Gold Coast: Superstar Australian swimmer Kaylee McKeown has broken the national women's 200m individual medley record with a time that would have won gold at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics and last year's world championships.
The three-time Olympic gold medallist then told media poolside that she wasn't interested in whether World Aquatics would introduce prizemoney for Olympic champions, which was a move made by World Athletics last week.
McKeown clocked 2:06.99 to win the national title at the Australian swimming championships and break Olympic champion Stephanie Rice's 14-year record, set in July 2009 at the world titles in Rome.
McKeown's scorching swim on the Gold Coast on Wednesday night sent her rivals an ominous message as the 22-year-old Queenslander aims to win gold in the event at the Paris Games.
She won gold in the 100m and 200m backstroke at the Tokyo Games and was a member of the triumphant 4x100m medley relay team.
She's now hoping to diversify her Olympic medal collection in the French capital across July and August, but will likely have to beat Canadian teen prodigy Summer McIntosh if she is to win the 200m individual medley. McIntosh's personal best is 2:06.57.
However, McKeown now boasts the fastest time in the event this year.
"It's hard to say," McKeown said when asked if she was surprised about breaking the Australian record.
"Sometimes you can put together really good sessions and other times you're barely scraping the barrel.
"To be able to do that here, I was really happy. He [coach Michael Bohl] did put the challenge to me that if I went under 2:07 I didn't have to do the 400m IM, so maybe that was a draw … I'm not sure if I'm doing that tomorrow [Thursday]."
McKeown contested the 200m individual medley at last year's world championships in Fukuoka, but was disqualified because of a stroke violation while transitioning from backstroke to breaststroke during her semi-final.
McKeown's time of 2:06.99 on Wednesday night eclipsed Rice's 2:07.03 national record.
The winning time at the Tokyo Games was 2:08.52 and at last year's world championships it was 2:07.17.
McKeown said she was relishing the challenge of trying to become an Olympic gold medallist in the 200m individual medley.
"I'm not the only in the world that's looking at doubling up," McKeown said.
"I think it's the best thing that you can do for yourself.
"I've been able to do the training for it.
"I honestly would get bored if I didn't have challenges put in front of me. I think it's the best thing to really challenge an athlete all the time."
World Athletics revealed last week that track and field champions in France would not only win a gold medal, but $US50,000 (about AUD$78,000).
The decision by track and field's world governing body goes against the Olympics' amateur tradition.
"I'm not in the sport for money; anything I get is a bonus with that," McKeown said.
"I would be a tennis player if I was wanting money.
"I just enjoy what I do and it's about the only thing I'm good at."
The Australian swimming championships, taking place between Wednesday and Saturday, are separate to the Olympic selection trials, to be held in Brisbane from June 10-15.
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