AOC: Courier Mail journalist Mike Colman was awarded the inaugural Harry Gordon Memorial Award for Olympic Journalism at the 2017 Australian Olympic Committee AGM on Saturday.
Just as athletes aimed to go higher, faster and stronger than they ever have before at Rio, journalists were striving towards their own form of greatness by recreating the captivating drama and colour of South America’s first Olympic Games.
Of the hundreds, if not thousands, of journalists reporting on the event, it was the Colman who stood atop the podium.
In particular, Colman’s stories on Kyle Chalmers, Usain Bolt, Anna Meares and Neymar were judged by respected journalists Alex Hammill and Ian Heads to reflect experience, knowledge and high journalistic craftsmanship.
"I would like to thank John and the AOC for instigating this award in honour of the great Harry Gordon and to say what an honour and a privilege it is for me to be the first recipient," Coleman said on Saturday morning on receiving the award from AOC President John Coates.
Named in honour of the late, great Olympic historian, the award was founded to recognise the quality of story-telling that is on show during an Olympic Games.
"My biding memory of Harry is his enthusiasm and his passion; he was just like a kid every four years around the Olympics... I think the Olympics kept him young," Coleman said, reflecting on Harry Gordon's lasting legacy.
"He was an inspiration to me and I hope he remains an inspiration through his work for other journalists and writers covering the Games, because that is what the Games are all about: that passion.
"That is why this is such a privilege for me to win an award with his name on it and I'll cherish it."
You can read each of Colman’s stories here:
There are no words to describe Usain Bolt
Nothing will stop Anna Meares from overcoming any obstacle life places in front of her
Neymar leads Brazil to gold medal glory and lights up Rio Olympics
Matt Bartolo
olympics.com.au
