Editorial
Emma McKeon's achievements at the Tokyo Olympics deserve the highest recognition from this community.
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Over the past week, Emma has put Wollongong up in lights internationally as she went about becoming the nation's greatest Olympic medal-winning athlete.
Emma McKeon now holds the title of the Illawarra's greatest athlete and that can not be disputed.
Her legend has been carved in stone. Let's just recap:
- Most Olympic medals by an Australian all-time (11)
- Most gold medals by an Australian at a single Olympics (four)
- (Equal) most Olympic gold medals by an Australian all-time (five)
- Most medals at a single Olympics for an Australian (seven)
- Just the second woman in Olympic history to win seven medals at a single games (first since 1952)
In fact, if we want to recognise Emma McKeon's achievements for a lifetime then there is one clear way we can do that.
Let's give Emma another bronze. Only let's make this one life-size.
A bronze, life-size statue somewhere prominent in this community would be a tremendous way to recognise her achievements, perhaps on the Blue Mile overlooking the Continental Pool as some have suggested.
It has certainly been one of the many and varied ways prominent people of this community have suggested we recognise Emma in the wake of her record-breaking seventh medal on Sunday in the pool at the Tokyo Olympics.
Read more: Follow our Tokyo Olympic live blog
One thing is for certain, we can't give her the keys to the city as we already did that after Rio.
Besides an achievement the magnitude of Emma's deserves recognition of an even grander nature.
Another strong suggestion has been renaming a pool or a future aquatic centre in her honour.
Wollongong City Council has now been charged with coming up with some options which will be put to the public later in the year before any decision is made.
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