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Australia’s backstroke star Kaylee McKeown has overcome an injury scare to capture another world title.
Just weeks after dislocating a shoulder, McKeown notched a personal best to win the women’s 100m backstroke at swimming’s world championships in Singapore on Tuesday night.
After compatriot Lani Pallister claimed the women’s 1500m freestyle bronze medal, McKeown triumphed in a time just 0.03 seconds outside of the world record.
The Queenslander produced a trademark flying finish to edge her great rival and world record holder, American Regan Smith.
McKeown touched in an Australian record 57.16 seconds, ahead of Smith (57.35) who holds the world record of 57.13.
The 24-year-old revealed she was injured between Australia’s selection trials last month and this meet.
“I have got a really flexible stroke and it’s my benefit when I swim my backstrokes,” she said. “But sometimes it can cause me to dislocate my shoulder.
“It’s been quite irritated but I have got a good medical team and physiotherapists to help me get through. I’m really really proud. It’s a little bit emotional.”
McKeown has ticked the first box in what she hopes is a golden double in Singapore – backstroke wins over 100 and 200 metres.
In the women’s 1500m freestyle, Pallister took bronze – just as she did in the event at the worlds three years ago.
Fellow Australian Moesha Johnson, a week after winning two gold medals for Australia at the open water world championships, finished seventh.
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Pallister (15 minutes 41.18 seconds) and Johnson (16:02.45) joined a decades-long list of swimmers left in the wake of American megastar Katie Ledecky.
The peerless Ledecky (15:26.44) has now won 22 world titles and her gold on Tuesday took her overall medal tally to 28, second only to compatriot Michael Phelps’s 33.
“They’re all stressful in some ways, relaxing in some ways,” Ledecky said. “I just try to enjoy each one.
“I certainly feel very confident in my 1500, my ability to hold a pace, so I just wanted to lock into a fast pace from the start and hold on to it.”
In the women’s 200m freestyle semi-finals, Australia’s Mollie O’Callaghan and Jamie Perkins advanced to Wednesday night’s medal race as second- and fifth-fastest qualifiers respectively.
