Athletics in Australia
Encyclopedia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, with around 34,000 athletes, officials and coaches currently registered with the national association.
Though not as high-profile as sports such as Cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, Australian Rules Football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
, Rugby League
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
or Rugby Union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
in Australia, athletics has produced many world sporting legends, including Edwin Flack, Betty Cuthbert
Betty Cuthbert
Elizabeth Cuthbert AM, MBE is an Australian athlete, and a fourfold Olympic champion....
, Herb Elliot, and Cathy Freeman
Cathy Freeman
Catherine Astrid Salome "Cathy" Freeman, OAM is former Australian sprinter, who specialised in the 400 metres event. She became the Olympic champion for the women's 400 metres at the 2000 Summer Olympics, at which she lit the Olympic Flame.Freeman was the first ever Aboriginal...
.
Australia has hosted many important athletics competitions, including the 1956
1956 Summer Olympics
The 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...
and 2000
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, the 1938, 1962, 1982 and 2006 Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
, the 1985 World Cup in Athletics, and the 1996 World Junior Championships.
Athletics Australia
Athletics Australia
Athletics Australia is the National Sporting Organisation recognised by the Australian Sports Commission for the sport of athletics in Australia....
is the governing body for athletics in Australia.
History of athletics in Australia
Evidence shows AboriginalAustralian Aborigines
Australian Aborigines , also called Aboriginal Australians, from the latin ab originem , are people who are indigenous to most of the Australian continentthat is, to mainland Australia and the island of Tasmania...
Australians participated in a range of athletics events, prior to colonisation of Australia. When British colonists arrived from 1788, they brought with them the concept of athletics competition.
The earliest known athletics competition in Australia was in Sydney, in 1810, where Dicky Dowling won a 50 yards sprint, while the first amateur athletics club was formed in Adelaide, South Australia in 1867.
Professional athletics
The Australian gold rush of the late 19th century attracted huge populations to Australia and many (professional) athletics events were conducted at the gold-fields, with the 'gift' of a gold nugget to the winner. This 'pro' tradition continues today, with the Stawell GiftStawell Gift
The Stawell Gift is Australia's oldest and richest short distance running race. It is run over every Easter weekend by the Stawell Athletic Club, with the main race finals on the holiday Monday, at Central Park, Stawell in the Grampian Mountains district of western Victoria.The race is run on grass...
, Australia's premier professional foot-race, a highlight of the sporting calendar.
Australasian Union
In 1890, the first Inter-Colonial championships was held in Sydney, featuring teams from the AustralasiaAustralasia
Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...
n colonies of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Victoria, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
The Australasian Athletics Union of Australasia was formed in 1897 to govern the sport, with combined Australian and New Zealand teams representing at the 1908 and 1912 Olympic Games.
In 1928, New Zealand withdrew from the Union to form their own national association and the Amateur Athletics Union of Australia became the peak-body for athletics in Australia. The Australasian Championships
Australian Championships in Athletics
The Australian Athletics Championships or Australian Open Track and Field Championships are held annually to determine Australia's champion athletes in a range of athletics events. The championships are the primary qualification trial for athletes wishing to compete at the Olympic Games,...
now became Australian Championships, with official women's events held from 1930.
Early women's athletics
Female participation in women's athletics at the turn of the 20th century was usually restricted to 'picnic' meets where ladies races were conducted, along with egg-and-spoon races and other carnival events.In late 1906, at Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, the first women's 'state championship' was run, with Loyal Forward winning the 50 yards sprint and invitational 100 yards. Though these events were held during a professional meeting, Richard Coombes
Richard Coombes
Richard Coombes was journalist and father of amateur athletics in Australia.Coombes was born at Hampton Court, Middlesex, England the son of Richard Coombes, hotelkeeper, and his wife Ellen, née Parsons. Coombes was educated at Hampton Grammar School, he was for some years in an insurance office,...
, President of the men's Amateur Athletics Union, considered the prizes awarded were compliant with amateur rules.
A Sydney Ladies amateur athletics club was formed by Mrs Drennan, herself a sprinter, in 1913, and competitions, held under the auspices of the NSW
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
men's association were conducted over the next five years. Professional races for women were also very popular during this time.
