Swimming news 2024: Emma McKeon, Australia's most decorated ...
The most decorated Australian Olympian in history, swimming champion Emma McKeon, announced her retirement from the elite level on Monday.
The superfish from Wollongong announced on social media she had called time on a career that yielded 14 Olympic medals, including six golds.
McKeon, now 30, had confirmed prior to the Paris Olympics that those Games would mark her final Olympic campaign.
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"Today I am officially retiring from competitive swimming," McKeon wrote on social media.
"Leading into Paris, I knew it would be my last Olympics, and the months since have given me time to reflect on my journey, and think about what I wanted my future to look like in swimming."
McKeon made her Olympic debut at Rio 2016, winning gold as a member of the unstoppable Australian women's 4x100m freestyle relay team and claiming four medals overall.
Emma McKeon, Australia's most decorated Olympian in history. Xu Chang/Xinhua via Getty Images
She dislodged Ian Thorpe as Australia's most decorated Olympian in history at Tokyo 2020, where she hauled in four gold medals by triumphing in the 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle relay and 4x100m medley relay, and captured seven medals in total.
At the Paris La Defense Arena across July and August, the Michael Bohl-coached superstar secured another three Olympic medals, including one gold as a member of Australia's 4x100m freestyle team.
"I am proud of myself for giving my swimming career absolutely everything, both physically and mentally," McKeon said on Monday.
"I wanted to see what I was capable of - and I did. Swimming has given me so much. From the dream igniting at 5 years old, right through to my third Olympic Games - I have so many lessons, experiences, friendships and memories that I am so thankful for."
After McKeon's final Olympic race as an individual, in which she finished sixth in the 100m butterfly in the French capital, she broke down in tears in a poolside interview with Nine and said swimming had brought her "so much joy".
"Along with every person who supported me, worked hard with me, and cheered me on. THANKYOU," McKeon said in her retirement post.
"Now I am excited to see how I can push myself in other ways, and for all the things that life has in store."
Swimming Australia chief executive Rob Woodhouse, who is McKeon's uncle, had towering praise for the retiring Dolphins great.
"Emma will be remembered in the same vein as Dawn [Fraser], Shane [Gould], Susie [O'Neill] and Murray [Rose], Kieren [Perkins] and Thorpey [Ian Thorpe] — that she was one of our greatest," Woodhouse said in a Swimming Australia statement.
"From a personal point of view, watching her Tokyo campaign and in particular watching her win gold in the 100m freestyle was one of the greatest races I have ever watched, but I have also loved watching her advocate for those coming up through the ranks.
"She will also be remembered for how she represented swimming. The standards she set in and out of the water were second to none, and she has a lifelong love of the sport, so she won't be disappearing from swimming."
Anna Meares, Australia's chef de mission for Paris 2024, said McKeon had made a "profound" contribution to the Olympic movement.
From left: Mollie O'Callaghan, Shayna Jack, Emma McKeon and Meg Harris sing the Australian national anthem after winning relay gold in Paris. Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
"Throughout her career Emma has acted with humility and a genuine love of what she is doing," Meares said.
"She has a quiet and unassuming nature but is a ferocious and feared competitor, one I had the privilege to see as a teammate, a sports fan and as a chef de mission. To stay at the top of her field over three Games and surpass the medal tally of every other Australian Olympian in our proud history is testament to Emma's character and commitment.
"Emma leaves the sport as an icon. We are so proud of everything she has achieved and wish her nothing but joy in her future, wherever that may be."
