Australia’s Emma McKeon made Olympic history in helping Australia upset two-time defending champions the United States to rise to the women’s 4x100m relay gold medal on Sunday.

Emma McKeon becomes the first female swimmer — and the second woman in any sport — to claim seven medals at one Olympics. Four of them were gold, the other three bronze.

‘I’ve worked so hard for it’ – Emma McKeon

“It still feels very surreal,” said McKeon. “It’s going to take a little bit to sink in. I’m very proud of myself.”

“I look at the athletes who have come before me and been so impressed with what they have done and been inspired by what they have done, but I’ve never really looked at the stats of medal counts,” the 27-year-old said.

“It is an honour because I know I’ve worked so hard for it.”

Emma McKeon had broken the Olympic record in the 50m heats in a time of 24.02 seconds.

She joins Michael Phelps, Mark Spitz and Matt Biondi as the only swimmers to win seven medals at a single Game.

McKeon’s victory also passed Australian swimmers an eighth gold medal in Tokyo, reaching the nation’s best haul at an Olympic pool from the 1956 Melbourne Games.