Amateur unions
From 1928, the Amateur Athletics Union of Australia, had responsibility for track and field in Australia, including women's athletics with women's events being held, for the first time, at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics1928 Summer Olympics
The 1928 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1928 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Amsterdam had bid for the 1920 and 1924 Olympic Games, but had to give way to war-victim Antwerp, Belgium, and Pierre de...
. The first joint National Championships
Australian Championships in Athletics
The Australian Athletics Championships or Australian Open Track and Field Championships are held annually to determine Australia's champion athletes in a range of athletics events. The championships are the primary qualification trial for athletes wishing to compete at the Olympic Games,...
were conducted in Melbourne in 1930.
In 1932 an Australian Women's Amateur Athletics Union was formed which administered women's track and field in Australia and held its own national championships until 1978. An amalgamation of men's and women's bodies occurred in 1978 and, in 1989 this combined association was re-named as Athletics Australia
Athletics Australia
Athletics Australia is the National Sporting Organisation recognised by the Australian Sports Commission for the sport of athletics in Australia....
.
Combined annual national championships have been held since 1978.
Athletics Australia
Currently, Athletics Australia works with its affiliated state bodies and the Australian and State Institutes of Sport to assist athletes achieve a high standard of performance.The organisation has set a goal to finish in the top-ten countries competing in athletics at the 2012 London Olympics
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
, winning five medals and achieving fourteen top-eight placings.
Olympic Games
Australia is one of the few countries who have entered track and field athletes in every Olympic GamesSummer Olympic Games
The Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an international multi-sport event, occurring every four years, organized by the International Olympic Committee. Medals are awarded in each event, with gold medals for first place, silver for second and bronze for third, a tradition that...
. At the first Olympics, in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
in 1896, Victorian runner, Edwin Flack won both 800 metres
800 metres
The 800 meter race is a common track running event. It is the shortest common middle distance track event. The 800 meter is run over two laps of the track and has always been an Olympic event. During indoor track season the event is usually run on a 200 meter track, therefore requiring four laps...
and 1500 metres
1500 metres
The 1,500-metre run is the premier middle distance track event.Aerobic endurance is the biggest factor contributing to success in the 1500 metres but the athlete also requires significant sprint speed.In modern times, the 1,500-metre run has been run at a pace faster than the average person could...
events.
The first Australian woman to win an Olympic medal was Shirley Strickland
Shirley Strickland
Shirley Barbara Strickland AO, MBE , later Shirley de la Hunty, was an Australian athlete. She won more Olympic medals than any other Australian in running sports.-Family:...
, at the 1948 London Games
1948 Summer Olympics
The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in London, England, United Kingdom. After a 12-year hiatus because of World War II, these were the first Summer Olympics since the 1936 Games in Berlin...
, with a bronze medal in the 100 metres
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
sprint while Australia's first female gold medalist in athletics was Marjorie Jackson
Marjorie Jackson
Marjorie Jackson-Nelson, AC, CVO, MBE is a former Governor of South Australia and a former Australian athlete...
who won the 100 metres and 200 metres
200 metres
A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...
sprint races in 1952.
The most bemedalled Australian athletes at the Olympic Games have been Stan Rowley (with three) and Shirley Strickland (with seven).
Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
began as the British Empire Games in 1930 and Australian athletes have competed at every edition since, with female representatives from 1938.
Decima Norman
Decima Norman
Decima Norman, MBE was an Australian athlete, who won five gold medals at the 1938 British Empire Games....
was the star of those 1938 Sydney Games
1938 British Empire Games
The 1938 British Empire Games was the third British Empire Games, the Commonwealth Games being the modern-day equivalent. Held in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia from February 5–12, 1938, they were timed to coincide with Sydney's sesqui-centenary...
, winning five gold-medals. Since then, many other female athletes have starred at the Games, including Marjorie Jackson-Nelson, Pam Kilborn
Pam Kilborn
Pamela Kilborn-Ryan, MBE is a former Australian athlete who set world records as a hurdler. She was born in Melbourne...
, Denise Boyd
Denise Boyd
Denise Boyd is a former Australian Olympic sprinter, who reached two Olympic finals in the 200 metres sprint...
