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Kaylee McKeown Withdraws From Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific Championships

Confirmed glandular fever forces her to prioritise recovery to protect her Olympic prospects, prompting Australia to reshuffle its squads.

Swimming - World Aquatics Championships - Women's 200m Backstroke Final - World Aquatics Championships Arena, Singapore - August 2, 2025 Gold medallist Australia's Kaylee McKeown celebrates after winning the Women's 200m Backstroke Final REUTERS/Tingshu Wang
Kaylee McKeown is out of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games due to glandular fever. (Dean Lewins/AAP PHOTOS)
Australian Olympic backstroke champion Kaylee McKeown has pulled out of the Commonwealth Games and Pan Pac Swimming Championships
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Overview

  • McKeown disclosed on Friday that blood tests confirmed she has glandular fever and she will medically withdraw from both the 2026 Commonwealth Games and the Pan Pacific Championships.
  • She reported months of fatigue, shortness of breath and loss of appetite, saying she reduced training but did not improve and feared pushing on could cause chronic fatigue.
  • Australia will now send a 59-strong swim team to Glasgow and a 43-athlete delegation to the PanPacs in Irvine, with McKeown removed from event line-ups that begin in Glasgow on July 24 and run through early August.
  • Swimming Australia and Olympic head coach Rohan Taylor publicly backed her decision, saying her health and long-term recovery are the priority.
  • McKeown is a multi-Olympic gold medallist and world-record holder whose absence is a major competitive and leadership loss for the Dolphins as she focuses on returning for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.