Australian star Emma McKeon won 4 gold medals and 3 bronze medals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, making her the first swimmer in history and the second woman to earn 7 medals in a single Olympic edition. The 27-year-old McKeon secured the gold medal in the 50-meter freestyle event with an Olympic record time of 23.81 seconds last Sunday, following her victory in the 100-meter event.
McKeon returned to the pool half an hour later to win another gold medal, this time as part of the Australian team in the women's 4x100 meter medley relay. She broke the Olympic record in the 50-meter freestyle heats with a time of 24.02 seconds, repeated the feat in the semifinals with a time of 24.00 seconds, and continued to shine with a new record in the final last Sunday.
McKeon stated, "I still feel like I’m dreaming. I never expected to win two golds in one session... I’m really proud of myself." Amidst tremendous support from the Australian team in the stands, she added, "I grew up watching swimming and amazing athletes do amazing things in Australia. I want to do something similar."
McKeon, whose father and brother also competed in swimming at the Olympics, said, "This also feels like a dream." She concluded, "Growing up in this sport, it’s really amazing to be part of it. If you work hard and enjoy what you do, and try to realize your dreams, anything can happen."
Additionally, McKeon won gold in the women's 4x100 freestyle relay, along with bronze in the 4x100 medley relay, bronze in the 4x200 freestyle relay, and bronze in the women's 100-meter butterfly.
