| Australia at the Olympics | |
|---|---|
 | |
| IOC code | AUS |
| NOC | Australian Olympic Committee |
| Website | www |
| Medals Ranked 14th |
|
| Summer appearances | |
| Winter appearances | |
| Other related appearances | |
| 1906 Intercalated Games ––––  Australasia (1908–1912) | |
Australia has sent athletes to everySummer Olympic Games, as well as everyWinter Olympics except1924–32 and1948. In 1908 and 1912, Australia competed withNew Zealand under the nameAustralasia.
Australia has been represented at every Summer Olympics. New ZealanderLeonard Cuff, an athletics administrator, organised with bothBaron Pierre de Coubertin and head of the English Amateur Athletics FederationCharles Herbert, forAustralasia to be represented at the firstInternational Olympic Committee meetings in 1894. While it was initially thought that no Australian (or New Zealand) athlete would be able to compete at the1896 Summer Olympics,Edwin Flack, an Australian accountant and amateur athlete working in London, was able to obtain leave and travelled toAthens, where he won Gold in the800 and1500 metres, representing Australia.[2] Australia and New Zealand were represented by Australasia at the IOC until 1920, although the two nations competed as individual entities at the1908 and1912 games. From 1920 onwards, they competed as separate nations.[3]
Australia became the first country in the Southern Hemisphere to host the games, hosting the1956 Summer Olympics inMelbourne, before hosting the2000 Summer Olympics inSydney. Australia is due to host the Summer Olympics for the third time at the2032 Summer Olympics inBrisbane.[3]
While Australia had frequently overachieved at the Summer Olympic Games, this came to a halt at the1976 Olympic Games. After winning at least five gold medals and seventeen total medals at every Olympics since 1956, Australia won zero gold medals and only five medals in total. This was the first time Australia had not won Gold since the1936 Summer Olympics. It caused an uproar in Australia, and the government-fundedAustralian Institute of Sport was subsequently founded in 1981. Since the formation of the AIS, Australia has finished with fewer than 20 medals only once, in1988, and has won at least three gold medals at every Summer Olympics since, holding an average of 11 gold medals per Games.[4][5]
While Australia has focused largely on the Summer Olympics, Australia has been represented at the Winter Olympics since1936 withKen Kennedy the first Australian Winter Olympian and sole representative. Kennedy competed in theSpeed skating in all four events, with a best finish of 29th in the500 metres. It would take until1952 for the next representatives, starting an unbroken attendance streak. Despite this long history, it took until the1994 Winter Olympics to win its first medal: Bronze in theMen's 5000 metre relay. AfterZali Steggall won Australia's first individual medal in theWomen's Slalom at the1998 Winter Olympics, the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia was founded, leading to Australia's first Winter Olympic gold medals at the2002 Winter Olympics withSteve Bradbury winning theMen's 1000 metres andAlisa Camplin winning theWomen's aerials.[3]
Australia has hosted the Olympic Games twice and will host again in 2032:
| Games | Host city | Dates | Nations | Participants | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 Summer Olympics | Melbourne,Victoria | 22 November–8 December | 72 | 3,314 | 151 |
| 2000 Summer Olympics | Sydney,New South Wales | 15 September–1 October | 199 | 10,651 | 300 |
| 2032 Summer Olympics | Brisbane,Queensland | 23 July–8 August | TBD | TBD | TBD |
Australia has unsuccessfully bid for the Games on three other occasions:[3]
| Games | Proposed host city | Awarded to |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 Summer Olympics | Melbourne,Victoria | Seoul,South Korea |
| 1992 Summer Olympics | Brisbane,Queensland | Barcelona,Spain |
| 1996 Summer Olympics | Melbourne,Victoria | Atlanta, United States |
| Date | Team | |
|---|---|---|
| 1896-1900 |  Australia | |
| 1904 |  Australia | |
| 1908–1912 | Australasia | |
| 1920– | Australia |  New Zealand |
Host country
| Games | Athletes | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 1896 Athens | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
 1900 Paris | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 9 |
 1904 St. Louis | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 11 |
| 1908 London | as part of Australasia | |||||
 1912 Stockholm | ||||||
 1920 Antwerp | 13 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 16 |
| 1924 Paris | 37 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 11 |
 1928 Amsterdam | 18 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 19 |
| 1932 Los Angeles | 12 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 11 |
 1936 Berlin | 33 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 30 |
| 1948 London | 77 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 13 | 14 |
 1952 Helsinki | 81 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 9 |
 1956 Melbourne | 314 | 13 | 8 | 14 | 35 | 3 |
 1960 Rome | 188 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 22 | 5 |
 1964 Tokyo | 234 | 6 | 2 | 10 | 18 | 8 |
 1968 Mexico City | 175 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 17 | 9 |
 1972 Munich | 173 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 17 | 6 |
 1976 Montreal | 184 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 32 |
