Athletics
Athletics discus - Benn Harradine
copright © 2011 Getty Images
Olympic history (Pre London 2012)
Athletics is the perfect expression of the Olympic motto ‘Citius, Altius, Fortius’ (‘Faster, Higher, Stronger’). The competition requires athletes to run faster, throw further, jump higher and leap longer than their rivals.
Summary of past Australian Olympic team results
- Edwin Flack was a trailblazer, the first Australian to compete at the Olympic Games, and first to win. He was Australia’s only participant and won the 800 metres and 1,500 metres in Athens in 1896.
- Australia’s women first competed in Amsterdam in 1928 with Edith Robinson competing in the 100 metres and 800 metres.
- Cathy Freeman, with the hopes of the whole country behind her, emphatically won the 400 metres in Sydney in 2000.
- Steve Hooker became an overnight celebrity when he took out gold in the men's pole vault in Beijing in 2008. Hooker's jump of 5.96 metres was also an Olympic record.
- Also in Beijing, Sally Pearson (nee McLellan), beat the odds to win silver in the women's hurdles.
- Endurance master of the road Jared Tallent took home silver and bronze for the 50 kilometre and 20 kilometre road walks.
Sporting organisations
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| Athletics Australia | Little Athletics Australia |
