Kaylee McKeown Reinstated After Disqualification at Australian Trials

Kaylee McKeown was disqualified and then reinstated in the 50m backstroke at the Australian World Championship Swimming Trials.

The incident occurred on the opening day in Adelaide, with McKeown initially ruled out for “moving at the start”.

McKeown, the world record holder, was swimming out of lane four in heat one when the disqualification happened.

She had entered as the top seed at 27.06, the fastest time in the world in 2025.

The 23-year-old's time of 27.27 in the heats was much faster than **Mollie O’Callaghan**'s 27.72.

The disqualification could have potentially robbed her of a chance to swim the event at this year's World titles in Singapore.

McKeown is the world record holder at 26.86 seconds from 2023 and won this event at the World Aquatics Championships in 2023.

She was one of Australia’s stars of the Paris Olympics last year, winning two gold, two silver and one bronze medal.

McKeown's reinstatement means she will have the chance to compete in the 50m backstroke at the World titles.

Without McKeown, **Mollie O’Callaghan** set the fastest time in 27.72, under the World auto qualification time.

McKeown's coach is **Michael Sage**, and she swims for the USC Spartans, QLD.

The Australian World Championship Swimming Trials continue, with McKeown looking to secure her spot at the World titles,

"said Swimming Australia in a statement, after officials ruled in her favour that she was distracted by a movement immediately prior to the signal.

McKeown had moved her head before the starters gun, as shown by television slow motion relays.

Major Trials have been rocked by disqualifications in the past, including the 2004 Olympic Trials disqualification of **Ian Thorpe**.

And McKeown's hopes of winning a world championship gold medal in one of her favoured events looked in danger of being derailed.

But the reinstatement has given her a second chance, and she will be looking to make the most of it.

So the focus will now be on the rest of the trials, and McKeown's chances of securing her spot at the World titles.

McKeown won this event at the World Aquatics Championships in 2023 as part of a triple backstroke championship,

and she will be looking to repeat that success this year.

The World titles will be held in Singapore, and McKeown will be one of the top contenders in the 50m backstroke,

with a world record time of 26.86 seconds from 2023.

McKeown's time of 27.27 in the heats was a strong start to the trials, and she will be looking to build on that,

with the goal of securing her spot at the World titles and competing for a gold medal.