Australia’s Most Decorated Olympian Emma McKeon Announces Retirement

Swimming at the 2024 Olympic Games has completed and we’re all still reflecting on what transpired over the past 9 days in Paris, France.

Historically, if there’s any immediate news related to an aquatic athlete post-Olympics, it involves either taking an extended hiatus, changing coaches or training bases or revealing a decision to retire.

For Australia’s Emma McKeon, the 30-year-old falls into the latter category as she has announced she is hanging up her goggles after an illustrious career.

McKeon has been a mainstay on the domestic and international racing circuit for over a dozen years, making her mark initially with commanding performances at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games.

The Michael Bohl–trained superstar went on to claim 20 Commonwealth Games medals, 7 Pan Pacific Championships medals, 8 Short Course World Championships medals and 20 Long Course World Championships medals, primarily competing in sprint freestyle and butterfly.

McKeon is known as Australia’s most decorated Olympian, having collected an astounding 14 medals across 3 Games. Her career pinnacle came in Tokyo where she topped the podium in both the 50m and 100m free events.

Emma McKeon‘s Olympic History

• 2016 Rio
  • GOLD – women’s 4x100m free relay
  • SILVER – women’s 4x200m free relay
  • SILVER – women’s 4x100m medley relay
  • BRONZE – 200m free
• 2020 Tokyo
  • GOLD – 50m free
  • GOLD – 100m free
  • GOLD – women’s 4x100m free relay
  • GOLD – women’s 4x100m medley relay
  • BRONZE – 100m fly
  • BRONZE – women’s 4x200m free relay
  • BRONZE – mixed medley relay
• 2024 Paris
  • GOLD – women’s 4x100m free relay
  • SILVER – women’s 4x100m medley relay
  • BRONZE – mixed medley relay

McKeon retires still owning a boatload of Australian swimming records including the women’s 100m free (51.96, 2020 Olympics), 100m fly (55.72, 2020 Olympics) and SCM 50 free (23.04, 2022 Worlds).

She also is a member of 3 World Record relays: women’s 4x100m free, women’s SCM 4x100m free, SCM women’s 4x50m medley.

On her career, McKeon said, “I definitely will miss it. It’s brought me a lot of great relationships and shaped me into the person I am.

“I will miss the training and the racing and so many things but I’m definitely ready for the next part of my life, which I’m excited for. I don’t think I’ve had the time to reflect on everything yet.” (Australian Olympic Committee)