, Debbie Flintoff-King
Debbie Flintoff-King
Debra Lee Flintoff-King , born 20 April 1960 in Melbourne, Victoria, is a retired Australian athlete, and winner of the women's 400 m hurdles event at the 1988 Summer Olympics.-Athletics career:...
and Jane Flemming
Jane Flemming
Jane Christina Flemming is a former Australian Olympic track and field athlete. She completed her HSC in 1982 at Mater Christi College, Belgrave...
. The most successful medalist at the Commonwealth Games has been Raelene Boyle
Raelene Boyle
Raelene Ann Boyle, AM, MBE, , Australian athlete, represented Australia at three Olympic Games as a sprinter, winning three silver medals. In 1998, Boyle was named one of 100 National Living Treasures by the National Trust of Australia.-Early life:Boyle was born on 24 June 1951, the daughter of...
who won nine medals, including seven golds.
Australia's best performed male athletes at the 'Friendly Games' include John Treloar, Herb Elliott
Herb Elliott
Herbert James "Herb" Elliott AC MBE is a former Australian athlete, one of the world's greatest middle distance runners...
, and Gary Honey
Gary Honey
Gary Ronald Honey is a retired long jumper from Australia. He won a silver medal at the 1984 Olympics with a jump of 8.24 metres....
, with walker Nathan Deakes
Nathan Deakes
Nathan Deakes is an Australian race walker. Deakes trains with the Australian Institute of Sport....
the most successful, winning four gold and one bronze medal during his career.
World Championships
Australia has again been represented at each edition of the IAAF World Championships, with Robert de CastellaRobert de Castella
Robert Francois de Castella, MBE is an Australian former world champion marathon runner. He is widely known as "Deek" or "Deeks" to the Australian public, and "Tree" to his competitors due to his thick legs and inner calm...
winning the first gold medal at the inaugural 1983 World Championships in Athletics
1983 World Championships in Athletics
The inaugural World Championships in Athletics were run under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations and were held at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, Finland between August 7 and August 14, 1983....
in Helsinki, Finland.
Since then, Dmitri Markov
Dmitri Markov
Dmitri Markov is a retired Belarusian and Australian pole vaulter. He is a former world champion and current Oceanian record holder.-Biography:...
, Cathy Freeman
Cathy Freeman
Catherine Astrid Salome "Cathy" Freeman, OAM is former Australian sprinter, who specialised in the 400 metres event. She became the Olympic champion for the women's 400 metres at the 2000 Summer Olympics, at which she lit the Olympic Flame.Freeman was the first ever Aboriginal...
and Jana Rawlinson
Jana Rawlinson
Jana Pittman-Rawlinson is an Australian athlete, who specialises in the 400 metres run and 400 metre hurdles events. She is a two-time world champion in the 400 m hurdles, from 2003 and 2007...
have all become world champions.
Other international competitions
Australian athletes have also competed in a range of other international competitions.World Indoor Championships
Australia's indoor world champions include:- Mike Hillardt - 1985 1500 metres
- Kerry Saxby-JunnaKerry Saxby-JunnaKerry-Anne Saxby-Junna, born Kerry Saxby , is a retired Australian race walker. She is the world record holder at 5.000 metres track walk with 20:03.0 from 1996, and the Oceanian record holder at 10.000 metres walk with 41:57.22 from 1990. She was born in Ballina.-Achievements:-External links:*...
- 1991 5000 metres walk - Melinda Gainsford - 2005 200 metres
- Tamsyn LewisTamsyn LewisTamsyn Carolyn Lewis is an Australian athlete and middle-distance runner, who has won a total of seventeen Australian Championships at 400 metres, 800 metres and 400m hurdles....
- 2008 800 metres
World Cup
Australia competes in an OceaniaOceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
n team in the World Cup. Australian champions include:
- Lyn JacenkoLyn JacenkoLynette "Lyn" Jacenko is a retired Australian long jumper.A star junior champion in high jump, long jump, sprints and hurdles, she was selected to represent Australia in the 1972 Summer Olympics in long jump and pentathlon at age 18...
- 1977 Long Jump - Joanna StoneJoanna StoneJoanna Stone-Nixon is a retired javelin thrower, who represented Australia twice at the Summer Olympics, starting in 1996. She is best known for winning the silver medal at the 1997 World Championships in Athens, Greece...
