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Australia’s most decorated Olympian, swimmer Emma McKeon, has retired from the sport<\/b><\/p>\n
The 30-year-old won six gold medals in a haul of 14 won across three Olympic Games.<\/p>\n
“I am officially retiring from competitive swimming,” she wrote on Instagram.<\/p>\n
“Leading into Paris, I knew it would be my last Olympics, and the months since have given me time to reflect on my journey, and think about what I wanted my future to look like in swimming.<\/p>\n
“I am proud of myself for giving my swimming career absolutely everything, both physically and mentally.<\/p>\n
“I wanted to see what I was capable of – and I did.”<\/p>\n
McKeon won three relay medals and individual bronze in the 200m freestyle at her first Games in Rio 2016.<\/p>\n
She then won four golds among a seven-medal haul at Tokyo 2020. Her 11 medals at that point meant she surpassed an Australian record of nine medals won by both Ian Thorpe and Leisel Jones.<\/p>\n
McKeon added a further three Olympic medals to her tally at the Paris 2024 Games. <\/p>\n
“Now I am excited to see how I can push myself in other ways, and for all the things that life has in store,” she added.<\/p>\n
“She always carried herself with dignity, and while we all saw her grace \u2013 the public can not truly appreciate how tough she is,” Australia’s swimming coach Rohan Taylor said. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n