USC Spartans swimmers sent records tumbling at the 2020 Australian Virtual Short Course Championships over the weekend, with Kaylee McKeown breaking a long-standing world record for 200m backstroke.

The 16-strong Spartans squad returned to the Sunshine Coast today after claiming 10 world records, one Commonwealth record, and two Asian records in their first return to national competition since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Kaylee swam the 200m backstroke in 1 minute 58.94 to take almost half a second off the world short course record set in 2014 by Hungarian swimming great Katinka Hosszu.

The Olympic hopeful, who earlier this month set new Australian long course records in 100m and 200m backstroke, also set a new Commonwealth and Asian record in the 200m individual medley at the weekend.

Australian Paralympian and USC Bachelor of Arts student Katja Dedekind left the two-day virtual meet with four world records in the 400m freestyle, 50m and 100m backstroke and 200m individual medley.

USC Sport and Exercise Science graduate Jacob Templeton set a world record in the men’s 200m multiclass freestyle, before backing it up with another in the men’s 100m freestyle

Other world records were claimed by Paralympians Blake Cochrane (Bachelor of Clinical Exercise Science) in the 50m breaststroke and Braedan Jason (Bachelor of Journalism) in the 400m freestyle.

USC Spartans para swimming head coach Nathan Doyle said the team was in sizzling form at the national championships, still fresh from an impressive hit-out at the state 2020 Medal Shots Long Preparation Meet two weeks previously.

“The Spartans started with a bang,” he said.

“Five world records were broken in the first session and they didn’t let up over the course of the weekend with no fewer than 10 world records, one Commonwealth and two Asian records broken, and plenty of personal bests to match,” he said.

“We are now straight back in the pool with our focusing turning to the State Championships in two weeks,” he said.