TheAustralian Athletics Team, also known as theAustralian Flame since 2009,[1] represents Australia in international athletics competitions. The team participates in a variety of global multi-event athletics competitions, including theSummer Olympics,IAAF World Championships,IAAF World Indoor Championships, and theCommonwealth Games. Australia also competes in specific event world championships such as theIAAF World Cross Country Championships andIAAF World Race Walking Cup.
The team has a rich history of success, with numerous athletes having been inducted into theIAAF Hall of Fame, includingShirley Strickland de la Hunty,Betty Cuthbert, andMarjorie Jackson.[2] In 2000,Athletics Australia established its ownHall of Fame.[3]
The team has a presence in theParalympic Games and theIPC Athletics World Championships.
As of the 2024 Olympics, there have been fifteen gold medallists:Edwin Flack (dual),Nick Winter,John Winter,Marjorie Jackson (dual),Shirley Strickland de la Hunty (triple),Betty Cuthbert (four),Norma Croker (Relay),Fleur Mellor (relay),Herb Elliott,Ralph Doubell,Maureen Caird,Glynis Nunn,Debbie Flintoff-King,Cathy Freeman,Steve Hooker,Sally Pearson andNina Kennedy.
| Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Gold Medal Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1896 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 1900 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 9 |
| 1904 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
| 1908 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
| 1912 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
| 1920 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| 1924 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| 1928 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
| 1932 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
| 1936 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 14 |
| 1948 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 6 |
| 1952 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| 1956 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 3 |
| 1960 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 7 |
| 1964 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 8 |
| 1968 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 4 |
| 1972 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 12 |
| 1976 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
| 1980 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 12 |
| 1984 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 10 |
| 1988 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 |
| 1992 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 29 |
| 1996 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 28 |
| 2000 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
| 2004 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 9 |
| 2008 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 8 |
| 2012 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| 2016 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 17 |
| 2020 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 27 |
| 2024 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 10 |
As of the 2023 World Championships, there have been eleven world champions:Robert de Castella,Cathy Freeman (dual),Jana Pittman (dual),Dmitri Markov,Nathan Deakes,Steven Hooker,Dani Samuels,Sally Pearson (dual),Kelsey-Lee Barber (dual),Eleanor Patterson andNina Kennedy.
| Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Gold Medal Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11 |
| 1987 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 16 |
| 1991 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
| 1993 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 23 |
| 1995 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 27 |
| 1997 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 13 |
| 1999 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 15 |
| 2001 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 18 |
| 2003 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14 |
| 2005 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 35 |
| 2007 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 |
| 2009 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 10 |
| 2011 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 8 |
| 2013 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 16 |
| 2015 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 20 |
| 2017 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 12 |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17 |
| 2022 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| 2023 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 12 |
As of the 2014 World Championships, there have been eight world indoor champions:Nicola Olyslagers - 2024 & 2025,Michael Hillardt,Kerry Saxby,Melinda Gainsford,Tamsyn Lewis,Steven Hooker,Fabrice Lapierre andSally Pearson.
| Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Gold Medal Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 13 |
| 1987 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
| 1989 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| 1991 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 17 |
| 1993 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 15 |
| 1995 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11 |
| 1997 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 21 |
| 1999 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 20 |
| 2001 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 26 |
| 2003 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
| 2004 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
| 2006 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
| 2008 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 8 |
| 2010 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| 2012 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
| 2014 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 24 |
| 2016 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 19 |
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
| 2022 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 22 |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| 2025 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 6 |
| Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Gold Medal Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 6 |
| 1934 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| 1938 | 6 | 11 | 12 | 29 | 2 |
| 1950 | 15 | 8 | 5 | 28 | 1 |
| 1954 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 2 |
| 1958 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 22 | 1 |
| 1962 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 37 | 1 |
| 1966 | 11 | 8 | 2 | 21 | 1 |
| 1970 | 10 | 9 | 3 | 22 | 1 |
| 1974 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 22 | 2 |
| 1978 | 6 | 11 | 7 | 24 | 2 |
| 1982 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 22 | 2 |
| 1986 | 9 | 5 | 12 | 26 | 3 |
| 1990 | 10 | 11 | 5 | 26 | 2 |
| 1994 | 13 | 7 | 4 | 24 | 1 |
| 1998 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 34 | 1 |
| 2002 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 28 | 2 |
| 2006 | 16 | 12 | 13 | 41 | 1 |
| 2010 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 20 | 2 |
| 2014 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 3 |
| 2018 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 36 | 1 |
| 2022 | 10 | 10 | 4 | 24 | 1 |
| Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Gold Medal Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 11 |
| 1988 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 16 |
| 1990 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 7 |
| 1992 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 17 |
| 1994 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| 1996 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 12 |
| 1998 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 11 |
| 2000 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 7 |
| 2002 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 25 |
| 2004 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 31 |
| 2006 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 8 |
| 2008 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 34 |
| 2010 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 39 |
| 2012 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 23 |
| 2014 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 26 |
| 2016 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 21 |
| 2018 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 7 |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 32 |
| 2024 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 14 | 7 |
Australia did not participate at the2021 World Athletics U20 Championships.
| Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Gold Medal Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 8 |
| 2001 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 4 |
| 2003 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 |
| 2005 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 8 |
| 2007 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 10 |
| 2009 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 27 |
| 2011 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 13 |
| 2013 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 4 |
| 2015 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 21 |
| Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Gold Medal Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 7 |
| 1968 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 19 | 4 |
| 1972 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 9 |
| 1976 | 7 | 11 | 5 | 23 | 10 |
| 1980 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 34 | 12 |
| 1984 | 17 | 19 | 22 | 58 | 7 |
| 1988 | 14 | 19 | 20 | 53 | 7 |
| 1992 | 13 | 15 | 12 | 40 | 6 |
| 1996 | 19 | 12 | 12 | 43 | 3 |
| 2000 | 35 | 15 | 16 | 66 | 1 |
| 2004 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 32 | 2 |
| 2008 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 26 | 2 |
| 2012 | 5 | 9 | 13 | 27 | 10 |
| 2016 | 3 | 9 | 15 | 27 | 13 |
| 2020 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 19 | 11 |
| 2024 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 11 | 19 |
| Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Gold Medal Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 24 | 20 | 12 | 56 | ||
| 1998 | 33 | 20 | 19 | 72 | ||
| 2002 | 10 | 13 | 10 | 33 | ||
| 2006 | 16 | 6 | 10 | 22 | ||
| 2011 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 23 | 9 | |
| 2013 | 4 | 11 | 15 | 30 | 15 | |
| 2015 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 22 | 9 | |
| 2017 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 28 | 5 | |
| 2019 | 9 | 6 | 10 | 25 | 7 | |
| 2023 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 14 | 18 |
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