Kaylee McKeown gained gold for the second time in Tokyo, and now she’s gained Australia’s hearts after a cultured gesture to fellow Aussie Emily Seebohm.
Australia landed one more gold medal within the pool, with Kaylee McKeown touching the wall first within the 200m backstroke last.
In contrast to her first gold medal celebrations, there have been no expletives to her household for McKeown this time.
Compatriot Emily Seebohm claimed the bronze medal, her first particular person medal for the reason that London Video games 9 years in the past.
The 29-year-old grew to become the third Aussie swimmer to compete at 4 Olympics, however that doesn’t reveal the entire story behind simply how bumpy the journey had been for Seebohm to get to Tokyo.
Quite a lot of damage and well being points, to not point out a messy relationship breakdown performed out in public vogue, over the previous 4 years led to an outpouring of emotion in Seebohm’s post-race interview.
“It’s so superb, I by no means thought this was going to occur once more,” stated Seebohm as she wiped away tears.
“I’m not a crier usually, I’m not a crier in any respect.”
On the Channel 7 broadcast, Liesel Jones stated: “The wave of emotion from Emily Seebohm in her post-race interview goes to point out … the quantity of exhausting work, the quantity of ups and downs she’s had.”
If there have been any dry eyes after watching Seebohm’s interview, there actually weren’t any when it got here to the medal ceremony.
As McKeown stood proudly on the prime of the rostrum, she gestured for Seebohm to face subsequent to her.
Seebohm duly obliged, and introduced the 20-year-old along with her gold medal, earlier than a stunning embrace as the 2 stood side-by-side with the nationwide anthem taking part in.
McKeown expressed her delight at sharing the rostrum with Seebohm in her post-race interview.
“I had a little bit of a tear in my eye, to be trustworthy,” stated McKeown.
“Em’s been round for therefore lengthy and I’ve at all times spoken so extremely of her, I communicate of her extremely for a cause.
“She deserved to be on that gold medal podium simply as a lot as I did.”
Social media was fast to applaud the pair for the touching second in Tokyo.
It’s not the primary time the Australian swimming staff had produced a cultured gesture in the course of the medal ceremonies, both.
Important modifications had been made to the medal ceremony course of because of the Video games’ Covid protocols, with essentially the most notable being the athletes presenting themselves with their medals as an alternative of a dignitary doing the honours.
However for Australia’s 4x100m freestyle relay staff, consisting of Cate and Bronte Campbell, Emma McKeon and Meg Harris, all introduced one another with their gold medals.
Channel 7 commentator Basil Zempilas labelled the gesture a “stylish” transfer.