Emma McKeon on journey from Youth Olympics to Tokyo 2020 gold

Emma McKeon’s incredible seven medal-haul in the pool at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 tied Soviet gymnast Maria Gorokhovskaya’s record for the most medals won by a female athlete at a single edition of the Games.

Her seven trips to the podium in Tokyo also took her overall tally to 11 Olympic medals, making the swimmer the most decorated Australian Olympian ever and catapulting her to stardom. But her history-making achievements may never have happened, with a teenaged McKeon choosing to walk away from the sport after missing out on selection for the Olympic Games London 2012.

Having just won six medals at the YOG Singapore 2010, McKeon looked set to be the next big name in Australian swimming. But the disappointment of not making the 2012 Olympic team saw the then 18-year-old take an extended break from the sport as she considered never returning to the pool. Thankfully, she changed her mind and since then has been collecting medals at an electrifying pace that almost matches her world-class speed in the pool.

Following the disappointment of missing London 2012, McKeon went on to become Australia’s most decorated swimmer at the Olympic Games Rio 2016 – winning a gold, two silvers and a bronze – and then won more medals than any other athlete at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, including victories in both the 50m and 100m freestyle.

Here, she discusses the ups and downs of her Olympic journey.

Have you managed to wrap your head around your success in Tokyo?

“It has all started to sink in now. At the time, I was just so focused on maintaining myself for the whole week and doing one event at a time. Once I got to the end, it was hard to just let go and absorb it all. It’s still a bit strange to think about the fact that I did win all those medals, but I’m very proud of myself and the team that I had behind me. I saw how much hard work the people around me were putting into my swimming and training, so it’s a nice feeling to have pulled it off for them as well.”

Do you feel different now, having become Australia’s most successful Olympian?

“No, I don’t feel a change. I think I was expecting to because it’s something I’d always aspired to do, especially to get an Olympic gold medal individually. I always thought that you’d feel something totally different. Obviously, I’m happy, but I don’t feel different. I feel like the same person, although I do get recognised a bit more.”

You mentioned winning gold individually. Having won gold in Rio as part of the relay team, what did it mean to you to top the podium by yourself in the 50m and 100m freestyle?

“It meant a lot because everyone wants that individual gold; to stand on the podium by themselves. In Rio, I got bronze individually in the 200m freestyle. And, since then, I’ve just had my eyes on getting a gold medal. It feels pretty cool to have achieved that.”

Looking back to the YOG in 2010, and then afterward when you nearly walked away from swimming, how do you…