# Great Olympians: Past, Present or Para



## 2020hindsight (6 April 2008)

With the next Games coming up, (both Normal and Para Olympics) maybe we can share some "top tips" as well as some memories of past Olympians ..

Here are a couple of past Aussie Olympians... who have kinda different stories to tell - must be great speakers though 

http://www.icmi.com.au/Speaker/Sports_Olympic/Gillian_Rolton

a) Gilliam Rolton (and Peppermint Grove)
b) Steven Bradbury



> Gillian Rolton has earned a rare niche in Australian sporting history with back - to - back Olympic Games equestrian gold medals. And her horse Peppermint Grove (aka Fred) shares this honour with her, having carried Gillian to gold medal triumphs in the three day team event at Barcelona (1992) and Atlanta (1996).
> Heroes are made of courage and it was no better exemplified than in Atlanta *when Gillian Rolton got trapped under Peppermint Grove and had to complete the 3KM course and 15 jumps with no power in her left arm, a broken collarbone and several cracked ribs.*






> Related Speakers :
> In a league of his own, Winter Olympic speed-skating Gold Medallist Steven Bradbury has a story to tell that is both amazing and inspiring.




Even Bradbury had his share of (massive) hiccups...
http://www.elitesports.com.au/new/athlete_profiles/011.html


> Speed skater Steven Bradbury created history in Salt Lake City when he became the first Australian to win a Winter Olympic Gold Medal.
> 
> His remarkable and unlikely victory was achieved after a spectacular final-lap spill took out his four rivals. Bradbury threw his arms up in disbelief and smiled as he crossed the finish line.
> 
> ...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfQMJtilOGg


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## 2020hindsight (6 April 2008)

This one a team event, but Klim beating the world record for the first leg sure would've helped - 
and Thorpedo finishing it off in his inimitable style 
 Men's 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay Sydney Olympics 2000 


> The greatest swimming race in history. Going into the 2000 Olympics the Americans had never lost the event and anchor leg swimmer Gary Hall Jr predicted before the games that the Australians would be 'smashed like guitars'. The Aussies, featuring Michael Klim and Ian Thorpe were determined to use home advantage to make sure that didn't happen. This is what happened next.



Michael Klim
Chris Fydler
Ashley Callus
Ian Thorpe
3:13.67 
New World record (in 2000) 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_records_in_swimming
I notice the USA took it back in 2006 with 3:12.46 (1.21sec ahead!).  I guess they are travelling at about 2m per second, so 1 second ahead equates to more than a body length - sheesh.!   We'll have the job cut out for us. 

Then again, records at recent Aussie Olympic Trials show real promise..


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## tigerboi (6 April 2008)

Good effort by the aussie boys but its a relay...

If you want to see a "nobody" give you goose bumps go look at jon SIEBEN at LA in '84,never forget it as my daughter was born in '84,come from the clouds to cut down GROSS the giant east german...

Still get the bumpy gooses,the first of laurie lawrences proteges..

Also glynis nunn in the 400m hurdles...both giant killers

http://www.databaseolympics.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=SIEBEJON01

message sent to this database to change siebens country from USA to its rightful....AUS...sneaky yanks trying to claim our champ!!

duncan armstrong another of laurie lawrences giant killers...

did you know that laurie lawrence is an ex wallaby??


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## tigerboi (6 April 2008)

tigerboi said:


> Good effort by the aussie boys but its a relay...
> 
> If you want to see a "nobody" give you goose bumps go look at jon SIEBEN at LA in '84,never forget it as my daughter was born in '84,come from the clouds to cut down GROSS the giant east german...
> 
> ...




Here it is....

http://video.google.com.au/videopla...l=4&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0


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## tigerboi (6 April 2008)

Just watched a full replay for the first time since '84,goose bumps...gee great swim from a 17 year old in lane 6 up against gross the olympic/world record champ,Sieben gave him 3 lengths on the turn & won...
great effort when you take into account he was a nobody in lane 6...tb


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## 2020hindsight (6 April 2008)

tigerboi said:


> .gee great swim from a 17 year old in lane 6 up against gross the olympic/world record champ, Sieben gave him 3 lengths on the turn & won...




yep tb, that was brilliant - I'd forgotten that one . 
But one I do remember from LA was Dean Lukins in the weightlifting.  (can't find a youtube yet though).  Of course the boycott by Soviets sure helped 

PS no I didn't know Lawrie Lawrence was ex-wallaby.
did you know Weary Dunlop was also one?


