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Tokyo 2020, Oceania Day 6: Emma McKeon On Track For Record-Setting Medal Haul

2020 TOKYO SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES

Oceania continued to find success on day 6 at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games including a double-medal performance in the women’s 100 freestyle. Emma McKeon came out on top in the event with a 51.96 for the gold medal and a new Olympic record. Her swim was an improvement upon the 52.13 OR from earlier in the meet.

Teammate Cate Campbell joined McKeon on the podium with a 52.52 for bronze, marking her first-ever Olympic medal in the event. Finishing in between the Aussie duo was Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey with a 52.27 for silver.

Emma McKeon‘s swim is the latest in a number of impressive swims at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. She first picked up a gold medal in the women’s 4×100 freestyle on day 1 and followed that up with individual bronze in the 100 butterfly. She got a second bronze medal in the women’s 4×200 freestyle relay and her individual gold in the 100 free marks 4-for-4 podium finishes.

4 medals in Tokyo, combined with the 4 medals that she won in Rio 5 years ago give her a total of 8 career Olympic medals. Considering that McKeon is likely going to racing for gold in another 3 events (individual 50 free, mixed 4×100 medley, and women’s 4×100 medley), she could be on track to break a number of Olympic medal haul records.

Records That Emma McKeon Could Break At Tokyo 2020

  • Most Career Olympic Medals Won By An Australian: 9 – Ian Thorpe, Leisel Jones
  • Most Career Olympic Medals Won By An Australian Woman: 9 – Leisel Jones
  • Most Career Olympic Gold Medals Won By An Australian: 5 – Ian Thorpe
  • Most Career Olympic Gold Medals Won By An Australian Woman: 4 – Dawn Fraser, Libby Trickett, Betty Cuthbert*
  • Most Olympic Medals Won By An Australian At A Single Games: 5 – Ian Thorpe (2000), Shane Gould (1972), Alicia Coutts (2012)

*Betty Cuthbert (athletics) is the only non-swimmer to currently hold any of these records

McKeon only needs to win 1 more medal at Tokyo 2020 in order to catch Ian Thorpe and Leisel Jones as the most decorated Australian Olympic in history. If she wins her maximum of 3 more Olympic medals she would break the record by 2 medals with 11. Now that she has 3 Olympic gold medals (4×100 freestyle in 2016 and 2020, and 100 freestyle in 2020) she only needs 2 more to pass Dawn Fraser, Libby Trickett, and Betty Cuthbert‘s record of 4 career Olympic gold medals, and 3 more in order to catch Ian Thorpe who won 5 overall.

If she win 2 more medals in Tokyo, she will have broken the record for the most Olympic medals won by an Australian at a single Olympic Games which currently sits at 5. If McKeon wins another 3 medals and brings her Tokyo 2020 total up to 7, she will tie for second on the list of most Olympic medals won by any individual at a single Games. Michael Phelps (2004, 2008) and Gymnast Alexander Dityatin (1980) share that record at 8.

Athletes Tied For 2nd Most Olympic Medals Won At A Single Olympic Games (7)

  • Mark Spitz (USA) – Swimming (1972)
  • Matt Biondi (USA) – Swimming (1988)
  • Willis A. Lee (USA) – Shooting (1920)
  • Boris Shakhlin (Soviet Union) – Gymnastics (1960)
  • Nikolay Andrianov (Soviet Union) – Gymnastics (1976)
  • Lloyd Spooner (USA) – Shooting (1920)
  • Maria Gorokhovskaya (Soviet Union) – Gymnastics (1952)
  • Mikhail Voronin (Soviter Union) – Gymnastics (1968)

Oceania Day 5 Quick Hits

  • Matthew Temple qualified for the 100 butterfly final with a 51.12 for 6th overall during semi-finals.
  • Both Australian women in the 200 backstroke swam final-qualifying times in the semi-finals. Emily Seebohm led the way with a 2:07.09 semi-final swim while 100 backstroke champion Kaylee McKeown notched a 2:07.93 for 5th overall.

