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Although she won two individual gold medals in Tokyo when she completed the 50m-100m sprint double, McKeon’s heart has always been with relays because she’s the ultimate team player.

Naturally shy, McKeon dislikes the attention that comes with being in the spotlight as a solo swimmer, but like Cate Campbell — with whom she shared so many podiums — she thrives in the team environment.

That’s partly a result of her down to earth upbringing. Born and raised in Wollongong, McKewon is swimming royalty. Her parents, Ron McKeon and Susie Woodhouse, both swam for Australia as did her brother David and her uncle Rob Woodhouse.

A natural in the water, she wasn’t pressured into being a professional and briefly quit swimming when she was in her teens, only to come back of her own accord, relocating to the Gold Coast to train under Michael Bohl.

She has never looked back, acquiring more Olympic and Commonwealth Games than anyone who has worn the green and gold cossies, through hard work and dedication.

When her training sessions end and everyone else leaves the water, she often stays back and works on fine-tuning all the little things that shave those tiny fractions of seconds off her times that decide the difference between winning and losing.

One of McKeon’s biggest advantages is her body position in the water and her streamline. If she looks like she cuts through the water better than everyone else – it’s because she does.

Now 30, and in a steady relationship with former pop star Cody Simpson, this is her third and final Olympics, not that you would know it from the lack of fanfare, which is of her own making.

She’s not quite as fast as she once was — and did not qualify for either of the sprints she won in Tokyo — but made the final of the 100m butterfly, and also has the medley relay to come.

And her performance in the relay was mind-blowing. The greats have that knack.

She wasn’t guaranteed a spot in the final so had to race for her place in the heats, with the fastest two joining O’Callaghan and Jack. McKeon left nothing to chance, posting a blistering split of 51.94. In the final she went a fraction slower but the result was the same: gold.

“I don’t keep track of that kind of stuff,” McKeon said when told about her latest accomplishment.

“Everyone wants to be part of this 4x100m, I feel really honoured to be part of it.

“It’s definitely been a rough couple of years, especially this year. So I definitely had my doubts. I just really wanted to be part of this team.”