 1980 Moscow | 123 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 15 |
| 1984 Los Angeles | 240 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 24 | 14 |
 1988 Seoul | 270 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 14 | 15 |
 1992 Barcelona | 290 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 27 | 10 |
| 1996 Atlanta | 424 | 9 | 9 | 23 | 41 | 7 |
| 2000 Sydney | 630 | 16 | 25 | 17 | 58 | 4 |
 2004 Athens | 482 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 50 | 4 |
 2008 Beijing | 433 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 46 | 6 |
| 2012 London | 410 | 8 | 15 | 12 | 35 | 8 |
 2016 Rio de Janeiro | 422 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 29 | 10 |
| 2020 Tokyo | 470 | 17 | 7 | 22 | 46 | 6 |
 2024 Paris | 461 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 53 | 4 |
| 2028 Los Angeles | future event | |||||
| 2032 Brisbane | future event | |||||
| Total (28/30) | 6,201 | 182 | 192 | 226 | 600 | 10 |
| Games | Athletes | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1924 Chamonix | did not participate | |||||
 1928 St. Moritz | ||||||
| 1932 Lake Placid | ||||||
| 1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1948 St. Moritz | did not participate | |||||
 1952 Oslo | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1960 Squaw Valley | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
 1964 Innsbruck | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1968 Grenoble | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1972 Sapporo | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1976 Innsbruck | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1980 Lake Placid | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
 1984 Sarajevo | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1988 Calgary | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992 Albertville | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1994 Lillehammer | 25 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 22 |
| 1998 Nagano | 23 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 22 |
| 2002 Salt Lake City | 27 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15 |
| 2006 Turin | 40 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 17 |
| 2010 Vancouver | 40 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
 2014 Sochi | 60 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 24 |
| 2018 Pyeongchang | 50 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 23 |
| 2022 Beijing | 43 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 18 |
| 2026 Milano Cortina | future event | |||||
| 2030 French Alps | ||||||
| 2034 Salt Lake City | ||||||
| Total (20/24) | 440 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 19 | 25 |
| Sport | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Swimming | 76 | 78 | 76 | 230 |
 Athletics | 22 | 29 | 32 | 83 |
 Cycling | 18 | 21 | 23 | 62 |
 Sailing | 14 | 9 | 8 | 31 |
 Rowing | 13 | 15 | 17 | 45 |
 Canoeing | 8 | 9 | 15 | 32 |
 Equestrian | 6 | 5 | 4 | 15 |
 Shooting | 5 | 1 | 6 | 12 |
 Field hockey | 4 | 4 | 5 | 13 |
 Diving | 3 | 4 | 8 | 15 |
 Skateboarding | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
 Tennis | 2 | 1 | 4 | 7 |
 Triathlon | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
 Water polo | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
 Weightlifting | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
 Beach volleyball | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
 Taekwondo | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
 Archery | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
 Modern pentathlon | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
 Rugby sevens | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
 Basketball | 0 | 3 | 4 | 7 |
 Boxing | 0 | 1 | 6 | 7 |
 Softball | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
 Wrestling | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
 Marathon swimming | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
 Surfing | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
 Baseball | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 Gymnastics | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 Judo | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Totals (29 entries) | 182 | 192 | 226 | 600 |
| Sport | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Freestyle skiing | 4 | 3 | 2 | 9 |
 Snowboarding | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
 Short track speed skating | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
 Skeleton | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 Alpine skiing | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals (5 entries) | 6 | 7 | 6 | 19 |
These totals do not include 11 medals recognised by the Australian Olympic Committee: 10 medals (3 gold, 4 silver and 3 bronze) won by Australians competing for the combinedAustralasia team in 1908 and 1912 (8 by individuals, 1 by an exclusively Australian team and 1 by a combined team) and 1 bronze medal won in tennis byEdwin Flack in 1896. The AOC therefore recognises Australia as having won 611 medals at the Summer Olympics (185 gold, 196 silver and 230 bronze).[6]
This is a list of people who have won at least three Olympic gold medals for Australia, based upon data from theInternational Olympic Committee. Medals won in the1906 Intercalated Games are not included. It includes top-three placings in 1896 and 1900, before medals were awarded for top-three placings.