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## 2020hindsight (6 April 2008)

the 2008 swimming team - introduced by several swimming greats..
This video (set of 4) taken a few hours before Nick Darcy started punching up on the noses of his teammates. - jury still out I think. 

 2008 Australian Olympic Swimming Team Announcement (1 of 4) 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2dLF6UZ-_g&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-ZmlPgwlIU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCEjeFSrILQ&feature=related


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## 2020hindsight (6 April 2008)

Louise Sauvage Story 

Louise Savage "world sportsperson of the year with a disability" 
found this somewhere...


> She had earned 9 gold medals in the games she had represented for Australia




PS Just throw this one (or two) in - for completeness 
Obviously many para-olympic heroes (with a few exceptions like Louise Sauvage) suffer from the difficulty of quantifying their handicaps.  - and sometimes , eg carbon fibre is better than real legs apparently 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zv46b0NULFs  "*the fastest thing on no legs*" Oscar Pistorius 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Y9k-U67FNg&feature=related  Special Olympics


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## 2020hindsight (7 April 2008)

somewhat off topic, but here are some bits of the televised "2000 Olympics announcement broadcast 1993" .   

Anyone remember when Juan Antonio Samaranch said (opening words) "The International Committe wishes to thank the 5 bidding cities .. beijing,   berlin, istanbul, manchester and sydney ... ".. - obviously in alphabetical order,  

right at the beginning of his speech right 

but lol - the Chinese heard "Beijing" mentioned first, and went to live broadcast cracking champagne, and cheering etc  . I can't find that, but this is just as good to remember.:-

  2000 Olympics announcement broadcast 1993 pt 2/3 

Credits due to Nick Greiner, and Rod McGeogh , heaps of others, - even the Brisbane effort 4 years before etc -  and not a bad speech by Paul Keating either (from a bygone cosmopolitan age).  Here's the first of 3 in that series (if you're real keen):-

 2000 Olympics announcement broadcast 1993 pt 1/3 
http://www.abc.net.au/news/olympics/1999/03/grom19990308102.htm


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## 2020hindsight (9 April 2008)

definitely off topic
but my cynical mate says the reason the athletes thought that Sydney was the "best games ever" probably had something to do with the record number of condoms supplied to the Olympic village - on a nightly basis.

I think Darwin called it natural selection. 
or was it survival of the fittest?


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## 2020hindsight (12 April 2008)

tatiana winning the silver in the 2000 Sydney games 
(same night as Cathy Freeman's winning the 400m as I recall) 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatiana_Grigorieva


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## 2020hindsight (12 April 2008)

Cathy 
 Olympics Sydney 2000 Cathy Freeman!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a07kq-vx8DI&feature=related  Cathy Freeman Tribute


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## 2020hindsight (12 April 2008)

Anyone got any opinions about the new hi-tech swimming suits ?

and the fact that they are allowed to take records previously held by people who swam without this technology (i.e. caveman vs robocop) ?

and the fact they swim against swimmers from poorer countries where the swimmers just can't afford them 

 2008 Aust. Olympic Trials - Giaan Rooney tests the new suit

(my opinion? - I guess you have to reluctantly give in to (sic) "progress").


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## Sprinter79 (12 April 2008)

2020hindsight said:


> Louise Sauvage Story
> 
> Louise Savage "world sportsperson of the year with a disability"
> found this somewhere...
> ...





I'm glad someone mentioned Loiuse. She has got to be one of the most impressive people (let alone sportspeople) I've ever seen. She used to train at the same place I did. If you get a chance, make sure you read her book. 

There was also a guy I trained with who has Cerebral Palsy. He held records in Javelin for his class and was close to qualifying for the 100m sprint at the Beijing Games. He also plays in the Wheelcats, the Perth based wheelchair basketball team. Unfortunately his illness got too bad and he's now confined to a wheelchair, whereas before he could walk. He was great to have around the club, he always had a smile on his face, and when we thought about whinging about how sore we were, it made you think twice, you know. I actually miss having him around. Might chase him up actually.


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## 2020hindsight (27 April 2008)

James Tomkins and australian mens eight on ABC 7:30 report



> Olympic rower breaks the age barrier
> 22/04/2008
> Reporter: Paul Lockyer
> 
> ...


