Commonwealth Games 2022: Emma McKeon will chase Susie O’Neill’s in Birmingham

Emma McKeon has Madame Butterfly Susie O’Neill in her sights after shattering the history books and surpassing Aussie swimming legends at the Tokyo Olympics.

She eclipsed the performances of Ian Thorpe and Leisel Jones to become Australia’s most decorated Olympian and Susie O’Neill could be next in line if Emma McKeon continues her winning ways in Birmingham.

McKeon’s seven-medal haul in Tokyo took her past Thorpe (nine in total, including five gold) and Jones (nine/three gold) in the record books and she could wipe them again, and erase O’Neill’s name as well, with a strong showing at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham starting in 50 days time.

The trio each have 10 Commonwealth Games golds to their names, while McKeon already has eight from Glasgow and the Gold Coast and is all but certain to add another haul in Birmingham.

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With her long-term focus on the Paris Olympics, McKeon has elected to bypass the world championships in Budapest starting later this month.

McKeon and fellow Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus took the wildcard on offer for Commonwealth Games selection, allowing them to skip the world championships and take a long post-Tokyo break before heading back to training.

While fellow Olympic gold medallists Mack Horton (2016 Rio) and Zac Stubblety-Cook (2021 Tokyo) are currently in Slovakia preparing with the Dolphins for the world titles starting next weekend in Budapest, McKeon and Titmus are back in Queensland training for the event that sits closest to their heart in 2022.

Australia’s Olympic champions Zac Stubblety-Cook, Ariarne Titmus, Emma McKeon, and Mack Horton launch the Commonwealth Games Speedo swimsuit last week on the Gold Coast.

Despite not having an individual world title to her name, McKeon is completely at peace with the decision to skip worlds.

“Commonwealth Games is such a special thing for our country, so I really wanted to be part of that team,” McKeon said.

The Olympic champion in the 50m and 100m freestyle, as well as key member of several relays, McKeon’s presence in Birmingham is almost certain to spark another gold rush.

But she will have to be on her toes given the performances of the next generation of Australian sprinters.

Athletes like Tokyo Games relay gold medallist Mollie O’Callaghan and returning sprinter Shayna Jack are hungry for success and will give McKeon a run for her money.

O’Callaghan’s winning time in the 100m freestyle at trials is the fastest in the world this year, followed by Jack and another Tokyo relay gold medallist Meg Harris, while Jack’s 50m time has only been bettered by world record-holder Sarah Sjostrom this year.

Emma McKeon poses with her record four gold medals from Tokyo Olympics.

Now back in full training on the Gold Coast, McKeon will be back to near her best by Birmingham.

And she won’t take her success for granted.

“You never want to get used to it, you don’t want to get too comfortable,” she said.

“And I think that’s the same with performance, you never want to get too comfortable or complacent otherwise you’re not going to keep working hard and keep striving to be better.”

But the Commonwealth Games has a deeper meaning for the McKeon family.

Swimmer Susie O'Neill with six gold medals she won at 1998 Commonwealth Games.

McKeon’s father Ron has four Commonwealth Games golds from the 1978 and 1982 Games, while her mother Susie Woodhouse also competed at the Brisbane Games in 1982 where her brother Rob – an Olympic medallist – made the first of his three appearances.

McKeon herself lined up alongside brother David at the past two editions of the Commonwealth Games where he won two gold and a silver.

“I went to 2014 and 2018 and they were both with David, so it’ll be different going to these ones without him but hopefully my family will be over there – or at least my mum and dad – which is always a nice thing,” she said.

“My mum and her brother went together as well, so it’s got a lot of nice memories for me.”

This will be McKeon’s first Commonwealth Games without her brother David on the team.

An Olympic finalist in the 400m freestyle, David McKeon retired last year but was front and centre in supporting his sister from a locked-down NSW during last year’s Olympics.

“My family are huge support and when I watched that video it kind of makes me a bit teary – they probably had a bigger reaction than I did for my races but I always feel their support,” McKeon said.

“I wouldn’t be where I am without them and I’m the person I am now because of them, so I am always so grateful for their support and their love.”