| Athlete | Sport | Years | Games | Gender |  |  |  | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emma McKeon | Swimming | 2016–2024 | Summer | F | 6 | 3 | 5 | 14 |
| Ian Thorpe | Swimming | 2000–2004 | Summer | M | 5 | 3 | 1 | 9 |
| Kaylee McKeown | Swimming | 2020–2024 | Summer | F | 5 | 1 | 3 | 9 |
| Mollie O'Callaghan | Swimming | 2020–2024 | Summer | F | 5 | 1 | 2 | 8 |
| Dawn Fraser | Swimming | 1956–1964 | Summer | F | 4 | 4 | 0 | 8 |
| Ariarne Titmus | Swimming | 2020–2024 | Summer | F | 4 | 3 | 1 | 8 |
| Cate Campbell | Swimming | 2008–2020 | Summer | F | 4 | 1 | 3 | 8 |
| Libby Trickett | Swimming | 2004–2012 | Summer | F | 4 | 1 | 2 | 7 |
| Murray Rose | Swimming | 1956–1960 | Summer | M | 4 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| Betty Cuthbert | Athletics | 1956–1964 | Summer | F | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Leisel Jones | Swimming | 2000–2012 | Summer | F | 3 | 5 | 1 | 9 |
| Petria Thomas | Swimming | 1996–2004 | Summer | F | 3 | 4 | 1 | 8 |
| Grant Hackett | Swimming | 2000–2008 | Summer | M | 3 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
| Emily Seebohm | Swimming | 2008–2020 | Summer | F | 3 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
| Andrew Hoy | Equestrian | 1984–2020 | Summer | M | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
| Shirley Strickland | Athletics | 1948–1956 | Summer | F | 3 | 1 | 3 | 7 |
| Jessica Fox | Canoeing | 2012–2024 | Summer | F | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| Shane Gould | Swimming | 1972 | Summer | F | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| Drew Ginn | Rowing | 1996–2012 | Summer | M | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| James Tomkins | Rowing | 1992–2004 | Summer | M | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Bronte Campbell | Swimming | 2012–2024 | Summer | F | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Matthew Ryan | Equestrian | 1992–2000 | Summer | M | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Rechelle Hawkes |  Field Hockey | 1988–2000 | Summer | F | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Jodie Henry | Swimming | 2004 | Summer | F | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Stephanie Rice | Swimming | 2008–2012 | Summer | F | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Dale Begg-Smith andTorah Bright are the most successful Australian athletes at theWinter Olympics, with one gold medal and one silver each (Steven Bradbury,Alisa Camplin, andLydia Lassila all won one gold and one bronze medal).Emma McKeon is the most prolific athlete at a single games, winning 7 medals (4 gold, 3 bronze) at the2020 Olympics. WhileLauren Jackson never won a gold medal, she is the only Australian to win medals in five different Olympics.
