| 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 1912Australia 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.[4]
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 less 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.[5][6]
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.[7]
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:[8]
| Date | Team | |
|---|---|---|
| 1896-1900 |  Australia (AUS) | |
| 1904 |  Australia (AUS) | |
| 1908–1912 | Australasia (ANZ) | |
| 1920– | Australia (AUS) |  New Zealand (NZL) |
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 (ANZ) | |||||
 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).[9]
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.
Australia first competed in swimming at the 1900 Games, withFrederick Lane competing in two events and winning gold medals in both. The sport would become a strength of the nation, which (as of the 2024 Games) has thesecond-most gold and second-most total medals behind the United States.
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 76 | 78 | 76 | 230 |
Australia first competed in athletics at the inaugural 1896 Games, with 1 athlete (Edwin Flack) competing in 3 events and winning two of them.
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 22 | 29 | 32 | 83[10] |
As of the 2024 Games, half of Australia’s gold medals in canoeing have been won by sistersJessica Fox andNoemie Fox.
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 8 | 9 | 15 | 32 |
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 18 | 21 | 23 | 62 |
| Games | No. Sailors | Events | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1896 Athens | Event wasn't held | ||||||
| 1900 Paris | 0 | 0/5 / (a) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1904 St Louis | 0 | 0/5 / (a) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1908 London | 0 | 0/5 / (a) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1912 Stockholm | 10 | 2/4 / (a) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1916 | Games Cancelled | ||||||
| 1920 Antwerp | 0 | 0/5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1924 Paris | 10 | 2/7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1928 Amsterdam | 1 | 1/7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5= |
| 1932 Los Angeles | 1 | 1/7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 1936 Berlin | 12 | 3/7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1940 | Games Cancelled | ||||||
| 1944 | Games Cancelled | ||||||
| 1948 London | 8 | 3/7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| 1952 Helsinki | 14 | 4/7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7= |
| 1956 Melbourne | 26 | 7/7 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| 1960 Rome | 25 | 6/7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1964 Tokyo | 26 | 7/7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1968 Mexico City | 11 | 2/7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8= |
| 1972 Munich | 16 | 3/7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1976 Montreal | 12 | 3/14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1980 | 16 | 3/14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1984 Los Angeles | 25 | 6/14 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 9 |
| 1988 | 16 | 4/14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1992 Barcelona | 28 | 8/14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4= |
| 1996 Atlanta | 47 | 13/14 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
| 2000 Sydney | 45 | 12/14 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 10 |
| 2004 Athens | 45 | 12/14 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| 2008 Beijing | 48 | 14/14 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| 2012 London | 47 | 13/14 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 9 |
| 2016 Rio | 29 | 9/14 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| 2020 Tokyo | 40 | 9/14 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| 2024 Paris | 35 | 8/14 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 12= |
| Total | 593 | 264 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 45 | 7 |
| Games | No. Sailors | Events | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1896 Athens | Scheduled but event wasn't held | ||||||
| 1900 Paris | 0 | 0/13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1916 St Louis | Not Scheduled | ||||||
| 1908 London | 0 | 0/4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1912 Stockholm | 0 | 0/4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1916 | Games Cancelled | ||||||
| 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 | |
| 1940 | Games Cancelled | ||||||
| 1944 | Games Cancelled | ||||||
| 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[11] |
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