Campbell McKean’s Incredible Performance At The 2024 Speedo Winter Junior West Championships

Haoyu Zhang

Campbell McKean preparing to swim the 200 IM.

At the 2024 Speedo Winter Junior Championships West, held from December 11 to 14 in Austin, Texas, Campbell McKean delivered a series of spectacular performances that solidified his status as one of the fastest young swimmers in the nation. Representing Bend Swim Club, McKean left a lasting mark on the competition, particularly in the 200-yard Individual Medley (IM), where he posted a jaw-dropping time of 1:41.19.

This time not only secured him the gold medal but also made him the second-fastest swimmer ever in the U.S. 17-18 boys' age group for this event. He now trails only Maximus Williamson, whose National Age Group (NAG) record stands at a time of 1:40.81. McKean’s performance was a massive improvement from his previous personal best of 1:44.23, which he recorded at the same meet in 2023. His progression in this event has been nothing short of extraordinary.

McKean first set the tone in the preliminaries, where he shattered his previous best by over a second, touching the wall at 1:42.33. However, he wasn't done yet. In the finals, he outdid himself once more, clocking an astonishing 1:41.19. His splits in the final showcased his elite-level versatility across all four strokes:

• Butterfly: 21.77

• Backstroke: 26.00

• Breaststroke: 28.16

• Freestyle: 25.26

Each of these splits demonstrated McKean’s well-rounded ability, with an explosive start in butterfly, smooth transitions in backstroke, a powerful breaststroke leg, and a strong closing freestyle finish. His breaststroke leg, in particular, proved to be a game-changer, allowing him to pull ahead of the competition.

While McKean’s 200 IM was the highlight of his meet, he didn’t stop there. He delivered strong performances in multiple events throughout the championships, proving that he is not just a one-event swimmer. In the grueling 400 IM, McKean once again demonstrated his incredible speed and versatility, clocking in 5 seconds ahead of second place to finish first in the preliminaries. McKean also swam incredible times in the 100 and 200 breaststroke events. His 51.72 in the 100 breaststroke and 1:53.54 in the 200 breaststroke were both personal bests for the Texas commit, as well as winning times in both events.

McKean walked away with five personal bests in five different events, as well as three gold medals. These performances reflect McKean’s versatility and exemplify his potential to compete at an elite level in multiple events as he progresses in his swimming career. As McKean continues to develop, the swimming community will be watching closely to see how he builds on this momentum. Whether at the NCAA level or on an international stage, his incredible performance at the 2024 Winter Juniors proves that he is an athlete to watch in the years to come.