With a Jive And A Dive Kaylee McKeown Skins Em Alive At  Swim GP In Melbourne 

With a Jive And A Dive Kaylee McKeown Skins Em Alive At  Swim GP In Melbourne 

The world’s premier backstroker Kaylee McKeown has made a stunning return to racing with a jive and dive on night one of a spectacular opening night of the Swimming Australia Swim GP Short Course meet in Melbourne

The 25-year-old won the final shoot out of the 50m Backstroke Elimination Skins – and she did so using all her guile and experience – albeit taking the win by the skin of her teeth after showing all her dance moves on a fun night’s racing.

JIVE TIME: : Kaylee back in the fast lane. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).

McKeown, who missed this year’s Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacs with glandular fever, out-touching fellow Paris Olympian, rising WA star Iona Anderson in a thrilling 50m backstroke final when the swimming circus featuring a colourful teams format made a huge splash at the Melbourne Sports And Aquatic Centre.

The exciting elimination Skins races (first swum in Sydney at the innovative Qantas Skins in 1996) started with eight swimmers in two heats of four – with the top two in each heat contesting the elimination series until a two-swimmer head-to-head final.

The Swim GP meet is not an officially sanctioned World Aquatics Meet although electronic times were taken and listed on the television coverage.

(According to the Swimming Australia Event Rules there are no official results or records made as this made-for-television exhibition competition is not a World Aquatics approved meet).

But Anderson, who is a member of Australia’s 24-strong Dolphins team for next month’s World Short Course Championships in Beijing, was only just outside her own personal best time of 25.88 – clocking 25.90 in her qualifying heat.

Until McKeown – swimming her fourth 50m of the night – saved the best till last – the dual world record holder for 200m backstroke long course and short course out-touched Anderson in 26.08 – and showing all the fight and endurance that has seen the tough-as-teak Queenslander win five Olympic gold medals.

Even McKeown admitting it hasn’t been an easy road back.

“It’s hard to come into these races having not raced all year and my body just hasn’t recovered as quickly as it could,” said McKeown.

“It’s taken me a long time…..and I’ve just got to build back to where I was which is even more of a gap.

“I’m just glad it [illness] happened this year and not next year when it counts.”

And with the majority of the 24-strong Australian team for Beijing in action, the event provided the perfect pre-event competition before they start racing on December 1.

CENTRE STAGE: No stopping Australian Swimming’s 2026 leading lady Lani Pallister. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).

And while McKeown’s comeback commanded special interest it was Lani Pallister and Sam Short – the two flagbearers of Australia’s 2026 international campaigns – who again looked in tip-top shape as they prepare to take on the world in Beijing.

Pallister charging to an all-the way win in the 400m Freestyle Checkpoint (with bonus points for leading at each 100m) – the 2022 World Short Course Champion looking to turn her 2024 silver into 2026 gold.

The five-time World Short Course champion and 800m freestyle short course world record holder clocking an impressive 3:53.73 – the same time she clocked when she won silver behind Summer McIntosh at the 2024 World’s in Budapest – not that far outside her best of 3:51.87.

Pallister always in her element when it comes to racing.

“We are all such competitive people and we all want to win but it’s good for us at this point in the season to get up and race against the people we are going to try to beat on teams while also building up camaraderie,” said Pallister.

“There are a lot of junior kids coming up [through the ranks] that we don’t always get to be on teams with so trying to get amongst them knowing they have World Junior Championships… and chasing their dreams to be a Dolphin is exciting for everyone.”

GRAND SAM: Sam Short ready to unleash in Beijing. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).

While Short had some early competition in the men’s 400m Freestyle Checkpoint with Rackley training partner and 2026 success story Harrison Turner taking the race out – splitting just ahead of Short – touching first in 1:45.67 – a perfect pacesetter for Short (with a pb of 3:35.16) who powered away from the field to win in 3:38.69.

The 25m freestyle shootout also provided a major highlight with sprinting all-rounder, Paris Olympian Ben Armbruster surging to a cracking time of 9.51 – one of the fastest times ever recorded to beat Jamie Jack (9.61) and training partner Flynn Southam (9.63).

Armbruster saying: “It’s so much fun… it’s a different way to race with the crowd here, different set up, everyone is just enjoying it. The energy is great and you can feel everyone getting around you.”

