Paris Olympics 2024: Emma McKeon content to retire but Kyle Chalmers not done yet

Retired swimmer Emma McKeon, Australia’s most successful Olympian, isn’t sure what her future holds.

But Kyle Chalmers knows what’s on his agenda: train even harder to extend his stellar swim career for as long as possible.

McKeon’s storied Olympic career finishes with an Australian record six gold medals among her 14-medal collection including three silvers and five bronze.

“I definitely will miss it,” McKeon said on Monday.

“It has brought me a lot of great relationships and great experiences and shaped me into the person I am.

“I will miss the training and the racing but I am definitely ready for the next part of my life which I am excited for.”

The 30-year-old, a triple Olympian, isn’t sure exactly what her life outside the pool will look like but retires content.

“I’m really happy that I was able to step up when it did come to the Olympics,” she said.

Chalmers won two silver medals and a bronze in Paris and has nine career medals, equalling Ian Thorpe’s record for most Olympic medals of an Australian man.

The 26-year-old has vowed to keep swimming.

“My mind is very strong, it’s just how long my body will manage to keep up,” Chalmers said on Monday.

But Chalmers said the proverbial goalposts have shifted in his pet event, the 100m freestyle.

In Paris, Chalmers won silver behind China’s Pan Zhanle, who broke his own world record by clocking 46.40 seconds.

In Sunday night’s medley relay, the Chinese swimmer logged the fastest men’s 100m freestyle split in history - 45.92 - to anchor his gold-medal winning team.

Individual times in relays only count as records if the time comes on the first leg - Pan’s split came on the last leg.

“I don’t know what else I could do training-wise to do that ... I am going to have to train even harder now to be competitive with him,” Chalmers said.

“I am going to take it as motivation and do everything I possibly can do to try and match those times.

“I want to be competitive, I don’t want to be finishing up second or third.

“It’s on me now to get better. And I look forward to that challenge.”