Kaylee McKeown Will Not Race At 2026 World Cup or Short Course Worlds

Australian celebrity and world file holder Kaylee McKeown has confirmed that she will not be racing internationally for the remainder of 2026.

McKeown had a powerful exhibiting on the 2026 Australian Trials earlier than she withdrew from the Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacs resulting from glandular fever, also called mononucleosis.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, most acute signs of glandular fever enhance in a couple of month, however different signs like fatigue can linger for months. One of the signs is an enlarged spleen, and strenuous train may cause the spleen to rupture, which is a life-threatening emergency.

McKeown advised 9 News in Australia that she is at present restricted to simply three coaching classes every week, and that she has struggled to be affected person together with her restoration. Despite her struggles, although, she might want to push her worldwide return again additional, lacking the Short Course World Championships in Beijing this December.

She additionally mentioned watching this summer time’s meets from the sidelines, saying, “I definitely had a lot of FOMO not being at the facilities, racing, and competing.”

“I’m not in a position to even be close to being able to put my best foot forward.”

While McKeown was recovering, Italy’s Sara Curtis blasted an enormous world file swim within the 50 backstroke, stopping the clock in 26.56 within the remaining on the European Championships to take three-tenths off McKeown’s 2023 file time of 26.86.

McKeown stated, “That’s just sport. You’re never going to be the top dog for your whole career. It’s inevitable, and I’ve just got to be okay with that.”

She did verify her objectives for the 2028 Olympic Games, stating “I would love to go and do a three-peat (50/100/200 back), but at the end of the day, if it doesn’t happen, I don’t have control over that.”

“My goal is to go to the Olympics and win three gold medals, but my second goal is just to get there and have my family watch me swim potentially for the last time.”

McKeown has gone forwards and backwards on making an attempt for the 2032 Olympics, which will likely be on house soil for her in Brisbane. She stated at the start of July that she would love the chance to race on house soil earlier than revealing on a podcast just a few weeks later that she has been coping with endometriosis, which might have an effect on her capacity to have kids and that she has to steadiness that need together with her need to compete.

McKeown additionally didn’t race on the 2024 Short Course World Championships, needing a break after the 2024 Paris Olympics.