeown, who opted not to enter the 200 IM, which was earlier in the session, was called for a false start after initially recording a time of 27.27.
McKeown has 30 minutes to contest the call, but the video replay shows the slightest of head nods upon the start.
World Record Holder Kaylee McKeown was called for a False Start in the 50 Back Prelims. (McKeown is in lane 4) https://t.co/EuBLX9t7V8
— SwimSwam Live (@SwimSwamLive) June 9, 2025
This is not the first time that the Australian star has been DQed at a major meet. In 2023, she was disqualified for an illegal back to breaststroke turn in the semifinals of the 200 IM at the Fukuoka Worlds.
Taking the top seed in McKeown’s place tonight is fellow 2024 Olympic gold medalist Mollie O’Callaghan. The 200 free champion finished in a time of 27.72, and while it was an addition of .56 from her seed, she was the only swimmer, save McKeown to not only be under the SwimAustralia Qualifying time of 27.74, but she was the only swimer under 28.00.
If the DQ is upheld and no more than two swimmers go under the time, McKeown could still swim the event if she makes the Australian team in another event, a likely scenario as she is the top seed in both the 100 and 200 back.
