Swimmers Caelab Dressal and Emma McKeon were not exactly household names prior to the Tokyo Olympics. But they certainly are now.
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Caelab Dressal and Emma McKeon were not household names prior to the Tokyo Olympics. But they certainly are now. The swimmers stand tall as the new gold standards of the sport after an impressive showing in the sport during the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Dressel captured his fourth and fifth gold medals of the Tokyo Games on Sunday. Australia’s McKeon put her own stamp on the record book by winning seven medals overall.
“I’m proud of myself. I feel like I reached what my potential was here at these games. It was just really fun racing,” the American said afterwards.
Dressel is known to shun the limelight. He once said that “swimming was a lot more fun when no one knew who I was.” Unfortunately for him, now everyone knows who he is.
Nevertheless, he doesn’t intend dwelling on his record medal run for too long. “I give myself a pat on the back and then I just want to go home, put it away and move forward,” Dressel said.
McKeon became the first female swimmer and second woman in any sport to claim seven medals at one Olympics. Four of them were gold, the other three bronze.
The only other woman to win seven in any sport is Soviet gymnast Maria Gorokhovskaya. She claimed two golds and five silvers at the 1952 Helsinki Games.
“It still feels very surreal,” said McKeon, a 27-year-old from Brisbane. “It’s going to take a little bit to sink in. I’m very proud of myself.”
McKeon completed her own sweep of the freestyle sprints, touching in 23.81 to add the 50 title to her victory in the 100.
In the medley relay, McKeon entered truly rarified territory. She took the butterfly leg before Cate Campbell anchored the Aussies to a victory over the two-time defending champion Americans.
“I don’t know how she does it. I’m exhausted,” said Kyle Chalmers, one of the McKeon’s teammates. “To win one gold medal or an Olympic medal, it’s very, very special. We’re lucky to have her on the team.”
