TEAM: As Australia’s esteemed athletes compete in qualifiers for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the Royal Australian Mint (the Mint) has unveiled Thomas Fraser-Holmes, Melissa Breen and Patty Mills as the ambassadors for the official 2016 Australian Olympic Team Coin Program.
Announced in Adelaide - location of the Olympic swimming qualifiers for Australia, the Mint will join with these three top athletes to share their Olympic journey with the people of Australia.
Mint CEO Ross MacDiarmid said that the Mint is proud to support such gifted athletes on the Road to Rio and looks forward to sharing their unique stories with Australia.
“The Royal Australian Mint has a long-standing tradition of celebrating our nation’s greatest achievements and we are proud to be supporting the Australian Olympic Team on their journey to the 2016 Rio Olympics,” Ross said.
“These three sporting icons encompass the Australian Olympic Spirit and share our passion for creating a meaningful keepsake for the Games and we look forward to sharing their stories with you.”
Thomas Fraser-Holmes was the first, in Adelaide, to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics and makes for the perfect ambassador for the Mint to partner.
“I’m very proud to have made it onto the Rio team and thank the Royal Australian Mint for their support. There are still many more exciting things to come both from me and the Mint - and together, we’ll be able to share them all with Australia,” Fraser-Holmes said.
Australia’s fastest female sprinter Melissa Breen is on track to make the Rio team with a few more races ahead of her before August and the Mint is behind Breen all the way.
“Being a local Canberran, I’ve grown up with the Mint just down the road so I’m excited to be working with such a great national icon and can’t wait to share my journey to Rio,” Breen said.
Two-time Olympic basketballer Patty Mills joins the ambassadors from further afield in the US but is well-known to many as he has represented Australia several times on the Olympic court, never losing sight of his Australian roots.
“Playing for Australia is one of the best feelings in the world, no matter how many times it happens. I love sharing my experience with my team players and look forward to sharing it with the people of Australia through the Mint,” said Patty.
The Mint also unveiled its first designs from the coin program which will be struck onto 1 kilogram silver and gold blanks and feature sporting icons of the events in the Olympics.
“These coins will serve as valuable and unique treasures to remind us of Australia’s achievements at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the design capturing the sports in which our athletes found their successes,” said Ross.
“And to further support and encourage our ambassadors, we have announced that we will award one of the rare 1 kilogram gold coins to our ambassadors if they can win gold in their respective event.
“This contribution signifies our commitment to them and supporting the Australian Team in its quest for gold in Rio.”
These special one kilogram coins will go on sale in the lead-up to the Olympics with the silver retailing at $2016 and the gold at $70,000. Additional collectible products will be unveiled in the coming months.
Royal Australian Mint Release
