Emma McKeon is officially Australia’s GOAT — here’s proof

Australia has a new GOAT. Emma McKeon is officially our greatest ever Olympian after a stunning end to the swimming in Tokyo.

Emma McKeon is officially the GOAT.

Emma McKeon is officially the Greatest Of All Time.

The Aussie swimming star is going to need another bag to fit all her extra luggage on the flight home as she became the country’s most decorated ever Olympian, cementing a seven-medal haul in Tokyo that includes four golds — giving her 11 Olympic medals overall.

McKeon claimed her third gold of the Games in the women’s 50m freestyle final on Sunday, setting a new Olympic record in the process as she touched the wall in 23.81 seconds ahead of Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom and Pernille Blume of Denmark, who finished second and third respectively.

That gave McKeon her sixth medal in Tokyo and 10th piece of Olympic bling all up, after winning four medals – one gold, two silver and a bronze – in Rio five years ago. The 27-year-old’s dominant 50m freestyle performance saw her surpass Ian Thorpe and Leisel Jones’ record for the most medals held by an Australian Olympian, with nine each.

“This has most definitely been Emma McKeon’s meet,” Thorpe said in commentary for Channel 7. “She has been dominant, she’s been brilliant, she’s been fantastic, and it has been a pleasure to watch.”

Seven’s Basil Zempilas said “she is the queen of this pool”, while Jones added: “I just don’t even know what to say, really. That is so impressive. It just blows my mind, how incredible, the names of people and how many medals she’s won. She’s been on that dais so often it’s become her home.”

The party was just getting started. Next came the women’s 4 x 100m medley relay where Australia pulled off a stunning team performance to win more gold and continue rewriting the record books.

Kaylee McKeown (backstroke), Chelsea Hodges (breaststroke), McKeon (butterfly) and Cate Campbell (freestyle) beat the United States for first place in a thrilling finish in an Olympic-record time of 3:51.60.

Hodges received huge praise for her incredible second leg, then McKeon and Campbell brought it home in what could well go down as the most memorable performance in the pool we’ve seen in Tokyo.

The result was huge on a team and individual level. It gave Australia nine swimming gold medals in Tokyo — our most successful performance ever at an Olympics, surpassing the eight gold medals won by our swimmers at the 1956 Melbourne Games.

For McKeon, it meant she became the first Australian in history to win four gold medals at the one Olympics. She now joins Thorpe as the only Aussies who can boast five Olympic gold medals in total on their resume.

Take a bow, Emma (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images).

“I still just can’t believe that we just did that. That is an incredible effort by everyone,” Campbell said of the relay win, before turning her attention to McKeon.

“I would just like to say full credit to Emma … we just need to acknowledge what an incredible job she has done. She walks away from these Games with four gold medals now.

“I honestly could not be happier for her. She is such an important part of this team and I think that needs to be recognised.”

By taking home seven medals from Tokyo, McKeon equals the record for the most medals won at a single Olympics by a female athlete. She joins Russian gymnast Maria Gorokhovskaya, who won seven medals in 1952.

Thorpe predicted there could be even more to come for the golden girl.

“There is a future for Emma McKeon that she can go on to another Olympic Games and continue this success,” he said. “There is no reason for her (not to win more Olympic medals), of course it’s up to her, and what she can do from here.

“She’s never been in better form. She looks fantastic, is swimming brilliantly and it’s been a pleasure to watch her doing this. I hope she goes on for another three years to the Paris Olympic Games and continues winning gold medals.”

Now all she has to worry about is paying the excess baggage fee.

McKeon’s full Olympic medal list

Tokyo 2021 (seven medals)

— 4x100 women’s medley (gold)

— 50m freestyle (gold)

— 100m freestyle (gold)

— 4x100m freestyle relay (gold)

— 100m butterfly (bronze)

— 4x100m mixed medley relay (bronze)

— 4x200m freestyle relay (bronze)

Rio 2016 (four medals)

— 4x100m freestyle relay (gold)

— 4x200m freestyle relay (silver)

— 4x100m medley relay (silver)

— 200m freestyle (bronze)