Kaylee McKeown Named 2024 Australian Swimmer of the Year (Olympic Program)

Courtesy: Swimming Australia

Olympic and Paralympic medallists Kaylee McKeown, Tim Hodge and Moesha Johnson capped off their extraordinary 2024 campaigns with the top gongs at today’s Swimming Australia Awards at Howard Smith Wharves in Brisbane.

In front of almost 300 guests, the trio affirmed their positions as premier athletes on the international stage claiming the Olympic, Paralympic and Open Water Program Swimmer of the Year Awards.

It was an historic Olympic campaign for McKeown, Australia’s Closing Ceremony flagbearer, who became the first Australian to win four individual Olympic gold medals after triumphing in the women’s 200m backstroke and in doing so, surpassed the likes of swimming greats Ian Thorpe, Dawn Fraser and teammate Emma McKeon.

McKeown is also the first swimmer to successfully defend the 100m and 200m backstroke titles in Olympic history and finished her Paris campaign with five medals in total – two gold (100m and 200m backstroke), one silver (4x100m women’s medley relay) and two bronze (4x100m mixed medley relay, 200 IM).

The 23-year-old put the world on notice in October when she broke the women’s 50m backstroke world record in Budapest with a time of 26.86 seconds – at the time, this world record cemented McKeown as the first person to hold the world record in the 50m, 100m, and 200m backstroke long-course events.

Joining McKeown on stage was Open Water Program Swimmer of the Year, Johnson and Paralympic Program Swimmer of the Year, Hodge.

Johnson, 26, won silver at her debut Games in the women’s 10km marathon swim and was the only Dolphin to compete at La Defense Arena (1500m) and the River Seine (Open Water).

The 1500m specialist turned open water swimmer, who has based herself in Germany to train alongside the dominant German open water swimmers including Florian Wellbrock, has enjoyed an exceptional 12 months of results.

But it was in the choppy waters of Port Doha (Qatar) that the 26-year-old emerged bruised and battered to qualify for the Paris Olympics.

Johnson’s fighting fourth place finish in a frantic finale to the Olympic qualifying 10km marathon cemented her Olympic spot and she was also part of the mixed 4x1500m relay team that won gold at the 2024 World Championships in Doha and bronze at the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka.

Three-time Paralympian Tim Hodge – earning the title of Iron Man in Paris with the busiest program of all Dolphins – claimed his maiden individual Paralympic gold (men’s 200m individual medley SM9) in La Defense Arena, along with another gold in the mixed 4x100m medley 34pt relay and a silver medal in the men’s 100m butterfly S9.

Hodge, 23, has been in a class of his own since winning back-to-back world championships in 2022, and he was the favourite to win the gold in the 200m IM – which he did in a Paralympic record time – after breaking the world record at Trials in June.

Swimming Australia CEO Rob Woodhouse congratulated the star trio on their incredible achievements, and on the Dolphins’ successful Olympic and Paralympic campaigns.

“We are incredibly proud of Kaylee, Moesha and Tim – they have withstood the pressures of international sport at its fiercest, but it is not only how they finished on the podium but how they competed.”

“We are so very fortunate to have such great ambassadors for our sport that represent our values of courage, unity and excellence – and an Olympic and Paralympic campaign is the sternest test you can face as an athlete.

“I am not sure perfection is attainable, but if we chase perfection we catch excellence and these three are among the very best.

“The Dolphins have had an incredible year of success; for the Olympic team – it was the closest we have come to matching the Americans in 68 years, going one better than Tokyo, where two gold medals separated us from the USA – and we had our best performance in Open Water.

“And for our Paralympic team, every single male athlete won a medal and we finished a terrific seventh in what is shaping as a formidable team ahead of LA – where planning has already started.

“Our Dolphins continue to set the standard and in doing so, inspires the next generation. Today is a fitting celebration of what our athletes – and high performance programs – have achieved.

“And we couldn’t do this without the support of the Australian Government. We are very grateful for their continued support and on behalf of Swimming Australia, our athletes and coaches, I extend our sincere thanks to the Prime Minister and Minister Wells for recognising the value of investing in High Performance sport and for backing our Paris campaign and beyond.”

Dean Boxall won Olympic Coach of the Year for the second time in a row while John Rogers was awarded Open Water Coach of the Year and Misha Payne won Paralympic Coach of the Year.

Chris Mooney won National Age Coach of the Year and Youth Coach of the Year for his work with the Junior Dolphins.

Paralympic debutant Callum Simpson, 17, cleaned up two awards – the Flipper’s Paralympic Program Athlete of the Year and the AIS Discovery of the Year following his impressive achievements in Paris.

The Flipper’s Olympic Open Water Program Athlete of the Year went to Chloe Brodrick. Milla Jansen was awarded the Flipper’s Olympic Program Athlete of Year after her standout performance at the 2024 Junior Pan Pacific Championships.

In other awards, Rose Purcell won Pho3nix Foundation JX Swimmer of the Year. The Roger Smith Technical Official of the Year was awarded to Darren McLachlan OAM.

Club of the Year went to Sydney based Lane Cove Swim Club and Local Legend of the Year was awarded to Ariel Darley from Warringah Aquatic Swim Club.

Paralympian Emily Beecroft was nominated by her fellow Dolphin teammates for the Swimmers’ Swimmer award. Beecroft won gold as part of the mixed 4x100m medley relay 34pt team in Paris and an individual bronze in the women’s 100m butterfly S9.