- 1998 Javelin - Craig MottramCraig MottramCraig Mottram is an Australian long distance and middle distance runner.-Biography:Born on 18 June 1980 in Frankston, Victoria, Mottram specialises in the 5000 m event. He attended the prestigious Geelong Grammar School. At 6 feet 2 inches he is unusually tall for a distance runner.Amongst...
- 2003 and 2006 3000 metres - Steve Hooker - 2006 Pole Vault
World Cross-country Championships
- Benita JohnsonBenita JohnsonBenita Willis is an Australian distance runner, who is a three-time national champion in the women's 5,000 metres....
- 2004 World Champion - Long Course (8000m)
World Junior Championships
SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
hosted the 1996 World Junior Championships
1996 World Junior Championships in Athletics
The 1996 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 1996 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held in Sydney, Australia.-Men:-Women:-Medals table:-External links:* at GBRathletics.com...
, a bi-ennial event in which competitors must be 19 years of age or younger.
Australian Gold medalists at these events include:
- Miles Murphy - 1986 400 metres
- Rohan RobinsonRohan RobinsonRohan Stuart Robinson is a retired Australian hurdler.His personal best time was 48.28 seconds, achieved in the 1996 Olympic final in Atlanta. This is the current Oceanian record.-Achievements:-References:...
- 1990 400 metres hurdles - Susan Andrews, Sophie Scamps, Kylie Hanigan, Renee Poetschka - 1990 4 x 400 metres relay
- Jagen Hames - 1994 High Jump
- Paul Byrne - 1994 800 metres
- Scott Thom, Brad Jamieson, Casey Vincent, Daniel McFarlane - 1998 4 x 400 metres relay
- Jana RawlinsonJana RawlinsonJana Pittman-Rawlinson is an Australian athlete, who specialises in the 400 metres run and 400 metre hurdles events. She is a two-time world champion in the 400 m hurdles, from 2003 and 2007...
- 2000 400 metres and 400 metres hurdles - Dani SamuelsDani SamuelsDani Samuels is an Australian discus thrower who in 2009 became the youngest ever female world champion in the event....
- 2006 Discus - Robbie Crowther - 2006 Long Jump
World Youth Championships
The World Youth (Under 18) Championships commenced in 1999 and Australian winners include:- Georgie Clarke - 1999 800 metres and 2001 1500 metres
- Shermin Oksuz - 2001 Long Jump
- Kimberley MickleKimberley MickleKimberley Mickle is a female javelin thrower from Australia. Her personal best is 63.49 metres, achieved in March 2009 in Perth....
- 2001 Javelin - Sally McLellanSally McLellanSally Pearson is an Australian athlete. She is the current World Champion in the 100 metres hurdles with a time of 12.28s. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, she won the silver medal in the 100 m hurdles with a time of 12.64s.- Athletic career :Pearson was born in Sydney and moved to the Gold Coast...
- 2003 100 metres hurdles - Dani SamuelsDani SamuelsDani Samuels is an Australian discus thrower who in 2009 became the youngest ever female world champion in the event....
- 2003 Discus - Ronnie Buckley - 2003 Discus
- Chris NoffkeChris NoffkeChris Noffke is an Australian long jumper.He was born in Ipswich. He Attended St Peter's Lutheran College, Brisbane, Queensland....
- 2005 Long Jump - Vicky ParnovVicky ParnovVicky Parnov is an Australian athlete who competes in pole vault. She has strong athletic pedigree, being the niece of Tatiana Grigorieva, who won the silver medal for Australia in the women's pole vault at the 2000 Summer Olympics, and the granddaughter of Natalya Pechonkina, who won the bronze...
- 2007 Pole Vault
Pacific Conference Games
The Pacific Conference GamesPacific Conference Games
The Pacific Conference Games were a quadrennial athletics competition, held between 1969 and 1985 and contested by Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and the United States.The 1981 event was open to athletes from all nations....
were a quadrennial event conducted between athletes from Australia, Japan, Canada, New Zealand and the United States between 1969 and 1985.
The most successful athlete at these Games was Denise Boyd
Denise Boyd
Denise Boyd is a former Australian Olympic sprinter, who reached two Olympic finals in the 200 metres sprint...
who won six gold medals between 1973 and 1977.
