Revealed: The blink-and-you'll miss it detail that shows how Olympics hero Kaylee McKeown took her dad into the pool with her four years after his tragic death from cancer

Aussie gold medallist Kaylee McKeown paid a stirring tribute to her late father Sholto after winning the 100m backstroke on Wednesday morning - but she also carried an emotional reminder of him into the pool in Paris.

The 23-year-old staged an incredible comeback to beat America's world record holder Regan Smith after running in fourth at the turn - and set a new Olympic record to boot.

'I like to think I have a little superpower and that's my dad,' McKeown said immediately after the race. 

'I believe he was with me tonight, so I'm over the moon.'

And Sholto was with her in a way all her fans could see if they looked closely at her right foot.

That's where McKeown has a tattoo bearing the words 'I'll always be with you' in a clear reference to Sholto, who lost his battle with brain cancer in August 2020.

He'd been trying to hang on long enough to see her compete at the Tokyo Olympics, where she also won gold in the 100m backstroke, but passed away as the Games were postponed due to the pandemic.

Asked what her father would've said to her if he'd been able to watch the win in Paris, McKeown - who famously dropped the F-bomb on live TV after her Tokyo victory - replied, 'I'm not going to swear ... he'd be extremely proud.

'It's great to have my family here because I know that he's here in spirit.'

She then broke her no-profanity promise as she delivered a message to her mum Sharon and sister Taylor.

'No words can really amount to how much I appreciate their support. They deal with a lot of s**t, so thank you for all of that.'

Her words echoed what she told her fans when she emerged from the pool after winning gold in Tokyo, where she blew a kiss to her father straight after the victory and said, 'I hope you're proud, and I'll keep doing you proud.'

McKeown also opened up about how the tattoo inspires her when she's just about to race.

'It just so happens that I can see the "be with you",' she explained, referring to what she locks eyes with when her feet are up on the wall at the start of her backstroke events.

'It's kind of cool to see that because I know that he will be with me and that's just very precious.'

Before the Tokyo Games, she revealed the postponement had helped her prepare for the event and spend some precious extra moments with her father.

'My dad in many ways is my big inspiration now,' she said.

'I use him in the last 50 of my racing, like, 'Come on dad, help me cross the line', because I know he is there.'

McKeown admitted she had battled demons in the lead-up to Tokyo, but said they made the victory even sweeter.

'It's not necessarily what I've been through — everyone has a journey of their own — it just happens mine has been a really tough one,' she explained.

'I wouldn't have it any other way because I don't think I'd be where I am today without all that happening.'