TOKYO: Australian Emma McKeon's success in the pool left the world in awe of the 27-year-old athlete on Sunday as she became the most successful swimmer from her country at the Olympics, winning a whopping seven medals, including four gold and three bronze, in Tokyo.
On Sunday, Emma first beat world record holder Sarah Sjoestroem of Sweden in the women's 50m freestyle final, sprinting to a 23.81-second finish to clinch gold and later in the day helped the team edge defending champions the United States for the women's 4x100m medley relay gold.
Kaylee McKeown, Chelsea Hodges, Emma McKeon and Cate Campbell concerted their efforts to win Australia's third Olympic gold in the event in 3:51.60, a new Olympic record.
With the two gold medals on Sunday, Emma propelled her country to 20 medals overall — nine of them gold — which is their best performance ever in the Olympic pool.
Emma's list of achievements in Tokyo include gold in 100m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle relay, 4x100m medley relay and women's 50m freestyle, while she also won three bronze — in mixed 4x100m medley relay, 100m butterfly and 4x200m freestyle relay.
Australia's nine gold in Tokyo is one better than Melbourne 1956 and in terms of individual medals won, they pushed their total up to 20, equalling the performance of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Emma not only became the greatest medal winner in Australian Olympic history, surpassing Ian Thorpe and Leisel Jones, but the first Australian ever to win four gold at a single Olympics. If one includes her 2016 Rio Olympics relay gold, she joins Thorpe as the only Australian ever to win five career gold. IANS
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