Coach of Emma McKeon: Humble Pupil Might Be ‘Embarrassed’ By Olympic Games Notoriety
When the Olympic Games wrapped up in Tokyo, Australia’s Emma McKeon was the most-decorated athlete – regardless of sport. The veteran totaled seven medals, four gold and three bronze, and captured individual titles in the 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle. By winning seven medals, she became the first female swimmer to hit that number at a single Games, and just the second woman to achieve the milestone.
At the conclusion of the meet, while discussing Australia’s title in the 400 medley relay, McKeon was sheepish when asked about her week in Tokyo. While she appreciated the success she attained, she was certain to steer clear from speaking about herself. Her coach, Michael Bohl, discussed his pupil’s personality in a recent interview with RadioTAB Australia.
“She’s a very unique individual, Emma, she’s very modest and very quiet,” Bohl said in the interview. “It’s very unusual, probably in the Susie O’Neill kind of mold. She’s one of these people that, she gets a little bit embarrassed with the notoriety that she receives. She’s very humble.”
McKeon is now the most-medaled Australian in Olympic history with 11, the seven she won in Tokyo and the four she won at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. Her haul in her second Games also included a bronze medal in the 100 butterfly and gold as a member of Australia’s 400 freestyle relay, which set a world record on the first night of finals.
Although she has been a force on the global stage for years, and hails from successful swimming family, McKeon has gradually risen to her current level of stardom. She has put in the training and worked with Bohl to emerge as an Olympic champ.
“We reached a point at the last Olympics in Rio where she performed really well,” Bohl said. “She came away with four medals, one individual in the 200 freestyle, and she got three medals in the relays there. I think she wasn’t particularly happy with her individual races in Rio. She was moderately happy with the 200 freestyle but she was really dissatisfied with the 100 fly. I think that, whether you want to call it a failure, but her not swimming up to her potential in Rio, has been the catalyst for what we’ve seen happen in Tokyo.”
How do you know she put in the training ? Why is she not talking?