Emma Jennifer McKeon, AM (born 24 May 1994), is an Australian competitive swimmer and eight-time world record holder. She has a total career haul of 11 Olympic medals following the 2020 Olympic Games, making her Australia’s most decorated Olympian. This includes one gold medal from the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and four gold medals from the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
After making her Olympic debut at Rio 2016, Emma McKeon became her nation’s most decorated Olympian ever, boasting a medal tally of five gold, two silver, and four bronze medals to date. She is tied with the legendary Ian Thorpe for the most Olympic golds in Australian history, but McKeon may well become the outright leader in just over 100 days.
“I think swimming will always be a part of my life and has been for my whole life so far. But this will definitely be my last Olympics, so I’m excited for that,” McKeon, 29, told Olympics.com. “Success for me in Paris would be to swim faster than I ever have before.”
Bio Data and Personal Information
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Emma Jennifer McKeon, AM |
| Date of Birth | 24 May 1994 |
| Birthplace | Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia |
| Education | The Illawarra Grammar School; Bachelor’s degree in Public Health and Health Promotion with a major in Nutrition from Griffith University |
| Family | Sister: Kaitlin McKeon; Brother: David McKeon (Olympian); Father: Ron McKeon (Four-time Commonwealth gold medalist and two-time Olympian); Mother: Susie McKeon (Swimmer); Uncle: Rob Woodhouse (Two-time Olympian) |
| Website | Olympics.com |
Swimming Career
Early Life and Education
Emma McKeon was born on 24 May 1994 in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. She completed her secondary education in 2012 from The Illawarra Grammar School and later relocated to Brisbane to train under Vince Raleigh at the Chandler Aquatic Centre in 2014. She eventually began training under Michael Bohl at Griffith University, where she studied public health and health promotion.
Olympic Games
McKeon’s Olympic journey began with the 2016 Summer Olympics, where she won a gold medal in the 4x100m freestyle relay, setting a world record. Her success continued at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she won four gold and three bronze medals, setting multiple records and becoming the most decorated athlete across all sports at the event.
2016 Summer Olympics
- Gold Medal: 4x100m Freestyle Relay (World Record)
- Silver Medal: 4x200m Freestyle Relay
- Silver Medal: 4x100m Medley Relay
- Bronze Medal: 200m Freestyle
2020 Summer Olympics
- Gold Medal: 4x100m Freestyle Relay (World Record)
- Gold Medal: 100m Freestyle (Olympic Record)
- Gold Medal: 50m Freestyle (Olympic Record)
- Gold Medal: 4x100m Medley Relay (Olympic Record)
- Bronze Medal: 100m Butterfly (Oceanian Record)
- Bronze Medal: 4x200m Freestyle Relay (Oceanian Record)
- Bronze Medal: 4x100m Mixed Medley Relay
World Championships
Emma McKeon has also excelled in World Championships, winning multiple medals across different events. In 2019, she won six medals at the World Aquatics Championships in Gwangju, South Korea, including three gold medals. She continued her streak in 2023, winning a gold medal in the 4x100m freestyle relay and setting a new world record.
Commonwealth Games
McKeon has been a dominant force at the Commonwealth Games, setting records and winning numerous medals. In 2014, she won six medals, equalling a Commonwealth Games record for swimmers. She repeated this feat in 2018 and broke the record for the most Commonwealth Games medals ever received after winning six gold, one silver, and one bronze medal in 2022.
Career Highlights
- Total Olympic Medals: 11 (5 Gold, 2 Silver, 4 Bronze)
- World Records: 8 (Three current, five former)
- Commonwealth Games Medals: 20 (14 Gold)
- World Aquatics Championships Medals: 20 (5 Gold)
- Most Medals Won by a Woman in a Single Olympic Games: 7 (Tied with Soviet gymnast Maria Gorokhovskaya)
Source: https://starlovestories.com – https://actualidadfamosos.es – https://promibeziehung.de