Athletics events in Australia
National Championships
The national titles have been conducted for over a hundred years, though the event has only been a joint championship since 1978.The most successful athletes at this event include Warwick Selvey
Warwick Selvey
Warwick Selvey is a former Australian Olympic athlete who competed in the shot put and discus events.Selvey won a total of 18 Australian Championships in Athletics between 1960 and 1973 which is a record for male athletes....
(19 wins) and Gael Martin
Gael Martin
Gael Patricia Mulhall-Martin is a former Australian athlete, daughter of footballer Ken Mulhall, an Australian rules footballer with the St Kilda Football Club.She competed in the shot put and in the discus throw....
(20 wins).
Athletics Grand Prix
The IAAFInternational Association of Athletics Federations
The International Association of Athletics Federations is the international governing body for the sport of athletics. It was founded in 1912 at its first congress in Stockholm, Sweden by representatives from 17 national athletics federations as the International Amateur Athletics Federation...
approved meets at Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne comprise the most important athletics meetings held in Australia, with Australian athletes required to compete in order to gain international selection.
State Championships
Each Australian state or territory holds its own state athletics championships annually.Other events
Inter-varsity athletics competitions were conducted in Australia from the late 19th century. Since 1993, the Australian University GamesAustralian University Games
The Australian University Games is a multi-sport competition held annually in September / October between teams fielded from a large number of Australian universities and tertiary institutions. The Games were first held in 1993 in Brisbane, Queensland...
have presented an annual multi-sport event. Athletes studying at tertiary institutions are eligible to compete in the bi-annual World University Games
Universiade
The Universiade is an International multi-sport event, organized for university athletes by the International University Sports Federation . The name is a combination of the words "University" and "olympiad"...
.
World records
The first Australian to set a ratified world record was Triple JumpTriple jump
The triple jump is a track and field sport, similar to the long jump, but involving a “hop, bound and jump” routine, whereby the competitor runs down the track and performs a hop, a bound and then a jump into the sand pit.The triple jump has its origins in the Ancient Olympics and has been a...
er Nick Winter
Nick Winter
Anthony William Winter was an Australian athlete, who was born in Brocklesby, New South Wales...
at the 1924 Paris Olympics
1924 Summer Olympics
The 1924 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VIII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1924 in Paris, France...
, with the first official female record-holder Decima Norman, who equalled the 100 yards
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
world record in New Zealand, in 1939.
Distance runner Ron Clarke is still the most successful Australian athlete in terms of setting world records, with seventeen official records from Two-Miles to the 'One-Hour run' between 1963 and 1968. Pole Vault
Pole vault
Pole vaulting is a track and field event in which a person uses a long, flexible pole as an aid to leap over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the ancient Greeks, as well as the Cretans and Celts...
er Emma George
Emma George
-World records:*4.25 m - Melbourne, Australia 30 November 1995*4.28 m - Perth, Australia 17 December 1995*4.30 m - Perth, Australia 28 January 1996*4.41 m - Perth, Australia 28 January 1996*4.42 m - Reims, France 29 June 1996*4.45 m - Sapporo, Japan 14 July 1996...
is the most successful female Australian record-breaker, setting eleven world records from 1995 to 1999.
Nathan Deakes
Nathan Deakes
Nathan Deakes is an Australian race walker. Deakes trains with the Australian Institute of Sport....
set the most recent world record in Australia, at Geelong on 2 December 2006 when he recorded a time of 3-35.47 for the 50 km walk.
Other famous athletics world records set in Australia include:
- Men's Javelin - 85.71m - Egil DanielsenEgil DanielsenEgil Danielsen is a former Norwegian javelin thrower. He represented Hamar IL.Daielsen won the gold medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics with a throw of 85.71 metres. This was a new world record as well as a career best for Danielsen...
- Melbourne, 19561956 Summer OlympicsThe 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations... - Women's 400 metres - 47.60 - Marita KochMarita KochMarita Koch , is a former sprint track and field athlete...
- Canberra, 1985IAAF World Cup in AthleticsThe IAAF Continental Cup is an international athletics competition which comprises track and field events. It is the only world cup contested by teams representing entire continents, rather than just those of individual nations...
