It was the leg of the relay that gave the Australian women’s 4x100m Tokyo Olympics freestyle team an enormous kick and left the masses singing her praises.
Emma McKeon clocked the fastest split of Australia’s new fabulous four as the team cannoned to gold and smashed the world record on the way, posting 3.29.69.
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McKeon’s time of 51.35 now stands as the fifth-fastest in history and has thousands of Australians expecting more magnificent results in the pool at the Tokyo Games.
“That was something very, very special. Phenomenal swimming,” wrote The Illawarra Mercury’s Tim Barrow on Twitter.
The Gemba Group managing director Andrew Condon posted: “Super swim for the gold medal. Beat the best in the world by over three seconds. Emma McKeon one hell of a third leg!”
Bronte Campbell kick-started the incredible relay performance with a 53.01 split and Meg Harris backed it up with a 53.09, before McKeon swam a 51.35 and Australian flag-bearer Cate Campbell brought it home in a 52.24.
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Jessica Halloran of The Australian said: “Stating the obvious but Emma McKeon is an incredible swimmer.”
Former Arizona State swimmer Kyle Sockwell described McKeon’s split as “insane”, while ABC journalist Kelly Fuller labelled the Australian a “megastar”.
McKeon still awaits the 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 100m butterfly, 100m backstroke, 200m backstroke and 200m individual medley in a packed program at the Tokyo Games.
The Wollongong product is also set to compete in the 4x100m medley relay, 4x100m mixed medley relay and 4x200m freestyle relay.
Ian Thorpe predicted she would surpass him as Australia’s most successful Olympics swimmer by the end of the Games.
Australia’s 4x100m freestyle women became the first team in history to crack the 3:30 barrier and the victory sealed Australia’s third gold medal in succession in that event, following gold at London in 2012 and Rio in 2016.
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