Kaylee McKeown hits out amid special treatment claim following overturned disqualification at Australian national swimming trials
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Kaylee McKeown has hit out at claims she is given special treatment in the wake of her dramatic disqualification and then reinstatement at the Australian national swimming trials in Adelaide last week.
McKeown – who holds the 50m backstroke world record at 26.86 seconds – was the clear fastest in last Monday's heats of the 50m backstroke but was disqualified over an issue with her start.
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McKeown, who claimed Olympic gold in both the 100m and 200m backstroke at the Paris Olympics, was informed by officials she had broken early, as she was ushered off the pool deck in tears.
The ruling seemingly dashed her hopes of competing for a 50m backstroke world championships gold medal later this year.
However, the 23-year-old protested the decision and in the end, it was overturned.
McKewon was reinstated in the final which she won narrowly over Mollie O'Callaghan, securing her ticket to the world championships in Singapore from July 27 to August 3.
You can watch her Australian swim trials victory in the player above.
Kaylee McKeown has rejected claims she gets preferential treatment. Image: Getty
But in the wake of the ordeal, McKeown was accused of receiving preferential treatment due to her reputation and status in the sport.
And in an Instagram post on Monday, McKeown moved to clear up what went down as she rejected the notion there was any sort of favouritism at play.
'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.'
Kaylee McKeown is the 50m world record holder. (Photo by)
After hearing her protest officials ruled in her favour, accepting she had been 'distracted by a movement' on the blocks.
'Things happen and it just crumbled that way,' she continued.
'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.'
McKeown will next compete at the world championships in Singapore which get underway on July 27.
Originally published as Kaylee McKeown hits out amid special treatment claim following overturned Aussie swim trials disqualification
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