Emma McKeon becomes most decorated Australian Olympian of all time

TOKYO SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES 2020

australia Emma McKeon continues to have the competition of her life, as the 27-year-old won a gold in the women’s 50m freestyle.

After establishing herself as the favorite swimmer with an Olympic record of 24.02 in the semi-finals, McKeon crushed a mark of 23.81 to lower that result even further. The Australian’s effort on the podium was the only outing below the 24-second threshold, as a finalist Sarah Sjostrom from Sweden took 24.07 for silver and reigning gold medalist from Rio, Pernille Blume from Denmark, completed the top 3 in 24.21.

McKeon is the first-ever Australian woman to win gold in the 50m freestyle at the Olympics. This comes on top of a first in the women’s back, where Kaylee McKeown became the country’s first-ever back gold medalist.

Moreover, for McKeon, this gold medal in the 50m freestyle is just another accolade in Griffith University’s superb resume in Tokyo at these Games. She had already won individual bronze in the 100m butterfly, as well as gold in the 100m freestyle.

At the relay level, she won gold as a member of the women’s 4x100m freestyle, bronze in the women’s 4x200m freestyle and bronze in the mixed medley relay.

As such, McKeon pocketed a massive 6 Olympic medals with another event, the women’s medley relay, which has yet to take place in this session.

Entering this session tied with Olympians Ian Thorpe and Leisel Jones with nine Olympic medals, McKeon’s performance here in the 50 freestyle now gives her the title of Australia’s most decorated Olympian. She is the only Australian to have won 10 Olympic medals in total.