Emma McKeon's telling admission amid Cody Simpson drama at Comm Games
Emma McKeon has admitted she was more nervous watching boyfriend Cody Simpson swim in the 100m butterfly final at the Commonwealth Games on Tuesday night than she was for any of her races.
McKeon became the most decorated athlete in Commonwealth Games history on Tuesday, adding two more medals to her collection to make it 19 in total across her career.
'DON'T LIKE IT': Aussie's controversial act before winning gold
HOLY MOLY: Athletics fans erupt over Rohan Browning act
The swimming sensation won bronze in the 100m freestyle final before claiming gold in the 4x100m mixed medley relay - going past the previous record of 18 medals won by South African swimmer Chad le Clos and shooters Phillip Adams (Australia) and Mick Gault (England).
But despite her historic feats, the 28-year-old admitted she was way more nervous watching Simpson swim.
The pop star-turned-swimmer will depart the Commonwealth Games with a gold medal as a heat swimmer in Australia's triumphant 4x100m freestyle relay.
🗣️ "I want to inspire young people to know that they can do whatever it is they want to do, even if they feel like it's too late or they're too old to pick something up, because it's never too late."
- Cody Simpson after his swim in the 100 butterfly final #B2022 pic.twitter.com/vILmMskcqO— 7Sport (@7Sport) August 2, 2022
He also finished fifth in the 100m backstroke final on Tuesday night with McKeon watching on.
"I was way more nervous to watch him than I was for my 100 (freestyle final)," she said.
"I love sharing this experience with him."
McKeon said Simpson's experiences in Birmingham would prove invaluable moving forward.
"I'm sure he'll be happy with that (fifth). It's his first international experience and a lot of us have been doing it for years," she said.
"It's just gaining intel, that's what he's doing here.
"I know he wants to be on the Olympic team in two years time so every race he gets to do at this kind of level is adding intel for him.
"He's probably racing like we were when we were 15 (years old) in terms of his experience."
Cody Simpson thriving as professional swimmer
Simpson said he took to his first experience on an Australian team like a duck to water.
"Two months ago, I wasn't even sure I would be here, I was just trying to get on the team," he said.
"So this is pretty cool. It's cool because my mind is swimming and the sport of swimming, the training and the racing."
And he has no regrets about stepping away from global pop fame for the grind of the pool.
"The whole thing is suited to my personality and my mind," Simpson said.
"It's very rewarding to me to just do it and train on a daily basis.
"I didn't find it too hard to kind of adjust to the lifestyle and integrate myself into my training environment.
"I'm living just the way any other swimmer is doing at this point."
Simpson has been studying every one of his teammates, from girlfriend McKeon to roommate Mack Horton.
"It's kind of crazy, I sort of more watch what people do," he said.
"Every time I come away from a race, I learn something ... I have inspiration to go back and train even harder to perform even better next time."
The performances of Simpson and McKeon have been all the more remarkable given the ugly scrutiny on their private lives.
Teammate Kyle Chalmers lashed out at the media earlier in the Games and slammed the false reporting of a supposed 'love triangle' between himself, McKeon and Simpson.
McKeon dated Chalmers in 2021 before her romance with Simpson began this year.
with AAP
Click here to sign up to our newsletter for all the latest and breaking stories from Australia and around the world.