Swim queen closing in on Aussie GOAT status

Wollongong's Emma McKeon is wrong touching region of becoming Australia's astir palmy Olympian aft claiming a breakthrough golden medal successful the 100m freestyle today.

The thrilling sprint successful Tokyo, in which a gracious Cate Campbell won bronze, was McKeon's archetypal idiosyncratic golden astatine an Olympic Games.

McKeon has present won 8 Olympic medals (three gold, 2 metallic and 3 bronze).

That places the 27-year-old alongside chap aquatics greats Dawn Fraser, Petria Thomas and Susie O'Neill connected 8 medals.

In McKeon's crosshairs are Ian Thorpe and Leisel Jones, with 9 medals apiece.

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Emma McKeon of Australia celebrates her 100m freestyle win. (Getty)

Thorpe's GOAT presumption is improbable to alteration - helium won 5 golds - but McKeon inactive has immense opportunities for much glory successful Tokyo.

The 27-year-old is present connected way to triumph the astir medals by an Australian astatine a azygous Olympics, with the 50m freestyle and 2 further relays - the 4x100m medley and the mixed medley relay - of her programme remaining.

McKeon's 4 medal haul successful Tokyo ranks down lone the adjacent Australian grounds of 5 astatine 1 games, acceptable by Thorpe, Shane Gould and Alicia Coutts.

Ian Thorpe with his golden medal aft winning the 400m freestyle astatine the Sydney Olympics. (Getty)

"I can't judge it," McKeon said aft the 100m win.

"It doesn't consciousness real. I tin conscionable consciousness my emotions bubbling up now. I consciousness similar this week's been a spot of an affectional rollercoaster - conscionable getting up for your races and trying to unbend again.

"I cognize each of my household backmost location are watching and I felt them with maine successful my race. I cognize each the enactment they've fixed maine implicit each the years of maine swimming."

MOST OLYMPIC MEDALS WON BY AN AUSTRALIAN

Ian Thorpe 9: 5 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze

Leisel Jones 9: 3 gold, 5 silver, 1 bronze

Dawn Fraser 8: 4 gold, 4 silver

Petria Thomas 8: 3 gold, 4 silver, 1 bronze

Emma McKeon 8: 3 gold, 2 silver, 3 bronze

Susie O'Neill 8: 2 gold, 4 silver, 2 bronze

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