While the ever-present Alex Perkins (10.96) upset Australia’s number one freestyle 50m sprinter Meg Harris (11.06) and Olivia Wunsch (11.09) in an eye-catching win in the women’s event, as she sharpens her preparations to take on the World Short Course Championships.

RESULTS, SWIM GP, Day 1:

MEN

25m Freestyle

SIZZLING: Ben Armbruster. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).

1. Ben Armbruster (Wahoo)
2. Jamie Jack (Tsunami)
3. Flynn Southam (KingTide)
4. James Ward (Kraken)

400m Freestyle Checkpoint

SHORT STOP: Sam Short and Harrison Turner Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).

1. Sam Short (Wahoo)
2. Ben Goedemans (Tsunami)
3. Brendon Smith (Kraken)
4. Harrison Turner (KingTide)

50m Backstroke Elimination Skins

1. Enoch Robb (Kraken)
2. Mark Nikolaev (Kraken)

50m Breaststroke Elimination Skins

1. Josh Collett (Wahoo)
2. Joshua Anderson, (Kraken)

200m Mystery Medley

1. Will Petric (Tsunami)
2. David Schlicht (Kraken)
3. Se-Bom Lee (Wahoo)
4. Lukas Dunn (KingTide)

WOMEN

25m Freestyle

1. Alexandria Perkins (Kraken)
2. Meg Harris (Wahoo)
3. Olivia Wunsch (KingTide)
4. Milla Jansen (Tsunami)

400m Freestyle Checkpoint

KINGTIDE QUEEN: Lani Pallister Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).

1. Lani Pallister (KingTide)
2. Hannah Allen (Tsunami)
3. Amelia Weber (Kraken)
4. Jaimie De Lutis (Wahoo)

50m Backstroke Elimination Skins

TAKE OFF: Kaylee McKeown Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).

1. Kaylee McKeown (Tsunami)
2. Iona Anderson (Wahoo)

50m Breaststroke Elimination Skins

1. Ella Ramsay (Wahoo)
2. Sienna Toohey (Tsunami)

200m Mystery Medley

1. Tara Kinder (Tsunami)
2. Isabella Boyd (KingTide)
3. Jenna Forrester (Wahoo)
4. Brittany Castelluzzo (Kraken)

MIXED

100m Multi Class:

1. Jasmine Greenwood (Tsunami)
2. Jenna Jones (Wahoo)
3. Declan Budd (KingTide)
4. Col Pearse (Kraken)

4 x 25m Freestyle Relay – Tsunami

1. Wahoo (Meg Harris, Ben Armbruster, Charlie Hawke, Lily Price)
2. Tsunami (Kaylee McKeown, Jamie Jack, Ollie Moclair, Milla Jansen)
3. KingTide (Olivia Wunsch, Flynn Southam, Jesse Coleman, Maya Zunker)
4. Kraken (Chloe Rowe-Hagans, James Ward, David Schlicht, Alexandria Perkins)

100m Freestyle Multi Class

TICKLED PINK: Jasmine Fullgrabe Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).

1. Jasmin Fullgrabe (Kraken)
2. Callum Simpson (Wahoo)
3. Tom Gallagher (Tsunami) and Victoria Belando Nicholson (KingTide)

4x 50m Freestyle Relay Combined

1. KingTide (Alex Tuckfield, Flynn Southam, Keira Stephens, Olivia Wunsch)
2. Kraken (Tim Hodge, James Ward, Madeleine McTernan, Alexandria Perkins)
3. Wahoo (Ben Hance, Ben Armbruster, Emily Beecroft, Meg Harris)
4. Tsunami (Tom Gallagher, Jamie Jack, Jasmine Greenwood, Kaylee McKeown)

TEAMS POINTSCORE (DAY 1)

Wahoo (105pts)
Kraken (94)
Tsunami (77)
KingTide (63)

PHOTO GALLERY

WE BELIEVE IN PINK – TEAM KRAKEN Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)

READY TO ROCK: Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia)

TIDE’S IN THE HOUSE: Team KingtTIde. Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).

TEAM TSUNAMI Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).

SAM I AM: Sam Williamson Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).

Australian Team for 2026 World Short Course Championships, Beijing (CHN) December 1-6