SINGAPORE -- Kaylee McKeown didn't even want to contest the women's 100m backstroke at the 2025 world championships, a meet she was hoping would help rediscover her love for swimming, having become worn down and burnt out by the external burden of expectation throughout last year's Olympic cycle.
The Australian star didn't just take her rightful place in the final of the event on night three of competition in Singapore, she marched to gold, continuing her international dominance in the discipline, all while battling through a nagging shoulder strain. And if her grin from ear to ear as she floated majestically on top of the water in celebration of her latest accolade was any indication of her happiness, it appeared her adoration for the sport had come flooding right back.
"It certainly has," confirmed McKeown on the pool deck moments after her latest triumph. "A happy swimmer is a fast swimmer."
The latest chapter of the McKeown-Regan Smith backstroke rivalry once again provided box office entertainment. The American and the Australian traded positions as they slashed through the water, diving for the wall in almost perfect synchronisation. Both sets of eyes then darted up to the monitors stationed at the opposite end of the pool, revealing victory for McKeown in a personal best time of 57.16s, 0.19s ahead of Smith, and just 0.03s shy a new world record.
"It's a little bit emotional. I've worked so hard to get myself back into a happy state, and, as I said in my interviews before, that's all I'm really focusing on," said McKeown. "There [were] a lot of comments of me pulling out of the backstroke, saying that I'm scared to lose. That's not the case at all. If anything, I'm scared to fail myself, and I've worked really, really hard to get up there tonight and prove to myself that I am a good athlete, a good swimmer.
"I just didn't want to keep steering away from fear because the more that you feel fear, it becomes like a monster and you have to chase your demons at some point. What means the most to me is being true to myself and being strong."
It's fair to say the McKeown-Smith rivalry has been rather odd over the years. Smith owns the world record in the 100m distance, and, before Tuesday evening's final, the second-fastest time ever recorded in the event. But under the rigor of major international competition, it's been McKeown who consistently rises to the occasion.
McKeown has won every major individual backstroke event she's contested since breaking through with gold in both the 100m and 200m races at the Tokyo Olympics. Smith has now been forced to settle for the silver medal on five occasions, her lone win in the 100m race at the 2022 Budapest world championships coming in McKeown's absence.
"It's just what happens, at the end of the day. People beat people all of the time," said McKeown of her rivalry with Smith. "That's just swimming, that's the nature of it. You've got to be competitive and get up there, and you know, if she beats me she'd feel the same way as I beat her."
McKeown's victory was Australia's third gold medal in the pool at these world championships in Singapore, backing up the historic relay double on night one. The Queenslander will also race her preferred 200m distance on Saturday evening, once again squaring off with Smith, though she has scrapped the 50m event from her program.
Also on night three in the pool, Australia's Lani Pallister took home bronze in the women's 1500m, a race unsurprisingly dominated by American great Katie Ledecky. The 29-year-old flirted with a world record throughout the 30 lap marathon before ultimately settling for her sixth-best time and 10th consecutive major meet gold medal in the event. For Pallister, who is racing in career best form, her bronze medal ties her effort from the world championships in Budapest three years ago.
Meanwhile, both multi-Olympic champion Mollie O'Callaghan and compatriot Jamie Perkins breezed through their semifinals for the women's 200m freestyle. O'Callaghan famously won this race in Paris last summer, upsetting Dolphins teammate Ariarne Titmus, who is not competing at these championships. O'Callaghan and Perkins will race for gold on a stacked night four.
Here's how night three at the world championships in Singapore unfolded: