Australia's greatest Olympian will be cheering for the city in two weeks after being named on Monday as the latest ambassador for the UCI Road World Championships.

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"I've competed in a lot of world stage events and to have one here in Wollongong is just amazing," McKeon said.

"It's exciting that Wollongong is getting the opportunity to show off to the world."

McKeon will begin her official duties at the free Community Ride around the city on Saturday September 17 and wave the starting flag for the thousands of participants young and old.

With thousands of visitors and hundreds of thousands of people watching around the globe, the local athlete said there was plenty to be proud of and show off.

"The beaches are amazing, probably the best in the world," she said.

"We've got some really good restaurants and cafes; and it's a city but it's a smaller city so it feels like a big family."

In Tokyo last year Emma's four Olympic gold medals and three bronze, taking her Olympic tally to 11 and putting her in the history books as the most decorated Australian Olympic athlete.

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"We're expecting the UCI event to be this city's proudest moment and how special is it that our current Wollongong Citizen of the Year [Emma McKeon] will be at the starting line on day one to get the whole event started," said CEO of the UCI Road World Championships Stu Taggart.

"There will be so much sporting star power coming to Wollongong over the next few weeks. How fitting they'll be rubbing shoulders with our very own home-grown queen of the pool."

McKeon joins another prominent Illawarra woman as ambassador, following the appointment of the University of Wollongong's Vice-Chancellor Patricia Davidson as a UCI ambassador.

At the time, Professor Davidson told the Mercury she was particularly excited to cheer for the women's race as cycling moves towards gender equality.

In recent years the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) has endeavoured to bring gender equality to the fore, not only within competition but through their workplace as well.

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