Olympic champion Kaylee McKeown issues statement on dramatic Australian swimming trials

Kaylee McKeown has released a statement in the wake of her dramatic disqualification and then reinstatement at the Australian national swimming trials in Adelaide.

The five-time Olympic gold medallist was initially rubbed out of a 50m backstroke heat last week before a successful protest saw her reinstated as the winner of the race.

In an Instagram post on Monday, McKeown insisted the protest was warranted and necessary.

“I’ve copped quite a bit of scrutiny over the past week for my DQ in the 50 backstroke,” she wrote.

“I’d just like to clarify that while it was a clear disqualification, I was able to lodge a protest due to movement directly behind my starting block. I followed all the standard procedures for my reinstatement!

“For those who know me well, you’ll know I’m all for fair sport and certainly wouldn’t have protested if I knew I didn’t have a fair case.

“What I’m not for is people tearing others down... at no point was I shown any favouritism.”

The ruling had initially dashed her hopes of competing for a world championships gold medal in one of her signature events at Singapore later this year.

But officials heard McKeown’s protest and accepted that she had been “distracted by a movement” on the blocks.

The 23-year-old’s lightning time of 27.27 did not come up on the board when she touched the wall to win her heat.

After the race, a Swimming Australia staff member consoled McKeown, who opted not to speak to media when she got out of the pool as she was ushered away in devastation.

The formal appeal issued by her team was later upheld though, granting McKeown the chance to compete in the final later that night.

Mollie O’Callaghan qualified second with a time of 27.72, the only other swimmer to hit the world championships qualification standard, which is 27.74.

To earn selection for Singapore, swimmers must finish in the top two of their event and better the world championships standard.

McKeown is the current 50m backstroke world record-holder.

The five-time Olympic gold medallist refused to detail the exact distraction that caused her initial disqualification.

“Things happen and it just crumbled that way,” she said.

“I knew as soon as I started, what I had done.

“But thankfully we had the technology to look back at footage and saw the distraction and I got reinstated.”

With her victory, McKeown secured her ticket to the world championships in Singapore from July 27 to August 3.