2026 Commonwealth Games Previews: Women’s Backstroke Events Wide Open After McKeown’s Withdrawal ...Middle East

By Madeline Folsom on SwimSwam

2026 Commonwealth Games

The 2026 Commonwealth Games are a week away, and the women’s backstroke events are looking very different than anticipated. World Champion and world record holder Kaylee McKeown withdrew from the meet due to glandular fever, also known as mononucleosis. With her out of the meet, the women’s 100 and 200 backstroke events are wide open for a new champion.

By The Numbers – Women’s 50 Backstroke

The 50 backstroke is the only event where the gold medalist is back in 2026. Canada’s Kylie Masse is one of the few athletes on the very small Canadian women’s team, and she will be hoping to repeat her gold medal position from the 2022 Games.

Masse set the Commonwealth Games record at 27.31 en route to her gold medal performance. She has been faster than that swim eight times, most recently at the 2025 Pro Swim Series in Fort Lauderdale when she set a new personal best 27.13. Her season best in the event stands at 27.35 from the Canadian Trials earlier this month, which ranks her 10th in the world this year.

Kylie Masse (photo: Jack Spitser)

The other returning medalist from 2022 is the silver medal winner Mollie O’Callaghan. She has recently stepped away from swimming backstroke events internationally, but with the absence of McKeown she might step back into a sprint backstroke role. O’Callaghan has her own challenges, however, revealing on Instagram that she is dealing with a stress fracture in her back. This could impact whether she chooses to race the event or not. If she chooses to race, her best time of 27.16 from 2024 and her season best of 27.19 from the Australian Trials will make her a serious threat.

In the 50 backstroke, there are a few other names to watch who could challenge for medals. Australia has a few other athletes who could race the event for the Dolphins, and who could earn a medal.

Iona Anderson currently ranks 9th in the world this season, and will be one of the fastest seeded swimmers in the event at the Commonwealth Games. She swam 27.33 at the Australian Trials to finish 3rd in the event to McKeown and O’Callaghan. Anderson’s swim was a new lifetime best for her, taking two tenths off the 27.52 she swam in December of 2023.

The Aussies will also have Alexandria Perkins, who swam 27.64 at the New South Wales State Championships, and could contend for a finals spot or medal.

England is also well represented with Lauren Cox coming in under 28 seconds. Cox earned a spot in the ‘A’ final at the 2025 World Championships with a semifinals time of 27.26. So far this season, her best time comes in at 27.39 from the GB Championships in April, which ranks 13th in the world this season. Her lifetime best of 27.15 would make her a gold medal threat in the event.

South Africa’s Jessica Thompson and Olivia Nel have also been under 28 seconds during the last year with Thompson swimming 27.67 at the SA National Youth Championships, a very strong medal contender, and Nel swimming 27.91 at the World University Games last summer.

Madison Kryger has never been under 28 seconds, with a lifetime best of 28.27 from Canadian Trials, but she could earn her way into the ‘A’ final depending on the athletes around her.

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The Australians and Masse seem to have the podium locked in this event, though Cox could easily throw a wrench in their party. The race could go either way between Masse and O’Callaghan if the Aussie swims it, but with her entry in the event unclear, Masse earned the edge for gold.

By The Numbers – Women’s 100 Backstroke

The women’s 100 backstroke is where the absence of McKeown begins to be felt most strongly. There are still two returning medalists from 2022, but the event feels more open for athletes with strong swims to move up the rankings.

There are two 2022 medalists who will be back this year, starting with silver medal winner Kylie Masse. In 2022, she swam 58.73 to finish about a tenth behind McKeown. So far this season, she has been 58.87, which ranks 13th in the world this year. Her lifetime best stands at 57.70 from June of 2021. She has not been back under 58 seconds since May of 2024, when she swam 57.94. In Singapore, she swam 58.42 to finish 4th in the event.

Medi Harris, the 2022 bronze medalist, is also returning for the meet. Harris has a season best time of 1:01.79 from the GB Swimming Championships earlier this year. Her lifetime best is 59.24 from February of 2022, but she hasn’t been back under 1:00 since July of 2023. In February of 2024, she swam 1:00.28, which would put her in a better spot to final, but likely keeps her out of medal contention.

