Great Olympians: Past, Present or Para

[2020hindsight]

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.

The four-time Olympian hails from sun-drenched Brisbane, and followed his father into the sport. He was a member of the 5000m relay team that won Bronze in Lillehammer - Australia's first Olympic medal.

He has helped finance his skating career through his partnership in Revolutionary Boot Company - manufacturers of speed skating boots. Among his clients is Apollo Anton Ohno, ironically the favourite for the race Bradbury won.

His gold medal win was not entirely as fortuitous as many would believe. Bradbury knew his limitations and also the unpredictable nature of short track racing.

Half the battle is staying on your blades, and Bradbury did just that, right when it really counted.

Dubbed "the luckiest gold medallist", Bradbury won fans the world over for the honesty and humility he showed after the win.

He saw his victory as reward not for one race, but for a decade of hard slog that has included more than his share of misfortune.

In Norway, 1994, a race accident led to him being impaled on a skate and creating a cut so extensive he lost 4 litres of blood and required 111 stitches. He was extremely lucky to survive.

A training mishap in 2000 broke his neck and forced him to spend six weeks in a halo brace.

Steven Bradbury again fought his way back, and two years later that neck was in the headlines again - only this time it was supporting an Olympic Gold Medal.

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

 

[2020hindsight]

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..

 

[tigerboi]

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??

 

[tigerboi]

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??

Here it is....

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

 

[tigerboi]

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

 

[2020hindsight]

.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?

 

[2020hindsight]

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

 

[2020hindsight]

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

 

[2020hindsight]

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

 

[2020hindsight]

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?

 

[2020hindsight]

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

 

[2020hindsight]

Cathy
Olympics Sydney 2000 Cathy Freeman!!

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

 

[2020hindsight]

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").

 

[Sprinter79]

Louise Sauvage Story

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


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

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.

 

[2020hindsight]

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

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

Veteran Olympic rower, James Tomkins is heading to Beijing for his sixth Olympics.

KERRY O'BRIEN: The long saga surrounding controversial rower, Sally Robbins, took another twist today with the news that she's missed out on the Beijing Olympics. But selectors had good news for one of the legends of the sport, James Tomkins.

As a member of the Oarsome foursome he won gold in Barcelona and Atlanta. But while the rest of his crew retired he went on to claim victory in Athens.

At 42, James Tomkins is now set for his sixth Olympics, a record only rivalled by the great British rower, Sir Steve Redgrave.

 

[trillionaire#1]

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

 

[tigerboi]

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

 

[tigerboi]

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

 

[nomore4s]

What about Jesse Owens?

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

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

 

[2020hindsight]

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.

What about Jesse Owens?

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