Yet if Tokyo was her coronation,then it was the Commonwealth Games where she learnt the fundamentals of royalty. In both Glasgow 2014 and on the Gold Coast in 2018,she won four gold medals,leaving her two behind the Commonwealth record of 10 jointly held by Susie O’Neill,Ian Thorpe and Leisel Jones.
With a double already in her keeping in Birmingham,the 50m freestyle on Monday morning (AEST) gave her the opportunity to surpass a trio of athletes she considers to be her heroes and inspiration. After 25m,there was no doubt the Olympic champion was about to be out on her own.
McKeon was too sharp for Dolphins teammates Meg Harris and Shayna Jack,sprinting into history in front of a roaring crowd that included her parents Ron and Susie,who could only watch from afar last year as their daughter tore up the Tokyo lanes.
The 28-year-old is usually a study in understatement and keeps her emotions in check. But with yet another accolade added to her growing list,and aftera few days where she was part of an unwanted narrative involving former partner Kyle Chalmers,the tears began to tumble down her cheeks.
She said she still had trouble digesting the success that had come her way and wasn’t sure how to be proud of herself. Thankfully,McKeon has plenty of people willing to help share that load.
“It’s special. It makes me reflect on the last eight years since my first Commonwealth Games. I can see how far I’ve come as a person and an athlete,” McKeon said.
“To be honest,I kind of find it hard to be proud of myself at times. So that’s something I’ve struggled with in a way. But it’s nice to be here with these girls and racing with this team. It’s awesome that we all get behind each other and it’s a really nice environment to come away with every year.