Continental & National Records Through Day 5

  • Lewis Clareburt set a new Oceania and New Zealand record of 4:09.49 during heat 3 of the men’s 400 IM prelims.
  • Right after Clareburt’s swim Australian, Brendon Smith took the Oceanic record from Clareburt with a 4:09.27 in heat 4. That left Clareburt with the New Zealand record and gave Smith the Australian and Oceanic marks.
  • Emma McKeon swam her way to a 55.82 Australian, Oceanic, and Commonwealth record during the prelims of the event. She then lowered the Australian and Oceanian records to a 55.72 during the final which was good enough for bronze.
  • During the final race of the night, the Australian women become the first-ever nation to get under 3:30 in the 4×100 free with their world record-breaking 3:29.69.
  • Ariarne Titmus secured a new Australian, Oceanian, and Commonwealth record during the women’s 400 freestyle with her 3:56.69 for gold.
  • Kaylee McKeown hit a 57.88 Olympic record during the women’s 100 backstroke prelims which was broken by Regan Smith 1 heat earlier (57.96) who took it from Kylie Masse 1 heat earlier (58.17). The record was previously held by Emily Seebohm at a 58.23 from 2012. Regan Smith took the record back with a 57.68 during semi-finals until McKeown brought it down to a 57.47 (just 0.02 off her own world record) in the final.
  • Ariarne Titmus‘ 1:53.50 gold medal time in the women’s 200 freestyle was a new Olympic record, improving upon Allison Schmitt‘s 1:53.61 from 2012. She got within half a second of her own Australian record in the event of 1:53.09.
  • McKeon clocked 52.11 for a new Olympic Record in the women’s 100 free prelims.
  • Zac Stubblety-Cook lowered the Olympic Record in the men’s 200 breaststroke in 2:06.38.
  • The team of Titmus, McKeon, Madi Wilson and Leah Neale set a new Commonwealth, Oceanian and Australian Record in the 800 free relay in 7:41.29.
  • En route to Olympic gold Emma McKeon set a new Olympic, Commonwealth, and Oceanian, and Australian 100 freestyle record of 51.96.

Medals Table for Oceania Through Day 5

GOLD SILVER BRONZE TOTAL
Australia 6 2 6 14

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That jerk Mitch
3 years ago

They are not all gold though. Spitz, Phelps, and soon Dressel are the litmus test for legendary status in multi discipline swimming. Mckeon has merely achieved greatness.

Sub13
Reply to  That jerk Mitch
3 years ago

Strange, because Americans seem to keep insisting that the overall total of medals matters more than number of golds.

If McKeon wins 7 she will be the first woman from any country in any sport to win 7 medals in a single Games. That’s legendary to me.

He said what?
Reply to  Sub13
3 years ago

Mount Olympus legendary.

Troyy
Reply to  Sub13
3 years ago

They just use whichever method makes them look better.

M d e
Reply to  That jerk Mitch
3 years ago

Americans shouldn’t count because it’s easier to get relay golds.

See how stupid this sounds?

CanuckSwimFan
3 years ago

Historic comparisons should be done in context also. More events have been added to the program over time e.g 50 free, 4×200 relay for women, mixed medley ( added this olympics for the first time.).

Sub13
Reply to  CanuckSwimFan
3 years ago

This is true. But competition and participation have increased dramatically, and semifinals are a thing now. Entering 7 events now requires many more swims than it would have 50 years ago. And a number of additional events aren’t really relevant: a woman who wins the 50 free isn’t ever going to enter the 1500, so having it added as an event doesn’t diminish a sprinter winning 7 medals.

Sub13
3 years ago

If Emma converts all 3 she will break the record for most medals won by a female at a single Olympics, which is currently 6 held by Kristin Otto (if you even count that 🤷🏼‍♂️)

theloniuspunk
Reply to  Sub13
3 years ago

This record is what I thought the article would be about, so I was surprised that it wasn’t mentioned.

He said what?
3 years ago

The legendary superstar, Shane Gould, still holds the record for most INDIVIDUAL medals in one Games at 5 from Munich 1972. The Australian relays weren’t as powerful then as they are now. If the relays were as strong in 1972 as in 2021, Shane would have left Munich with 7 total. Plus her three solo world records. All at the age of 16!

Swimmer
3 years ago

4 medals in Tokyo, combined with the 2 medals that she won in Rio 5 years ago give her a total of 8 career Olympic medals”

I think she won 4 medals in Rio, which would make the math work!

Oof
Reply to  Swimmer
3 years ago

Also:

“ Considering that McKeon is likely going to racing for gold in another 3 events (individual 50 free, mixed 4×100 medley, and women’s 4×100 freestyle)”

That should be the women’s 4×100 medley. They already swam the 4×100 free. It seems like there’s always a few easy-to-catch mistakes in these articles. I wonder if they’re proof read at all before posting lol

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Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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