Only a few weeks in the past, Kaylee McKeown was driving excessive after successful gold in each the 100m and 200m backstroke on the Paris Olympics earlier than getting a silver with 2 bronzes. However now the 23-year-old has dropped a little bit of a bombshell by saying her withdrawal from December’s World Brief Course Championships in Budapest. This information comes simply days after the Dolphins crew of 24 was revealed. In a heartfelt Instagram publish, she defined, “Right now I made the choice to drag out of the 2024 World Brief course crew, it’s not one thing I wished to do however wanted to do.”
Kaylee opened up in regards to the intense stress she’s felt over the previous 5 years, each bodily and mentally. She emphasised the significance of taking a break from the fixed hype and adrenaline that include competitors. Whereas she’s stepping again from the World Brief Course Championships, she’s nonetheless planning to compete within the World Cups developing in only a few weeks.
McKeown’s enthusiastic about this chance to swim with out the added stress. Simply final week, she even set her sixth world report within the 100m backstroke on the Australian Brief Course Championships! The World Cups will kick off in Asia, beginning in Shanghai on October 18-20 after which heading to Incheon, South Korea, on October 24-26. Regardless of having certified for the December World Brief Course Championships in Budapest resulting from her stellar Olympic performances, McKeown talked about final month that she was nonetheless undecided about collaborating in Hungary. This chance to swim freely would possibly simply be what she must recharge and deal with her love for the game.
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“I’ll see how I really feel after the World Cups (in October-November)… and see if I wish to do the world short-course in December. However I’m not placing any stress on myself,” McKeown stated. As the present world report holder within the short-course 200m backstroke, she’s set to race in that occasion in Adelaide. Nonetheless, after the extraordinary highs of her double gold on the Paris Olympics, she’s been grappling with emotions of loneliness and vacancy.
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Kaylee McKeown’s Olympic legacy—a double-edged sword
Kaylee McKeown had fun on the Paris Olympics! She didn’t simply preserve her titles within the 100-meter and 200-meter backstroke occasions but in addition earned a bronze medal within the 200-meter medley—a incredible addition to her already spectacular achievements on the video games! Moreover, she performed an vital half in Australia’s relay victories by contributing to a medal within the girls’s 4×100 meter medley and a bronze within the combined 4×100 meter medley occasions. Her spectacular success within the Olympics has now introduced her medal tally to 9 medals, in whole—three of that are gold from the latest Tokyo Video games!
After the Olympics, the thrill wore off, although McKeown discovered it difficult to readjust to life in an Instagram chat she had along with her followers, the place she shared the ups and downs of her feelings post-event. “It’s been extraordinarily laborious coming from such a high-pressure setting,” she revealed. She mirrored on her unimaginable achievements, saying, “I did greater than I assumed I may ever obtain in Paris. Using the wave of success and pleasure has come down in some unspecified time in the future! Since coming dwelling, I’ve felt very empty and lonely.” As somebody who thrives on routine, having no fast objectives or coaching schedule has been a actuality verify for her.
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McKeown felt extremely proud to symbolize Australia because the flag bearer on the closing ceremony in Paris after her efficiency and management on the Olympics; nonetheless, she talked about that the interval after the video games will be fairly demanding each emotionally and bodily. “Racing can develop into extraordinarily draining emotionally and bodily!” she famous throughout her Q&A.
McKeown expressed how amazed she was by her performances, significantly highlighting her admiration for the Australian crew. If she needed to pinpoint a spotlight from Paris, it was the overwhelming sense of pleasure and reduction that got here with their achievements. Swimming really shone as Australia’s standout sport throughout the Olympics, with the crew bringing dwelling a powerful 19 medals—seven gold, 9 silver, and three bronze. Whereas the U.S. topped the general medal rely with 28, McKeown’s two golds performed a pivotal position in Australia’s excellent success.
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