London 1908

Some of the early Olympics were held over six months and on occasions in conjunction with World Fairs.

In 1908, the London Olympics Games Opening Ceremony was in July, although events were held from April to October.

Australia won two medals in the sports held in October.

An Australasia team, comprising all Australians, won the 15-person Rugby gold medal defeating Cornwall, representing Great Britain, 32-3 in the only game in the tournament.

After competing in diving and swimming in July, Reg ‘Snowy’ Baker won silver in the boxing tournament in October. Baker, who acted in Hollywood movies in later life, remains the only Australian to compete in three sports at the Olympics.

Tokyo 1964

At the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, the first in an Asian city, Australia was still riding high on the stars from their home Games in 1956.

In the pool, Dawn Fraser was still at the top of the podium, winning her third consecutive 100m freestyle gold – the first swimmer in history to win the same event on three occasions.

She added a silver in the freestyle relay to bring her tally to eight medals and was selected to carry the Australian flag in the Closing Ceremony.

Another at her third Games was sprinter Betty Cuthbert who was competing in a new Olympic event, the 400m, which she duly won.

She remains the only athlete in history to have won the 100m, 200m, and 400m sprint treble.

The Australian women enjoyed a tremendous Games on the track, claiming five medals, in the hurdles, high jump, 200m and 400m.

The solitary men’s medal was won in the Olympic debut of Ron Clarke, who as a 19-year-old had lit the cauldron at the 1956 Olympics.

Clarke retired with a bronze medal in the 10, 000m after setting 17 world records during his career and contesting five Olympic events.

There was also significant achievements across three other sports. 

Sailing “Barrenjoey” a 5.5 metre craft built by American naval architect Bill Luders, the team of Bill Northam, Dick Sargeant and Peter O’Donnell won Australia’s first gold in sailing in Tokyo. 

The Kookaburra’s had made their Olympic debut at the 1956 Olympics and in just their third appearance in the men’s hockey tournament, they won their first medal in a hard-fought extra-time 3-2 win in the bronze medal match against Spain.

A popular sport in Japan, Judo made its debut in Tokyo and despite just three men’s events on the program, Australia’s Ted Boronovskis finished on the podium with a bronze in the open division.

Mexico 1968

Despite warning effects of competing at altitude, the 1968 Olympic Games were awarded to Mexico City located at 2,134 metres above sea level.

For the first time, over 100 nations competed at an Olympics where 112 countries attended.

Despite sending only 133 athletes, their smallest team since 1952, Australia was very successful winning 17 medals.

Swimming and athletics dominated the Australian performance with eight and six medals respectively.

In the pool, Mike Wenden was the star winning the 100m and 200m freestyle, the first swimmer in history to achieve this double.

His 100m win was the third for Australian in this event in four Games.

Wenden added more medals, a silver and bronze, in the two freestyle relays.

Freestyle swimmer, Lyn McClements, who only took up butterfly the year before the Games, won the women’s 100m butterfly.

It was Australia’s first women’s gold in a swimming stroke which has been dominated by modern day swimmers Susie O’Neill, Petria Thomas and Libby Trickett.

At the track, Ralph Doubell and teenager Maureen Caird were surprise gold medalists.

Despite not favoured to win, Doubell looked good from the heats and won every round, winning the final in an equal world record time of 1:44.3.

Sydney’s Maureen Caird defeated teammate, and co-favourite Pam Kilborn who had been unbeaten for four years.

Caird, aged just 17, remains the youngest individual track event gold medallist at the Olympics. Kilborn won the silver medal, signalling Australia’s dominance in this event. 

Victorian Peter Norman split American’s Tommie Smith and John Carlos, finishing second in the 200m. Norman’s series of times through the rounds, 20.23, 20.44, 20.22 and 20.06 were phenomenal, lowering the national record on three occasions.

For the sixth consecutive Games, Australia won medals in the women’s sprints, with Raelene Boyle second and Jenny Lamy third in the 200m.

Opening Ceremony Flagbearer, Bill Roycroft, helped Australia to bronze in the Equestrian Eventing Three-Day team event.

Australia won their third men’s rowing Eights medal in Olympic history, beaten by West German by less than a second.

In men’s hockey, Australia went one better than in Tokyo, losing the gold medal match to Pakistan 2-1.

David Tarbotton