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## trillionaire#1 (28 April 2008)

Donovan Bailey beating the americans in their own backyard, 100 m final Atlanta '96.broke the world record to boot 9.84 seconds


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## tigerboi (28 April 2008)

trillionaire#1 said:


> Donovan Bailey beating the americans in their own backyard, 100 m final Atlanta '96.broke the world record to boot 9.84 seconds




The 100m has been a complete farce for a long time,juiced up to the eyeballs.
remember when jones won the womens 100m by yonks,i said shes on the go fast but nope all wanted to say how great she was,you only had to see how far she won by to know she was hot. latest was she pleaded guilty to it,
100m is a joke,ditto the tour de farce...tb


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## tigerboi (28 April 2008)

2020hindsight said:


> yep tb, that was brilliant - I'd forgotten that one .
> But one I do remember from LA was Dean Lukins in the weightlifting. (can't find a youtube yet though). Of course the boycott by Soviets sure helped
> 
> PS no I didn't know Lawrie Lawrence was ex-wallaby.
> did you know Weary Dunlop was also one?




Yeah i did know that mate,pride myself on our history,heros & sportsmen/women...

Great australian sir weary dunlop gee what a job sawing blokes legs off in the jungle.....with no painkillers.

I dont see the great leaders anymore such as the dunlops,henry parkes etc,just a lot of mediocre wannabees...tb


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## nomore4s (28 April 2008)

What about Jesse Owens?

While not at the olympics, 4 World records in 45min is impressive.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Owens


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## 2020hindsight (28 April 2008)

trillionaire#1 said:


> Donovan Bailey beating the americans in their own backyard, 100 m final Atlanta '96.broke the world record to boot 9.84 seconds




 100m Men's World Records. 9.84 sec - Donovan Bailey.



			
				nomore4s said:
			
		

> What about Jesse Owens?



trilllionaire and nomore4s..
As someone points out - all the finalists were black. 
Hitler would not have been impressed m8


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## 2020hindsight (11 July 2008)

http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2008/s2299244.htm



> Just weeks from the start of the Olympic Games in Beijing, a British lawyer has filed an appeal to stop another Australian pentathlete from competing in the Games.
> 
> The London legal firm of Bates, Wells and Braithwaite is arguing in favour of a Greek athlete to take the place of Australian modern pentathlete Angie Darby.
> 
> ...


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## 2020hindsight (31 July 2008)

no doubt we need a new thread for the olympics - 
 but thought I 'd post this one ..
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/07/31/2319671.htm



> Injured Evans withdraws from Olympic time trial
> Posted 28 minutes ago
> Updated 23 minutes ago
> 
> ...


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## 2020hindsight (31 July 2008)

So with Cadel Evans out - -
that makes three golds which we would have won but won't 

One queston then ...will Aus as a country come through in the first half dozen in the medal count (which surely suggests we punch above our weight)?  

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080710/sp_wl_afp/oly2008athleticsausrawlinson_080710051241



> Champion hurdler Rawlinson's withdrawal: a big loss for Aussie team, says AA
> 
> Athletics Australia High Performance Manager Max Binnington said Rawlinson was one of two world champions in the Australian track and field Olympic team along with 50km walker Nathan Deakes.




http://www.foxsports.com.au/beijing_olympics/story/0,27313,24058461-5016771,00.html



> Deakes withdrawal robs Australia of gold medal


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## 2020hindsight (7 August 2008)

2020hindsight said:


> James Tomkins and australian mens eight on ABC 7:30 report




just announced that James Tomkins to carry the Aussie flag into the arena


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## 2020hindsight (13 September 2008)

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/09/13/2363818.htm?section=justin&site=paralympics/2008



> SWIMMING  ...  Australia's Matthew Cowdrey has won his sixth medal of the Beijing Paralympics, storming to victory in the 100 metres backstroke (S9).
> 
> The 19-year-old superstar shaved 0.13 of second off the old world mark to win Australia's 15th gold medal of the Games.
> 
> Cowdrey has now won three gold and three silver medals in Beijing.



way to go, bro 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/09/13/2363540.htm?site=paralympics/2008



> ATHLETICS ... Australia's Evan O'Hanlon became the first cerebral palsy athlete to run 100 metres in under 11 seconds in his Paralympic debut, taking gold with a world record time of 10.96 seconds in the T38 100m final.
> 
> Team mate and Athens gold medallist Timothy Sullivan finished seventh, while China's Zhou Wenjun won silver and former world record holder Mykyta Senyk from the Ukraine finished with bronze.
> 
> ...


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## 2020hindsight (14 September 2008)

PS Interesting comment on the news that quite a few lot of paralympians are ex-military  "You can turn the worst of losses into great victories"


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