Golden glow after "epic" worlds

Above: Kaylee McKeown on the medal podium after retaining her 100m backstroke title in Singapore last week. Picture: Delly Carr

Australia’s swimming team is “stronger than ever”, says Redcliffe-born Taylor McKeown, whose sister Kaylee struck gold at last week’s world titles.

Kaylee – who, like Taylor, was born in Redcliffe, raised at Caboolture and trained in Burpengary - retained her world 100m and 200m backstroke titles in Singapore.

The 23-year-old’s World Championship double helped Australia return with 20 medals (8 gold, 6 silver, 6 bronze) – two more than the Paris Olympics.

And that was without superstars Ariarne Titmus (currently resting), Zac Stubblety-Cook (injured) and Emma McKeon (retired).

It backed up Taylor’s pre-Paris prediction, in the Moreton Daily, that Australia has a “once-in-a-lifetime” swimming team.

“It’s reassuring to see Dolphins back up performances (at the world titles) from the Olympics last year,” said Taylor, who had 10 years in the green and gold.

“It reassures Australians their swimming team is stronger than ever, able to stand up and accomplish epic feats, no matter the competition.

“Most of all, I hope it reassures all the swimmers and coaches that what they are doing is working … incredibly well!

“We have such a strong generation representing Australia at the moment. I hope the nation is taking notice of the names doing our country proud.

“As long as the Dolphins can ride this confidence, carry on training and competing this way, I have full faith in their ability to absolutely smash it in years to come.”

Kaylee, who was a junior at Australian Crawl in Burpengary, put on a stunning display in Singapore, one month after dislocating a shoulder.

Now at USC in Sippy Downs, she took the 100m backstroke in a championship record 57.16 seconds and 200m backstroke in 2:03.33 - the third fastest time ever.

The former student at St Peter’s Lutheran Primary School in Caboolture also won silver with Australia’s 4x100m medley relay team.

“I wasn’t feeling too great heading in, a bit of illness and stuff going around, dealing with a bit of a shoulder,” she told Swimming Australia after her 200m gold.

“I had to put my best foot forward tonight, I dug really deep and I’m really happy with the time that I posted.”

Bunya-based former Albany Creek star Sam Short hit the heights and depths in what became a “pretty horrible (sporting) week” in Singapore.

The 21-year-old took silver, just 0.02 seconds behind Olympic champion Lukas Martens, in the 400m freestyle final.

He then qualified second in the 800m freestyle heats but was struck down by illness and missed the final.

Three days later, Short had his fastest 1500m freestyle qualifying time of 14:46.24 and finished a gallant fourth in the final with 14:43.06.