(current world record) - Women's 4 x 100 metres relay - 41.37 - GDRGerman Democratic RepublicThe German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
- Canberra, 1985IAAF World Cup in AthleticsThe IAAF Continental Cup is an international athletics competition which comprises track and field events. It is the only world cup contested by teams representing entire continents, rather than just those of individual nations...
(current world record)
Athletics venues in Australia
Athletics is conducted in most major centres in Australia, with a number of notable tracks:- Lakeside StadiumLakeside StadiumLakeside Stadium is an athletics track and soccer stadium in Albert Park, Melbourne, Australia...
- Melbourne's main venue for athletics - Queensland Sport and Athletics CentreQueensland Sport and Athletics CentreThe Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre , more commonly known by its former names ANZ Stadium or QE II, is a major sporting facility on the south side of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia...
(formerly QEII Stadium) - hosted the 1982 Commonwealth Games1982 Commonwealth GamesThe 1982 Commonwealth Games were held in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia from 30 September–9 October 1982. The Opening Ceremony was held at the QEII Stadium , in the Brisbane suburb of Nathan. The QEII Stadium was also the venue which was used for the athletics and archery competitions during the... - Sydney International Athletics CentreSydney Olympic ParkSydney Olympic Park is a suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Sydney Olympic Park is located 16 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Auburn Council....
- the warm-up track for the 2000 Sydney Olympics2000 Summer OlympicsThe Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
and host of the World Junior Championships1996 World Junior Championships in AthleticsThe 1996 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 1996 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held in Sydney, Australia.-Men:-Women:-Medals table:-External links:* at GBRathletics.com... - Santos StadiumSantos StadiumSantos Stadium is a sporting venue located in the Adelaide Parklands immediately to the north of ETSA Park, Adelaide's largest netball complex....
- since 1998 the main venue for athletics in Adelaide, South Australia
A large number of tracks originally established for athletics have since been converted to use by other sports:
- Sydney Cricket GroundSydney Cricket GroundThe Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian...
- main venue of the 1938 British Empire Games1938 British Empire GamesThe 1938 British Empire Games was the third British Empire Games, the Commonwealth Games being the modern-day equivalent. Held in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia from February 5–12, 1938, they were timed to coincide with Sydney's sesqui-centenary... - Melbourne Cricket GroundMelbourne Cricket GroundThe Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
- main venue of the 1956 Melbourne Olympics1956 Summer OlympicsThe 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...
and 2006 Commonwealth Games2006 Commonwealth GamesThe 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia between 15 March and 26 March 2006. It was the largest sporting event to be staged in Melbourne, eclipsing the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, athletes competing, and events being held.The site...
athletics events. - Perry Lakes StadiumPerry Lakes StadiumPerry Lakes Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium adjacent to Perry Lakes in Floreat, Western Australia, Australia. It was built and funded by the State Government and the City of Perth in 1962 for the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games and had a nominal capacity of 30,000...
- main venue of the 1962 Commonwealth Games1962 British Empire and Commonwealth GamesThe 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games were held in Perth, Western Australia, Australia from 22 November-1 December 1962. Athletic events were held at Perry Lakes Stadium in the suburb of Floreat and swimming events at Beatty Park in North Perth....
in Perth, Western AustraliaPerth, Western AustraliaPerth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000.... - Kensington OvalKensington OvalThe Kensington Oval is located to the west of the capital-city Bridgetown on the island of Barbados. "The Oval" is one of the major sporting facilities on the island and is primarily used for cricket...
(formerly Olympic Sports Field) - from 1965 to 1998, the home of South AustraliaSouth AustraliaSouth Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
n athletics - Bruce Stadium - host to the 1985 IAAF World Cup in AthleticsIAAF World Cup in AthleticsThe IAAF Continental Cup is an international athletics competition which comprises track and field events. It is the only world cup contested by teams representing entire continents, rather than just those of individual nations...
- where two world records were set that still stand in 2008. - Stadium Australia - host of the 2000 Sydney Olympics2000 Summer OlympicsThe Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
athletics events - Olympic Park StadiumOlympic Park StadiumOlympic Park Stadium was a multi-purpose outdoor stadium located on Olympic Boulevard in inner Melbourne. The stadium was built as an athletics training venue for the 1956 Olympics, a short distance from the MCG, which served as the Olympic Stadium...
