PARIS: Kaylee McKeown lifted herself into an immortal echelon of Australian sporting greats in the early hours of Wednesday morning (AEST), joining Betty Cuthbert, Murray Rose, Shane Gould, Ian Thorpe and Ariarne Titmus as the only Australians with three solo Olympic gold medals.
If reading that didn't blow your mind, hold onto your proverbial swimming cap and goggles, because this might: the 23-year-old from the Sunshine Coast could own five individual Olympic gold medals by the time her Paris program is out.
Three years after McKeown won gold in the 100m and 200m backstroke events in Tokyo, on her Olympic debut no less, the superstar swimmer joined Cuthbert and company by conquering the 100m backstroke at the Paris La Defense Arena.
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She found herself in a precarious position at the turn, pushing off the wall in fourth place, but on the dash for home she rocketed past the American pair, Regan Smith and Katharine Berkoff, as well as Canadian Kylie Masse, and touched first, her time of 57.33 seconds setting a new Olympic record.
She became just the third Australian female to have successfully defended solo Olympic gold in the pool, joining Dawn Fraser and Titmus.
When McKeown was asked by this correspondent how it felt to be in the esteemed company of Cuthbert, Rose, Gould, Thorpe and Titmus, she offered few words, perhaps suggesting the gravity of the achievement is so great that it's yet to truly dawn on her.
"It feels pretty cool," McKeown said.
"No words can really put into [perspective] how I'm feeling about it.
"It's great to be a part of history, and hopefully [it] keeps that momentum going for the rest of the week for the Australians."
Watch every moment, every medal of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 live and free on Channel 9 and 9Now. Plus, every event streaming ad free, live and on demand with 4K on Stan Sport.
Standing on the top step of the podium, wearing her glasses and green and gold tracksuit, McKeown beamed with joy as Advance Australia Affair reverberated throughout the arena.
As her mum, sister and brothers treasured the magnificent moment from the stands, her dad smiled down from heaven.
About a year before her Olympic debut in Tokyo, brain cancer claimed the life of her dad Sholto, to whom McKeown paid tribute in a poolside interview on the Nine broadcast.
"I like to think I have a little superpower and that's my dad," she said.
"I believe he was with me tonight.
"I'm over the moon."
Watch every moment, every medal of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 live and free on Channel 9 and 9Now. Plus, every event streaming ad free, live and on demand with 4K on Stan Sport.
On Saturday morning (AEST), the Queenslander will be out to defend her Olympic title in the 200m backstroke, and on Sunday morning (AEST), she will be attempting to win her first Olympic gold medal in the 200m individual medley.
If she wins both gold medals, she will leave Paris as a five-time individual Olympic champion.
Awaiting McKeown could be unmatched greatness.
Her 200m backstroke personal best of 2:03.14 is the world record, and no swimmer competing currently has swum as fast as McKeown's 2:06.63 in the 200m IM, indicating there's a great chance of more gold medals being draped around her neck in Paris.
McKeown said the Dolphins' phenomenal start to the Paris swimming program had inspired her.
"The Aussies have had a great meet so far, following Arnie [Titmus] and Mollie [O'Callaghan]," McKeown said.
"It's definitely emotional to see my teammates and someone I get on with so well get up and swim for Australia and stand on the podium for gold. Having that behind me, it's been an awesome few days."
McKeown's come-from-behind triumph took Team Australia's Paris gold medal tally to six, four of which have been won by women in the pool: the 4x100m freestyle relay team, Titmus in the 400m freestyle, O'Callaghan in the 200m freestyle and McKeown in the 100m backstroke.
"Mollie is in my apartment back in the village ... We're really good friends," McKeown said.
"I said to her [after her 200m victory], 'What did you do?', and she was like, 'I don't know, I just did me'.
"So it's just a really simple reminder to enjoy everything and enjoy this moment, because it's not every day you become an Olympian, it's not every day that you become an Olympic gold medallist."
