By Tom Decent
Fukuoka: Emma McKeon returned from Tokyo two years ago as Australia’s most decorated Olympian with nothing left to prove to anyone.
At 27, no one could have begrudged McKeon for calling it quits and starting the next chapter in her life outside the pool.
McKeon admits she came close. It weighed heavily on her mind.
This week, McKeon is in Fukuoka, Japan, competing at her fifth world championships.
She was the anchor swimmer for Australia in their 4x100m freestyle victory, in world record time, on the opening night of competition on Sunday.
It begs the question: what is McKeon motivated by? What possesses one of the country’s greatest swimmers of all time to continue getting up early every morning and punishing her body when lifelong dreams have already been accomplished?
Emma McKeon at the world swimming championships in Fukuoka. Credit: Getty
“I’ve even asked myself the same thing at different points,” McKeon, an Omega ambassador, said.
“I did achieve everything I could have dreamed of and more [in Tokyo]. I didn’t expect to come away with that kind of result.”
McKeon’s haul of four gold medals in Tokyo exceeded expectations. Before then, she had never won an individual gold medal at the Olympics, but ticked that huge goal off with spectacular victories in the 50m and 100m freestyle events.
Another two gold medals in the 4x100m freestyle and 4x100m medley relays capped a memorable Olympics for the Wollongong product.
Emma McKeon celebrates her 100m freestyle gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Credit: Getty Images
McKeon, 29, says the motivation is still there to buckle in and give it everything over the next 12 months before the Paris Olympics begin.
However, the grind was not easy.
“At different times I’ve asked, ‘why is what I’ve done not enough?’” McKeon said. “I’m starting to realise it is enough but I still have that hunger to see what I’m capable of. That’s how I frame it now.
“It’s not about trying to prove anything more to myself or trying to attain a certain thing. It’s just seeing what I’m capable of and that’s what really drives me now.
“Coming back, I had a fair bit of time off. It’s been hard to get back into it. Motivation-wise, it’s different because I have done that [had success at an Olympics]. It’s different when you haven’t done it and you’re working towards it. It’s been hard still trying to chase my times and wanting to repeat what I’ve done.
“I’ve been swimming for a long time and I’ve had a lot of ups and downs in the sport. I think that’s what’s built me into the tough athlete I am now.”
McKeon’s long-time coach, Michael Bohl, is taking a long-term approach to the champion swimmer’s program.
There is no appetite on Bohl’s part to burn McKeon out before what could be the last year of her career as she strives towards a third Olympics.
“I am protecting her a little bit because I know what’s going to happen next year,” Bohl said. “It’s going to be a big year for her physically and emotionally and I just didn’t want to exhaust everything after the high she had in Tokyo.
“Coming back strategically and nailing her last year and this year would have been a mistake. We’ve been a little bit more controlled. She wasn’t winning at the world championships the year before Tokyo. Everything is about next year.”
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