Swimming is historically Australia's most successful sport of all the Olympic events.[8] Australia first competed in swimming at the 1900 Games, withFrederick Lane competing in two events and winning gold medals in both.[8] The first women to compete for Australia in swimming wereFanny Durack andMina Wylie, who won gold and silver respectively in the women's 100m freestyle at the1912 Summer Olympics; which was also the first women's swimming event held at an Olympic Games.[8] The sport would become a strength of the nation, which (as of the2024 Summer Olympics) has thesecond-most gold and second-most total medals behind the United States.[9] The only Olympics in which Australia finished without a medal in swimming would be1896 (due to no swimmers being sent by the Olympic committee) and1936.[9]
At the1956 Summer Olympics held inMelbourne, Australia finished first on the medal tally for the only time in Olympic history, winning eight of the thirteen events held. These games included a podium sweep in both the men's and women's 100m freestyle, withJon Henricks andDawn Fraser winning gold respectively.[8][9]Murray Rose would become Australia's most decorated swimmer during these Olympics, winning three gold medals, in the men's 400m freestyle, the men's 1500m freestyle and the men's4 × 200 m freestyle relay.[9] Other gold medals were won byLorraine Crapp in the women's 400m freestyle,David Theile in the men's 100m backstroke and the women's4 × 100 m freestyle relay.[9]
Michael Wenden was Australia's most decorated swimmer in1968, with his gold medals in both the 100m and 200m freestyle, he became the first Australian to win both freestyle events, while also achieving a silver in the men's4 × 200 m freestyle relay and a bronze in the men's4 × 100 m freestyle relay.[10] In the1972 Summer Olympics,Shane Gould would become Australia's youngest Olympic champion in a swimming individual event, while also going on to win three gold, one silver and one bronze during the games.[9]
After 1972, Australia's sporting dominance began to fade; including in the swimming events. Australia only won one medal in1976, a bronze byStephen Holland in the men's 1500m freestyle, which became Australian team's worst performance in the swimming events since the country first began participating.[9] In1980, Australia won two gold medals in the entire Olympics, courtesy ofMichelle Ford in the women's 800m freestyle and theQuietly Confident Quartet in the men's4 × 100 m medley relay.[8]Jon Sieben’s victory in the men’s 200m butterfly would be the only gold medal won by an individual Australian athlete at the1984 Summer Olympics.[8] Afterwards,1988 saw Australia take home the least amount of medals in swimming since 1976,Duncan Armstrong win a gold and a silver in the men’s 200m and 400m freestyle respectively, with Australia’s only other swimming medal beingJulie McDonald’s bronze in the women’s 800m freestyle.[8]
The 90s saw Australia's reemergence as a swimming powerhouse, although it came slowly and steadily. With an increase in funding throughout the 1980s to combat the disappointing performances of the swimming team, the team were not achieving the high standards set by the Australian government for1992 Summer Olympics, with the Australian government threatening to cut funding for sport if their standards were not met.[11] The notable turning point was a then 18-year-old,Kieren Perkins, winning gold in the men's 1500m freestyle, withGlen Housman winning silver in the same event; with Perkins setting the world record in the process and his performance at the time being considered "the greatest swim by an Australian."[11] Perkins would win the only gold medal for the swimming team in1992, while also winning silver in the men's 400m freestyle.[12] The only other Australian swimmer to win multiple medals in Barcelona wasHayley Lewis, who won silver in the women's 800m freestyle and bronze in the women's 400m freestyle.[12][9] Australia's swimming team continued to push forward its momentum into1996, winning two gold medals, four silver and six bronze.[9]Susie O'Neill would become the first female swimmer since 1980 to win gold, doing so in the women's 200m butterfly, which in addition had fellow AustralianPetria Thomas win the silver medal.[13] The swimming team's most memorable gold medal was Perkins, defending his men's 1500m freestyle gold medal from Barcelona after suffering from a bout of anxiety and as well as a panic attack before the final, becoming the slowest qualifier in the final thus starting in lane eight, finishing six seconds ahead of fellow Australian and silver medallistDaniel Kowalski.[14][15] Although he would not win gold, Kowalski would become the first swimmer in Olympic history to medal in the 200m, 400m and 1500m freestyle events in a single Olympics.[16]
The2000 Summer Olympics inSydney saw Australia achieve their most medals won at the swimming event in a single games, including five gold medals, a haul that would be beaten in Beijing and Tokyo.[8] Three of these gold were courtesy ofIan Thorpe, who won in the 400m freestyle event and contributed to both the men's4 × 100 m and4 × 200 m freestyle relays. Notably, Australia's gold medal in the men's4 × 100 m freestyle relay was the first time in Olympic history that the United States had been beaten in the event. The other two golds were won byGrant Hackett in the men's 1500m freestyle andSusie O’Neill in the women's 200m freestyle.[9] The country's successful performance from a home Olympics continued into 2004, winning seven golds, which included Thorpe and Hackett defending their Olympic titles from four years earlier, while also sharing the podium in a gold-silver finish in the men's 400m freestyle.[9] The Australian women's relay teams won two of the three gold medals on offer at the games in the4 × 100 m freestyle and medley relays.[9] WhileJodie Henry won the women's 100m freestyle andPetria Thomas won her first individual gold medal in the women's 100m butterfly after finishing with silver and bronze medals in her individual events in her previous two Olympics.[9]
After Beijing, Australia's success in swimming would stall during the next two Olympics.[17] Only the women's4 × 100 m freestyle relay team would win gold in2012 and2016, with Australia's only other gold medals in this period coming fromMack Horton in the men's 400m freestyle andKyle Chalmers in the men's 100m freestyle, both in 2016.[17]
The postponed2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo sawEmma McKeon have the best Olympic Games medal haul in Australian sporting history, winning four gold and three bronze medals.[8] Two of her golds coming in her individual events the 50m and 100m freestyle, while the other two were part of the 4x100 freestyle and medley relay teams.
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 76 | 78 | 76 | 230 |
Australia first competed in athletics at the inaugural1896 Summer Olympics, with its sole athlete,Edwin Flack, competing in 3 events and winning two of them, the 800m and 1500m.[18] He also competed in the marathon, but withdrew due to exhaustion despite leading with six kilometres left in the race.[18]
In the1956 Summer Olympics held inMelbourne, the Australian women's team won gold in all four track events that took place during the event, withBetty Cuthbert winning both the 100m and 200m,Shirley Strickland victorious again in the 80m hurdles and the4 × 100 m relay team, which included both Cuthbert and Strickland, winning in a world record time.[19] Cuthbert in the process became the first Australian to win three gold medals in a single Olympics.[19] These Olympics would become the most successful in Australian athletics history.[20]
Australia would continue to achieve podium places and the occasional gold medal throughout the 1960s.Herb Elliott would win gold in the men's 1500m in a world record time in 1960.[21]Betty Cuthbert won her fourth gold medal in her career, this time in the women's 400m in 1964, which made her the most decorated track and field athlete in Australian Olympic history.[22] While 1968 sawRalph Doubell emerge as gold medallist in the men's 800m,Maureen Caird winning gold in the women's 80m hurdles, whilePeter Norman won silver in the men's 200m, with Norman famously standing on the podium alongsideTommie Smith andJohn Carlos when they performed theblack power salute.[10][23]
Sydney would host the2000 Summer Olympics, with Australia's sole gold medal beingCathy Freeman’s women's 400m, with the only other medals won being silver medals forJai Taurima in the men's long jump andTatiana Grigorieva in the first ever women's pole vault competition.[24]
Between2004 and2016, winning medals were also sparse, with only three gold medals won by Australian athletes.Steve Hooker won the men's pole vault in2008 and became the first Australian man to win an athletics gold medal since 1968.[25] While the2012 Summer Olympics saw two gold medals forJared Tallent in the men's 50 km race walk, andSally Pearson in the women's 100m hurdles.[26][27] Pearson also won a silver in the same event in 2008.[27] Most of Australia's medals in athletics during this period came from race walking; with the exception of Hooker and Pearson's medals, along with the men's4 × 400 m relay silver medal in 2004, andMitchell Watt’s silver in the men’s long jump in 2012.[24] The postponedTokyo Olympics saw three medals awarded;Nicola Olyslagers (competing under her maiden name McDermott) achieving silver in the women’s high jump, as well as bronze medals forKelsey-Lee Barber in the women’s javelin andAshley Moloney in the men’s decathlon.[28]
2024 became Australia’s most successful Olympic athletics campaign since 1956, with one gold, two silver and four bronze.[20] The sole gold medal was won byNina Kennedy in the women’s pole vault, which was the first gold medal to be won by a female field athlete.[20]Jessica Hull finished with the silver medal in the women’s 1500m, the first by an Australian in any distance running event since 1968.[20][29] In addition for the first time since 1968, two Australian athletes shared the podium in the same event withNicola Olyslagers andEleanor Patterson winning silver and bronze in the women’s high jump.[30] Bronze medals were also won byMatthew Denny in the men’s discus,Jemima Montag in the women’s 20km race walk, as well as Montag andRhydian Cowley in the mixed-relay walk.[20]
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 22 | 29 | 32 | 83[a] |
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Australia's first participation in canoeing events would occur in 1956, with a bronze medal won byDennis Green and Wally Brown in the men's K-2 10,000m event.[31] The next medal in the sport would not occur until 1980, asJohn Sumegi finished with silver in the K-1 1000m sprint.[31] After a close call in 1988, which sawGrant Davies originally awarded gold, only to be given silver after the finish was reinspected by officials; Australia's first Olympic gold in canoeing would occur in1992 withClint Robinson winning the men's K-1000 sprint.[31][12] Robinson would go onto win a K-1 1000m bronze medal in 1996 and a K-2 500m silver in 2004, the latter partnering withNathan Baggaley.[31] Australia's next two gold medals in the sport would be won byKen Wallace in 2008 for the men's K-1 500m, and the men's K-4 1000m sprint team in 2012.[31]
The canoe slalom events would debut in 1992, withDanielle Woodward winning silver in the women's K-1.[32] Australia would win two medals in 2008, withJacqueline Lawrence andRobin Bell achieving silver and bronze respectively.[31][32] 2012 would see the Olympic debut ofJessica Fox, who would emerge as the silver medallist in the women's K-1, later adding a bronze to her collection in 2016 in the same event.[32]
The beginning of the 2020s would see Australia have two record-breaking hauls of medals in back-to-back games for the country. Two gold medals were won by Australia during the postponed 2020 Olympics, with Jessica Fox winning in the first-ever women's C-1 slalom, andThomas Green andJean van der Westhuyzen in the K-2 1000m sprint.[33][34] Fox would also win bronze in the women's K-1 slalom.[34] In2024, Australia would have its most successful Olympics in canoeing, due to the success of Jessica Fox and her sisterNoemie in the slalom events. Jessica would win double gold in the K-1 and would repeat as gold medallist in the C-1 event, while Noemie emerged as the sports first gold medallist in the women's kayak cross event, which included eliminating her sister along the way.[35]
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 8 | 9 | 15 | 32 |
Australia's cycling success began in 1928 withDunc Gray winning bronze in the men's time trial, with Gray also going on to win Australia's first gold in the sport four years later.[36] The next gold medals won by Australian athletes would come in 1952, withRussell Mockridge winning both the men's time trial, as well as partnering withLionel Cox to win the tandem event.[36] The only cycling gold medal won during the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne was byIan Browne andTony Marchant in the men's tandem.[36] Australia would have to wait 28 years for another gold medal in cycling, with the men's team pursuit winning inLos Angeles in an upset victory over the American team.[36]
Kathy Watt would win both Australia's first gold medal in a road cycling event and first gold for an Australian female cyclist in 1992 with her victory in the women's road race, while going onto win silver in the 3000m individual pursuit on the track.[36][37][38] While Australia's sole gold medal inSydney came fromBrett Aitken andScott McGrory in the men's madison.[36]
The best Olympic Games for the cycling team would emerge in2004, with the team winning six gold, the most won by Australian cyclists in a single Olympics.[36]Ryan Bayley became the first Australian cyclist to win gold medals in two individual events—men's sprint and keirin.[36]Anna Meares would win her first Olympic gold medal in her career in the women's 500m time trial.[36] While,Stuart O'Grady andGraeme Brown defended Australia's gold medal in the men's madison; with Brown also contributing to Australia's victory in the men's team pursuit.[36]Brad McGee, who was part of the men's pursuit team, won his first gold medal after winning one silver and three bronze medals previously, which made him Australia's most decorated Olympic cyclist, taking his total medal count to eight.[36] Additionally,Sara Carrigan would win the women's road race, Australia's first win on the road since Watts 12 years earlier.[36]
From 2008 to 2021, Australia's success in cycling was rare, with the only two gold medals won during this period beingAnna Meares in the women's sprint in London, andLogan Martin in the first men's BMX freestyle event in Tokyo.[36] Other medals won during this period includedSam Willoughby winning Australia's first medal in the BMX discipline, a silver in the race event in 2012; Meares andKaarle McCulloch’s bronze in the women’s team sprint in London; and the men’s pursuit team finishing on the podium in 2012, 2016 and 2020.[36]
2024 would see three gold medal droughts end for the Australian cycling team in Paris. The first of which wasGrace Brown in the women’s time trial, with it being Australia’s first gold in any sport during the games and Australia’s first cycling gold medal on a road-based event in 20 years.[39] After a silver in 2012 and 2016, and a bronze in 2020, the men’s pursuit team won Australia’s first gold medal in the velodrome since Meares 12 years earlier, along with a world record time in the qualification round, courtesy of the quartet ofSam Welsford,Conor Leahy,Kelland O’Brien andOliver Bleddyn.[40][41] The victory in the pursuit ironically came 20 years after Australia’s last victory in the event and 40 years since its first ever win in the event.[40][41] Finally,Saya Sakakibara won Australia’s first gold medal for a female athlete in the BMX discipline, winning the women’s race.[42]
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 18 | 21 | 23 | 62 |
Australia's first participation in rowing was during the 1912 Summer Olympics, with its first gold medal won in 1928 byBobby Pearce in the men's single sculls.[43] Pearce would repeat as Olympic champion in 1932, withMervyn Wood winning the same event in 1948.[43]
Australia's most famous rowing team, theOarsome Foursome made their debut in1992, winning gold in the men's coxless four.[43] The original team that won gold in Barcelona consisted ofAndrew Cooper,Nick Green,Mike McKay andJames Tomkins.[24] They would defend their gold medal in Atlanta four years later withDrew Ginn replacing Cooper.[43][24] Members of the group would go onto win medals in other events in the sport through to 2012.[43] Tomkins and Ginn would win gold in the men's coxless pair in2004.[43] Tomkins would also win a bronze medal in the men's coxless pairs in 2000, while McKay would switch to the eight's event, winning silver in 2000 and bronze in 2004.[43] The last of the Oarsome Foursome to win an Olympic medal was Ginn, medalling in 2012 as part of the silver medal-winning men's coxless four.[43]
Australia would unexpectedly win both the men's and women's coxless four events inTokyo, with the men's team notably breaking a 20-year winning streak for the British men's team, earning them their first win in the event since the Oarsome Foursome era.[44]
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 13 | 15 | 17 | 45 |
| Games | No. Sailors | Events | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 Paris | 0 | 0/13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1908 London | 0 | 0/4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1912 Stockholm | 0 | 0/4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1920 Antwerp | 0 | 0/14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1924 Paris | 0 | 0/3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1928 Amsterdam | 0 | 0/3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1932 Los Angeles | 1 | 1/4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1936 Berlin | 0 | 0/4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1948 London | 3 | 2/5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1952 Helsinki | 6 | 3/5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1956 Melbourne | 11 | 5/5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| 1960 Rome | 11 | 5/5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1964 Tokyo | 11 | 5/5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 1968 Mexico City | 11 | 5/5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1972 Munich | 13 | 6/6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 1976 Montreal | 12 | 6/6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 9 |
| 1980 Tallinn | 0 | 0/6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1984 Los Angeles | 13 | 7/7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8= |
| 1988 Busan | 13 | 7/8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1992 Barcelona | 13 | 8/10 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| 1996 Atlanta | 16 | 10/10 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10= |
| 2000 Sydney | 18 | 11/11 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| 2004 Athens | 18 | 11/11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2008 Qingdoa | 17 | 10/11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| 2012 Weymouth | 13 | 8/10 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| 2016 Rio | 11 | 7/10 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 3 |
| 2020 Tokyo | 13 | 8/10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 2024 Paris | 12 | 8/10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4= |
| Total | 236 | 133 / 205 | 14 | 9 | 8 | 31 | 5 |
Keegan Palmer won a gold medal - Australia's first skateboarding medal in the Men's Park event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. At the 2024 Paris Olympics both Keegan Palmer and Arisa Trew both won gold at the respective Men and Women's Park events.
Australia first competed in tennis at the inaugural 1896 Games, with one player competing in men's singles and, as part of a mixed team, in men's doubles.Edwin Flack lost in the first round of the singles, but paired withGeorge S. Robertson to earn bronze in the doubles. The mixed team medal is not credited to Australia. The first tennis gold medal won by Australia was bythe Woodies in men's doubles in 1996; the pair also won Australia's only silver medal in the sport four years later. In 2024,Matthew Ebden andJohn Peers won the men's doubles, providing Australia with its second gold medal in tennis.
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 2 | 1 | 4 | 7[b] |
| |
