2024 Olympic Previews: Welcome To The McKeown And Smith Show

By Anya Pelshaw on SwimSwam

2024 PARIS SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES

Pool Swimming: July 27 – August 4, 2024

Open Water Swimming: August 8 – 9, 2024

La Défense Arena — Paris, France
LCM (50 meters)
Meet Central
Full Schedule
SwimSwam Preview Index

WOMEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE— BY THE NUMBERS:

World Record: 2:03.14 – Kaylee McKeown, AUS (2023)
World Junior Record: 2:03.35 – Regan Smith, USA (2019)
Olympic Record: 2:04.06 – Missy Franklin, USA (2012)
2021 Olympic Champion: 2:04.68 – Kaylee McKeown, AUS

The women’s 200 backstroke has been “The Regan and Kaylee Show” in recent years. With Regan Smith missing the US Olympic Team in the event in 2020(1), we finally will have the showdown in the event at the Olympics. With both swimmers’ dominance, the biggest battle looks to be for bronze. 

The event as a whole is a lot different than the field in the 100 backstroke. The 100 backstroke field is a lot tighter with five swimmers under the 58-second mark, the podium still has the potential for some shake ups. The 200 looks much different with McKeown and Smith leading the way by a wide margin. 

The Two At The Top

Australia’s Kaylee McKeown enters the event after posting the top time in the World this season swimming a 2:03.30 at Australian Olympic Trials. McKeown has had the edge over Smith in the event recently after breaking Smith’s World Record last year swimming a 2:03.14. McKeown won the battle between the two last summer at the 2023 World Championships swimming to a 2:03.85, ahead of Smith’s 2:04.94. 

Smith has already been faster this season than she was at 2023 Worlds, swimming a 2:03.99 at the Westmont Pro Series stop before booking her ticket to the Olympics in the event with a 2:05.16 at US Olympic Trials. Despite being off both her season and personal best times in the event at US Trials, Smith made waves in the 100 backstroke, breaking McKeown’s World Record as Smith swam to a 57.13 in the 100 backstroke. Although we picked Smith to win the 100 backstroke, McKeown’s consistency and deeper focus on longer “semi-on” events seems to give her the leg up in the 200. McKeown also competes in the 200/400 IM while Smith’s other primary focuses are on the 100/200 fly. 

The two swimmers are the only women to have been under the 2:05 mark this season. Claire Curzan of the USA holds the 3rd fastest time this year as she swam a 2:05.77 en route to gold at the 2024 World Championships. Despite holding the 3rd fastest time in the World this season, Curzan missed qualifying for the US roster with a 3rd place finish at US Trials. This means that Smith and McKeown are instead the only athletes who will be in Paris who have been under the 2:06 mark this season, allowing both swimmers to enter the race as heavy gold and silver medal favorites, the order in which is what is harder to pick.

Biggest Bronze Medal Candidates

Leading the 2:06+ group of backstrokers is Canada’s Kylie Masse. Masse arrives in Paris with plenty of international and Olympic experience. Masse has been on the podium in backstroke at the last two Olympics, first winning bronze in the 100 back in 2016 (but did not swim the 200 back in Rio) and then silver in both the 100 and 200 backstrokes in 2020(1). Masse’s consistency at the international level in the backstroke scene makes her one of the favorites to stand at bronze on the podium but she will not be uncontested. 

Following Masse this year is Pheobe Bacon of the US. Bacon rebounded to qualify for Paris after missing the Worlds team last summer. This will be her 2nd Olympics as she swam the 200 backstroke in Tokyo, swimming to a 5th place finish in the event with a 2:06.40, a personal best at the time. Bacon had a successful short course yards and NCAA season with Wisconsin, swimming to her 2nd NCAA title, winning the 200 back in 2021, the same year as she made her first Games, and now in 2024. She swam a season best of a 2:06.27 to qualify for the US team and looks to continue her success from the winter, posing as a threat to the podium as well. Her success this past winter being at (and surpassing) her success from 2021 bodes well for Paris. Bacon also seems to be a “clutch performer” posting her best times when it matters.

After a gold and bronze finish in the 200 backstroke in Tokyo, Australia’s Jaclyn Barclay looks to repeat history and fill the gap left by Emily Seebohm who won bronze in Tokyo. Barclay enters with a season (and personal) best of a 2:07.03 that she swam for bronze at the 2024 World Championships this past February. Barclay clinched her spot on the Australian roster after a 2:07.88 at Australian Trials last month. She has been on a massive improvement curve, dropping from a 2:14 two years ago, to a 2:11 last season, and now dipping into the 2:07 mark on numerous occasions.

Peng Xuwei of China won bronze last summer at 2023 Worlds in the event with a 2:06.74. Her season best sits at a 2:07.28 from the 2023 Asian Games last September. With the looks of the field right now, it seems that it will take more in the 2:05-2:06 range to earn bronze so another best time will be key for her success. The same can be said for Barclay. 

2:08 Club

There are numerous swimmers who have been in the 2:08 range this season. Honey Osrin of Great Britain swam to a best time of a 2:08.37 at the British Championships. Liu Yaxin of China posted a 2:08.41 at Chinese Nationals while Emma Terebo (France) posted a 2:08.45 at the Mare Nostrum series. 

Also in the 2:08 club is Israel’s Anastasia Gorbenko who posted a national record of a 2:08.54 at Mare Nostrum. Despite being known primarily for her IM events, Gorbenko still poses as a threat to the final in the event if she chooses to swim it in Paris. 

Spain’s Carmen Weiler (2:08.89) and Portugal’s Camila Rebelo (2:08.95) round out the 2:08 group and both swam to new National Records in June. Weiler swam her time at the Spanish Championships while Rebelo swam to Portugal’s first gold medal ever at the European Championships. 

The Verdict

McKeown and Smith finally will be able to battle it out in the Olympics after Smith’s miss in the event in 2020(1) despite being the World Record holder at the time. Since then, McKeown has been the dominant force in the event with Smith following right behind. It seems that Smith has been hitting her stride recently, propelled by her 100 back World Record, but the difference in the events seems to give McKeown the win here as she is followed by Smith. The two are the fastest in the event in the World this year by over two seconds compared to any of their competitors in Paris and the biggest race seems to be for bronze. Masse has the international podium history while Bacon had a huge senior season and already swam faster than she did in 2021 this season. Still a teenager, Barclay of Australia has been improving rapidly the last few years and with another second or so drop, she also could stand on the podium.

Bacon’s senior season seems to stand out the most and she has the international experience she needs to know what it will take. Missing out on the podium in Tokyo is fuel the fire as she was 2nd coming out of semifinals. The fact that Bacon has a personal best of a 2:05.08 and has been in the 2:06 range on numerous occasions is what gives her a leg up on Peng and Barclay but Masse looks to be another big challenger for bronze.

SWIMSWAM’S PICKS

Read the full story on SwimSwam: 2024 Olympic Previews: Welcome To The McKeown And Smith Show