Olympic Australian Success, Great Athletes

Olympic Australian Success is a page about two famous Australians, Cathy Freeman and Ian Thorpe. An excellent sprinter and an agile swimmer, both won medals at Sydney Olympics 2000.

Cathy is an Aboriginal Australian athlete. She was the last runner in the relay that carried the Olympic torch at Sydney in 2000 and had the honour to light the flame at the opening ceremony of the games.

With a career that earned him 9 Olympic medals, Ian Thorpe has amazed the world with his swimming speed and agility.

Olympic Australian Success - Cathy Freeman

olympic australian success - cathy freeman Photo courtesy of Ian @ ThePaperboy

Cathy Freeman won her Olympic gold medal in the 400 metres race in the 2000 Sydney games, at the age of 27.

She started participating in championships 10 years earlier and came first in the 200 metres run in the Australian championship - Melbourne, 1990.

She won gold medals at several Commonwealth Games:

her team of 4 runners won the 100 m relay in New Zealand, in 1990;
she was the winner in the 200 and 400 metres races at the 1994 games in Canada;
she and her team won the 400 metres relay in UK, in 2002.

Cathy Freeman's best records are in the 400 metres run. She won gold at the World Championships in Athens, in 1997 and Seville, in 1999 and in the Sydney Olympics, in 2000.

She had also won silver at the Olympics Games in Atlanta, 1996 and participated to the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.

Cathy's potential was recognised with the Young Australian of the Year title in 1990. Later on, in 1998, she held the Australian of the Year title for her sports achievements.

Olympic Australian Success - Ian Thorpe

olympic australian success - ian thorpe plaque Photo courtesy of edwin.11

Another Young Australian of the Year in 2000, Ian Thorpe holds an impressive number of Olympic medals.

The Australian swimmer won 5 gold medals, 3 silver and 1 bronze at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics:

Gold in the freestyle swimming category:

In Sydney, in 2000 for:

400 m
100 m relay together with Ashley Callus, Chris Fydler and Michael Klim
200 m relay together with Michael Klim, Todd Pearson and Bill Kirby

In Athens, in 2004 for:

400 m
200 m

Silver:

In Sydney, for:

200 m freestyle
100 m medley relay together with Matt Welsh, Regan Harrison, Geoff Huegill, Michael Klim, Josh Watson, Ryan Mitchell, Adam Pine

In Athens, for:

200 m freestyle together with Grant Hackett, Michael Klim, Nicholas Sprenger, Antony Matkovich, Todd Pearson and Craig Stevens

Bronze in Athens - 100 m freestyle

Here is a list of great victories before the Sydney Olympics with the gold medals Ian Thorpe won:

two medals at each of the two consecutive World Championship in Perth in 1998 and Hong Kong in 1999,
four at the Commonwealth Games in Malaysia in 1998,
and four at the Pan Pacific Games in Sydney in 1999.

And another list of amazing gold achievements: