The signs for Beijing are “very positive” with outstanding performances by Australia’s men’s and women’s hockey teams propelling Australia to 51 world championship and world cup medals in 2005.

As the year draws to a close the updated benchmark study conducted by the Australian Olympic Committee places Australia up there with the world super-powers on the overall medal tally.

“The hockey results and the recent performance by Monette Russo at the world gymnastics championships has lifted Australian from 48 to 51 medals” said AOC President John Coates.

”This has capped a magnificent year for our athletes and our member sports”.

If an Olympics was held today Australia would be fourth on the overall medal tally behind USA 94 medals, Russia 80, China 65 and Australia 51 just two ahead of Germany on 49.

Australia won the men's Champions Trophy field hockey title with a 3-1 romp over the Netherlands repeating the success they enjoyed against the Dutch in the Olympic final in Athens last year.

The Hockeyroos missed the gold medal losing a penalty shootout against the Netherlands in the Women’s Champions Trophy final in Canberra.

And 17-year-old Monette Russo made history with a bronze medal and Australia's highest ever all-around placing at the last month’s World Gymnastics Championships in Melbourne.

“We are fortunate to have so many highly professional coaches in our sports and our institutes and academies who are firstly identifying young talent and then nurturing that talent to the point where they are winning on the world stage” Coates said.

Australia’s 51 medals comprises 21 gold, 14 silver and 16 bronze. The AOC is buoyed by the spread of medals across 19 sports and disciplines.

Coates said “It is pleasing to see our athletes medal across so many sports. At the Sydney Games we medalled in 20 sports and disciplines but in Athens last year we dropped back, collecting medals in 14 sports. This is a big comeback in 2005."

The benchmark study shows at present the USA is winning medals across 21 sports and disciplines, Russia 22 and China 17.

“It has always been our aim to increase the spread of medals. We have directed our funding towards sports where we felt we could improve our performances leading into Beijing.

“We are also encouraged by the way Sailing and Equestrian have bounced back after disappointing results in Athens."

Coates issued a note of caution about a resurgent Germany.

“With the recent re-structuring of sport in Germany we can expect them to be a much greater threat. Much to our surprise when the wall came down the two Germany’s did not gel as a strong unit but they have their act together now."

France is sixth on the medal count with 46 medals. Great Britain has slipped in the past year and is languishing in twelfth place with just 26 medals.

“The British are receiving a significant increase in funding and you can’t discount them as a threat in 2008 and 2012 when you consider what the funding boost did for us in Sydney five years ago” Coates said.

AOC