Australia’s McKeown sets 200m backstroke world record

Sydney: Australia’s triple Olympic gold medallist Kaylee McKeown set a women’s 200m backstroke world record yesterday, firing a warning shot four months before the world championships. McKeown clocked a blistering time of two minutes and 03.14 seconds at the NSW State Open Championships at Sydney Olympic Park.
The previous leading world mark was 2:03.35 set by Regan Smith of the United States at the 2019 world championships.
The 21-year-old McKeown also holds the 100m backstroke world record. She has three Olympic gold medals, all from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, in the 100m and 200m backstroke and the 4x100m medley.
“After the Olympics I found it hard to get up behind the blocks again,” as said.
“(But) I’ve found a new love for the sport and it just goes to show that a happy swimmer is a fast swimmer. I haven’t necessarily changed anything in my programme or training-wise. It’s just that I’m happier.”
McKeown claimed gold in the 200m backstroke at last year’s world championships in Budapest. The world championships this year are in Fukuoka, Japan, in July.

Fencing invites Russians and Belarussians back in time for Olympic qualifying
The International Fencing Federation (FIE) yesterday decided in favour of allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete, a delegate at the sport’s extraordinary congress told AFP. Fencing’s qualifying process for the 2024 Paris Olympics is due to begin in April.
FIE’s decision will take effect from April “subject to possible recommendations or future decisions of the International Olympic Committee,” said the source who was part of the national delegation. Fencing became the first Olympic sport to reopen its events to Russians and Belarusians, one year after their exclusion due to the war in Ukraine.
FIE members, meeting in Lausanne, voted around 65 per cent in favour of the return to competition of Russian and Belarusian athletes, teams and officials, the source estimated. Russian fencers won three gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics, while competing under the banner of the Russian Olympic Committee.