Kaylee McKeown breaks second Steph Rice record as Shayna Jack takes down Emma McKeon

Triple Olympic gold medallist Kaylee McKeown has created more Australian swimming history after breaking another Stephanie Rice record at the Australian Open Championships. McKeown's latest heroics came on a drama-charged Thursday night on the Gold Coast, where Emma McKeon had to settle for third place in the 50m freestyle as Shayna Jack and Meg Harris stunned Australia's most decorated Olympian.

But for the second night in a row, McKeown took down Aussie swimming legend Rice's national record, this time in the 400m individual medley. On Wednesday night, McKeown stunned the swimming world by breaking the national record in the 200IM that Rice had held since 2009.

If that wasn't enough, the 22-year-old then took more than a second off Rice's national record in the 400IM, clocking a time of 4:28.22 to smash the mark of 4:29.45 set by Rice at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Despite her incredible time in the event, the Olympic backstroke queen made the extraordinary revelation that she would not contest the event at the Paris Games this year, due to an already packed schedule.

Kaylee McKeown not planning to swim 400IM at Olympics

"Nope. One and done. That's me," McKeown said when asked if she would add the 400IM to her Paris Games schedule. McKeown said on Wednesday night that she plans to swim the 200IM in Paris, and the 22-year-old will be trying to defend her Tokyo Olympic gold medals in the 100m backstroke and 200m backstroke. McKeown also scored a gold in the 4×100m medley and bronze in the 4×100m mixed medley.

The Queenslander is also coached by Michael Bohl - the same behind Rice's extraordinary Australian swimming career. And while McKeown has now bettered two of Rice's national records, she denies it has done anything to erase the legacy her compatriot left on the sport.

"I don't think she's erased by any means. She's a legend of the sport and always will be," said McKeown, who holds the world record in the women's 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke. "I'm coached by the same coach (Michael Bohl), and he knows what he's doing."

Shayna Jack and Meg Harris share win in 50m freestyle

McKeown's latest record was far from the only highlight on Thursday night, with the women's 50m final ending in a dead-heat for first and leaving five-time Olympic gold medallist McKeon having to settle for third. Jack and Harris both touched first in a time of 24.28 seconds to beat McKeon to first place.

Jack missed the Tokyo Games in 2021 due to a drug ban that she would eventually go on to successfully appeal. But she's on track to make her Olympic Games debut in Paris. "I think for any of us it would be fantastic, and for me personally it would be special to say (I'm an Olympian)," Jack said.

The meet on the Gold Coast has no bearing on Olympic selection, with the trials for the Paris Games to be held in early June in Brisbane. But that hasn't stopped some incredible times being posted and star-studded fields being assembled as some of the nation's best hopes gear up for the Olympics.

Elsewhere, Elizabeth Dekkers (2:05.20) beat Brianna Throssell (2:06.98) in the women's 200m butterfly, while Olympic champion Zac Stubblety-Cook (2:07.5) survived a major scare to pip Japan's Ippei Watanabe (2:07.62) in the 200m men's breaststroke. Stubblety-Cook also won gold in the 100m breaststroke on Wednesday night. The 25-year-old Australian won gold and set a world record in the 200m breaststroke at the Tokyo Games.

with AAP