Trio named in world titles team

Kaylee McKeown, Sam Short and Bailey Armstrong will carry this region’s hopes into the World Championships next month.

The trio, who all have connections to Moreton Bay, have been named in Australia’s 38-strong team which will fly to Japan for the titles from July 23-30.

McKeown, who grew up in Caboolture and swam with Australian Crawl at Burpengary, is in the 200m IM (2:07.6), 100m (57.5) and 200m backstroke (2:03.7) after winning the trials.

Sam Short, the former Albany Creek Swim Club member now at Rackley in Brisbane, won the 400m (3:43.38) and 800m freestyle (7:40.39) to book his place in Fukuoka.

Bailey Armstrong, who was with Belgravia at Burpengary but is now at USC Spartans, has been selected for the open water events.

Griffith University star McKeown will be defending her 200m backstroke crown and was in fine form at the trials but still has areas to work on.

“There are a few things I think,” she said, “just trusting myself mentally.

"I know my body is more than capable of doing it but sometimes I can get in my own and any prep talk I have before I go to Bohly [coach] is like ‘don’t get in your own way’.

“So that is just something I’ve got to learn to manage.”

“I’m fully expecting both world records to plummet if not next week, at the World Championships, so I’m fighting for Paris really.”

Short, who went to Prince of Peace Lutheran College at Everton Hills, set a personal best in the 800m by two seconds.