- McKeown came back from fourth place to win the 100m backstroke
- He paid an emotional tribute to his father after the victory
- He successfully defended the crown he won in Tokyo
Australian gold medallist Kaylee McKeown paid an emotional tribute to her late father Sholto after winning the 100m backstroke on Wednesday morning, but also brought an emotional memory of him to the pool in Paris.
The 23-year-old staged an incredible comeback to beat American world record holder Regan Smith after coming in fourth at the turn and also set a new Olympic record.
“I like to think I have a little superpower and that’s my dad,” McKeown said immediately after the race.
“I think he was with me tonight, so I’m more than happy.”
And Sholto was with her in a way that all his fans could see if they looked closely at his right foot.
That’s where McKeown has a tattoo with the words “I’ll always be with you” in a clear reference to Sholto, who lost his battle with brain cancer in August 2020.
He had tried to hold on long enough to see her compete at the Tokyo Olympics, where she also won gold in the 100-meter backstroke, but died because the Games were postponed due to the pandemic.
Kaylee McKeown was inspired by a tattoo of her late father (in a circle) as she battled to win gold in the 100-meter backstroke in Paris on Wednesday morning.
Sholto McKeown (pictured with Kaylee) lost his battle with brain cancer in August 2020
Before starting her run, the 23-year-old looks at the ‘I’ll always be with you’ tattoo on her right foot as she prepares to launch herself off the wall.
Asked what his father would have said to him if he could have seen the victory in Paris, McKeown, who famously dropped the F-bomb on live television after his win in Tokyo, replied: “I’m not going to swear… I would be extremely proud.”
“It’s great to have my family here because I know he’s here in spirit.”
He then broke his promise not to swear and sent a message to his mother Sharon and sister Taylor.
“There are no words that can express how much I appreciate your support. You have a lot of problems to deal with, so thank you for everything.”
Her words echoed what she told her fans when she emerged from the pool after winning gold in Tokyo, where she blew a kiss to her father immediately after the victory and said: “I hope you’re proud and I will continue to make you proud.”
McKeown also talked about how the tattoo inspires her when she’s about to compete.
McKeown said: “I like to think I have a little superpower and that’s my dad” after the win.
“I happen to be able to see the ‘being with you,'” she explained, referring to what she sees when her feet are on the wall at the start of her backstroke events.
“It’s great to see that because I know he’ll be with me and that’s very valuable.”
Ahead of the Tokyo Games, she revealed that the postponement had helped her prepare for the event and spend some extra precious moments with her father.
“My father is, in many ways, my biggest inspiration now,” he said.
‘I use it in the last 50 kilometers of my races, like, ‘Come on Dad, help me cross the line,’ because I know he’s there.’
McKeown admitted she had battled demons in the lead-up to Tokyo but said they made the victory all the sweeter.
“It’s not necessarily what I’ve been through, everyone has their own journey, it just happens that mine has been really difficult,” he explained.
“I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world because I don’t think I would be where I am today without all that having happened.”