- the home of athletics from 1956 to 2011 in Victoria and the site of numerous world records
- Sydney Sports GroundSydney Sports GroundThe Sydney Sports Ground was a Stadium and Dirt track racing venue in Sydney, New South Wales. The ground was located where the car park of the Sydney Football Stadium currently sits. The ground had two main grandstands and was surrounded by a grass covered hill, giving it a capacity of more than...
,
Moore Park
Sydney Showground (Moore Park)
The former Sydney Showground at Moore Park was the site of the Sydney Royal Easter Show in New South Wales, Australia from 1882 until 1997, when the Show was moved to the new Sydney Showground at Homebush Bay, which was built for the Sydney 2000 Olympics...
and Pratten Park
Pratten Park
Pratten Park is a sporting complex in the Sydney suburb of Ashfield featuring an oval playing field large enough to play cricket, a lawn bowling club and a tennis club. The Park is best known as the original home of the Western Suburbs Magpies rugby league team, who played there for around half a...
in Sydney
- Royal ParkRoyal Park Golf ClubSituated in Royal Park, Melbourne, Victoria, the Royal Park Golf Course is a 9-hole golf course located only 3 km from the city. It has the honour of being possibly the only golf course with a tram and train line running through it....
and St. Kilda Cricket GroundJunction OvalThe Junction Oval is an historic sports ground in the suburb of St Kilda in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its location near the St Kilda Junction gave rise to its nickname...
in Melbourne - Adelaide OvalAdelaide OvalThe Adelaide Oval is a sports ground in Adelaide, South Australia, located in the parklands between the Central Business District and North Adelaide...
, Norwood OvalNorwood OvalNorwood Oval is a suburban oval in the western end of Norwood, an inner eastern suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. Norwood, Payneham & St Peters Council own the Oval but rent it, for a peppercorn rental, to the Norwood Football Club...
, and Wayville Showgrounds in Adelaide - Exhibition GroundBrisbane Exhibition GroundThe Brisbane Exhibition Ground , is a showground established in Brisbane during 1875 especially for Ekka . The Exhibition ground is owned and operated by the Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland...
, Bowen Park, BrisbaneBowen Park, BrisbaneBowen Park is a heritage-listed precinct in Bowen Hills, Queensland, Australia.-History:Bowen Park was originally a parcel of land of about 16 hectares bordered by O'Connell Terrace, Bowen Bridge Road, Gregory Terrace and Brookes Street. The land was granted to the Queensland Acclimatisation...
and Lang Park in Brisbane - Leederville Oval in Perth
- North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
in Hobart
A specially constructed Cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
facility was opened at Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
in November 2007. Named as the 'Stromlo Forest Park
Mount Stromlo
Mount Stromlo is situated a short drive west of the centre of Canberra, Australia, near the district of Weston Creek. Its peak is at approximately 770m AHD....
Robert de Castella
Robert de Castella
Robert Francois de Castella, MBE is an Australian former world champion marathon runner. He is widely known as "Deek" or "Deeks" to the Australian public, and "Tree" to his competitors due to his thick legs and inner calm...
cross-country track', this venue hosted the 2008 Australian Cross-Country trials.
See also
- Athletics AustraliaAthletics AustraliaAthletics Australia is the National Sporting Organisation recognised by the Australian Sports Commission for the sport of athletics in Australia....
- Australian Championships in AthleticsAustralian Championships in AthleticsThe Australian Athletics Championships or Australian Open Track and Field Championships are held annually to determine Australia's champion athletes in a range of athletics events. The championships are the primary qualification trial for athletes wishing to compete at the Olympic Games,...
- List of Australian athletics champions (men)
- List of Australian athletics champions (Women)
- Sport in AustraliaSport in AustraliaAustralia has a long sporting history dating back to the mid 1800s. By the 1920s, a number of sports were being played by both men and women, including cricket, badminton, judo, swimming, tennis, netball, lacrosse, golf, hockey and various codes of football....
- Maccabiah bridge collapseMaccabiah bridge collapseThe Maccabiah bridge collapse was the catastrophic failure of a pedestrian bridge over the Yarkon River in Tel Aviv, Israel on July 14, 1997. The collapse of the temporary wooden structure killed four and injured 60 Australian athletes who were visiting Israel to participate in the Maccabiah Games...