Iona Anderson is the top swimmer in the world this year who will be racing at the meet, coming in at 58.60, which she swam at the Australian Trials in June. This currently ranks 8th in the world this season, but the seven athletes ahead of her will not be at the Commonwealth Games.

Anderson’s lifetime best is 58.43 from the 2024 Australian Trials, which is well under the 58.60 Commonwealth Games record set by McKeown four years ago.

Directly behind Anderson in the rankings is O’Callaghan, but she probably won’t swim the event at the meet.

Canada’s Madison Kryger is another potential contender, sitting at 23rd in the world this year with the 59.59 she swam at the Canadian Trials earlier this month, which was a new lifetime best in the event.

Lauren COX (GBR)credit Andrea Staccioli/Deepbluemedia

She will be battling England’s Lauren Cox for one of the podium spots. Cox has a season and lifetime best of 59.45 from March, which will definitely earn her a finals spot, though she will probably need a 58 if she wants to win.

Finally, Hannah Fredericks is the only other swimmer at the meet who has been under 1:00 this season.  At the 2026 Australian Trials, she swam 59.79, which was three tenths of her best of 59.44 from the 2024 Australian Trials. She will be another contender for the bronze medal.

Katie Shanahan (SCO) and Olivia Nel (RSA) are both coming in with lifetime best times of 1:00, and will be trying to earn their way into the final. Shanahan sits at a season best of 1:01.10 from the GB Championships in April. Her lifetime best sits at 1:00.03 from April of 2025.

Nel, who trains with NC State, has the South African record at 1:00.33 from the 2025 World Championships in Singapore. Her season best stands at 1:00.83 from the SA Nationals.

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By The Numbers – Women’s 200 Backstroke

Two of the three medalists from 2022 are back in the 200 backstroke, but it is unclear if both of them will race the event.

Kylie Masse was the 2024 Olympic bronze medalist of the event in 2:05.57. She has not raced a 200 backstroke since that bronze medal swim, however, and it is up in the air about whether she will race the event next week.

Katie Shanahan is the other returning medalist, earning the bronze in 2022. She is coming into the meet with a season best of 2:08.85 from June. Her lifetime best stands at 2:07.45 from the 2023 World Championships, and she is practically a lock for a top-eight finish.

Scotland will also be represented by Holly McGill. Her lifetime best stands at 2:08.20 from the 2025 GB Swimming Championships. At the World Championships in Singapore, she swam 2:09.51 to finish 10th in the semifinal. So far this season, she hasn’t been under 2:10, coming in at 2:11.18 from Scottish Nationals. She will need to find her way back under 2:10 if she wants to earn a second swim.

While Masse is potentially not swimming the event, Canada will be leaning on Madison Kryger as their top performer. She is coming in with a lifetime best 2:08.17 from the Canadian Trials earlier this month. This ranks 12th in the world this season, and as one of the top swimmers in the meet.

Just ahead of Kryger are a pair of Australians, Iona Anderson and Hannah Fredericks.

Iona Anderson via Delly Carr/Swimming Australia

Anderson swam 2:07.59 at the Australian Trials, a new best time by two seconds in the event from the 2:09.22 she swam at the 2024 Australian Trials. This ranks 8th in the world this season, just ahead of fellow Aussie Fredericks, who sits 10th with the 2:07.99 she swam at the Aussie Trials. This was also a new lifetime best by three tenths from the 2:08.25 she swam at the 2024 Australian Trials.

Australia can enter up to three athletes in each event, and they could turn to Jenna Forrester to take the final spot in the event. She is coming into the meet with a 2:09.13 lifetime best, which she also swam at the Australian Trials.

South Africa’s Hannah Pearse is another potential finalist. She is coming into the meet with a lifetime best of 2:10.39 from the 2025 World University Games, and a season best of 2:10.92 from the South African Nationals in April.

There are a few other athletes who could final in the event if they swim it such as England’s Freya Colbert, who has moved away from swimming the event internationally over the last few years. She has a season best of 2:11.07 from the AP Race in London and a lifetime best of 2:08.73 from 2023.

Canada’s Ella Jansen has a lifetime and season best of 2:13.04 from April, and could squeak into the final as well depending on the performances of the other swimmers.

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