Emma McKeon, Australia’s most decorated Olympian, has announced her retirement from competitive swimming, bringing to a close a glittering career during which she won 14 Olympic medals, including six golds.
The 30-year-old, who revealed this year that the Paris Games would be her last Olympics, said she had given her all throughout her career and was proud of her successes in the pool.
“Today I am officially retiring from competitive swimming,” McKeon said on Monday.
“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.
“I am proud of myself for giving my swimming career absolutely everything, both physically and mentally. I wanted to see what I was capable of – and I did.”
McKeon signed off in Paris with a sixth and final Olympic gold medal as a member of Australia’s 4x100m freestyle team – seeing her surpass Ian Thorpe’s previous benchmark for the most golds won by an Australian.
She also won bronze in the 4x100 mixed medley in Paris, and added 4x100 medley silver on the final night of the pool meet for a total career haul of 14 medals, making her the third-most decorated Olympic swimmer in history. It also put her seventh on the list of most decorated Olympic athletes of any discipline.
McKeon’s first gold medal came at the Rio Games in 2016 before she added four more as she dominated the pool in Tokyo. Her total haul at the Covid-impacted Games of seven medals was the most of any athlete and broke the Australian record for the most career Olympic medals won.
On her final individual swim for Australia, in the 100m butterfly final at La Défense Arena, she finished seventh.
The Australian Olympic Committee congratulated McKeon on her “extraordinary” career and said she had consistently set the standard for excellence for over a decade.
“Emma has added her own incredible chapter to Australia’s history at the Olympic Games,” said the AOC president, Ian Chesterman. “Emma has been an extraordinary athlete who has etched herself a special place in Australian sporting landscape, particularly through her success at the Olympics.
“Her performances during Tokyo were particularly stunning. Emma is recognised not just in Australia, but around the world, as one of the greatest Olympians ever.”
Away from the Olympics, McKeon won a record 20 Commonwealth Games medals, including 14 gold, and the same number at the World Aquatics Championships. Over the course of her career, she held eight relay world records, three of which still stand today.
“Swimming has given me so much,” she said. “From the dream igniting at five years old, right through to my third Olympic Games – I have so many lessons, experiences, friendships and memories that I am so thankful for.
“Now I am excited to see how I can push myself in other ways, and for all the things that life has in store.”
