She is now the undisputed Commonwealth Games GOAT athlete, but Emma McKeon's brother David believes that won't sidetrack from her "laser focus" on the 2024 Paris Olympics.
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The Wollongong star secured victory in the 50m women's freestyle early Monday morning to claim her 11th gold medal, making her the greatest Comm Games athlete. On her way, McKeon cruised past swimming royalty in Ian Thorpe, Leisel Jones and Susie O'Neill to etch her name into the record books.
It was McKeon's third gold medal in Birmingham, after claiming four golds respectively at the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games. The achievement comes after McKeon became the greatest medal winner in Australian Olympic history - surpassing Thorpe and Jones - and the first Australian to claim four golds at single Games last year in Tokyo.
By the time you read this, McKeon could well have claimed her 12th gold medal after the 50m butterfly final at 5.43am.
It's an incredible achievement, and one made more impressive by the fact that the 28-year-old took took the unusual path of enjoying a three-month break from the sport ahead of the Games.
David has been alongside his sister for most of her swimming journey. He retired in early 2021, but joined McKeon for her past two Comm Games campaigns.
And he couldn't be more proud of what his sister has achieved.
"It was definitely a very proud moment this morning. It was similar to last year really, seeing her breaking records again. I'm proud of her, and proud of the person she is most importantly, because she hasn't changed from last year, or the year before that, to where she is now," David told the Mercury.
"I always knew she was exceptional, especially at swimming. Every year she becomes more laser focused on becoming better. It's not about chasing records, or anything like that, she's just focused on being better than she was the year before. Now that she's done all that she has every year, and getting more laser focused and getting better again, she's just going to continue to do the same type of thing.
"Her main goal is Paris is in 2024. She's only been back in the water for six months this year. So she's done well after having a big break at the start of this year. She's rested and she's feeling good."
David and his sister Kaitlin were unable to make the trip to Birmingham, but McKeon has been joined at the Games by parents Ron and Susie.
Ron and Susie were both champion swimmers in their own right, and David said they had provided exceptional support to their children over the years.
"It was around 19, 20 when Emma started to take the sport seriously," he said.
"But that's credit to my parents, really. Mum and dad never pushed either of us into swimming, or going to training. We just wanted to do it for ourselves, so that's credit to them and the way they brought us up."
Para-triathlete Jonathan Goerlach became the Illawarra's second medallist over the weekend, when he - supported by guide David Mainwaring - claimed bronze in the men's PVTI triathlon final. Fellow Aussie Sam Harding and his guide Harvey Luke took silver.
Birmingham marks the first time that a Para-triathlon vision impaired event has taken place at the Games.
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Joshua Bartlett
A sporting fanatic who is keen to promote all codes in the Illawarra and abroad. Mercury's chief football reporter.
A sporting fanatic who is keen to promote all codes in the Illawarra and abroad. Mercury's chief football reporter.
