Emma McKeon's sad admission about swimming career ahead of next chapter with Cody Simpson
The Australian Olympic champion's career has come to a close.
Emma McKeon has admitted she hasn't quite come to terms with the fact her swimming career is over, but she's grateful for all the relationships she's made along the way. Australia's most decorated Olympic athlete added a gold, silver and bronze medal to her historic collection at the Paris Games, finishing her career with 14 medals (including six gold).
The 14 total and six gold are both records for Australian athletes, with her victory as part of the 4x100m freestyle relay in Paris taking her past the great Ian Thorpe (five gold). Speaking on Monday before departing Paris, the 30-year-old admitted she's not sure what the future holds.
"I definitely will miss it," she said. "It has brought me a lot of great relationships and great experiences and shaped me into the person I am. I will miss the training and the racing but I am definitely ready for the next part of my life which I am excited for. I'm really happy that I was able to step up when it did come to the Olympics."
One of those relationships is with boyfriend Cody Simpson - the singer-turned-swimmer who fell agonisingly short of qualifying for the Paris Olympics himself. Simpson and McKeon had a dream of representing Australia at the Olympics together, but the former had to settle for being a cheerleader for his girlfriend.
"Emma has never had a life without swimming," he said before the Games. "I know what it is like, but she has never had it, so I’m excited for her to explore her other interests and have the time to do that, because she has never had it as a kid."
How relationship with Cody Simpson changed Emma McKeon
Speaking earlier this year, McKeon's coach Michael Bohl revealed how her relationship with Simpson has changed her as a person. Bohl revealed how McKeon came to learn that swimming was no longer the be-all and end-all.
"She was at a stage in her life where she was single (in Tokyo) ... and swimming was certainly her No.1 focus," Bohl told Wide World of Sports. "Swimming still is her No.1 focus , but she's got a relationship now. Her and Cody are going out. They're very serious about their relationship.
"So there's that level of contentment, but I don't see it drifting across to her attitude to training. She's very focused on trying to position herself the best she can to try and secure places on that Olympic team. I think you're happier when you're in a relationship, and you're a little bit more at peace as you're getting older."
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McKeon broke down in tears after the final race of her career, as the realisation sunk in that her swimming journey was over. She finished sixth in the 100m butterfly final and admitted she would have loved one more medal.
"It's just emotional," she said as she burst into tears. "I definitely hoped that would've been better but I know I've got a lot to be proud of. It's always going to be emotional finishing something that's brought me so much joy. So many great relationships and so many great life lessons."
