Australia has been represented by 60 Indigenous Australian Olympians known to the AOC, 59 Indigenous athletes at the Summer Olympic Games and by one Indigenous athlete at the Winter Olympic Games.
Basketballer Michael Ah Matt and boxers Adrian Blair and Francis Roberts became the first Indigenous Australians to call themselves Olympians when they competed at the 1964 Tokyo Games.
In 1992 at Barcelona, Samantha Riley became the first female Indigenous Olympian and at these Games she became Australia’s first Indigenous competitor to win an Olympic medal, when she won bronze in the 100m breaststroke.
Nova Peris-Kneebone was the first gold medallist as part of the women’s hockey team in Atlanta in 1996.
Harley Windsor became Australia's first Indigenous Winter Olympian when the then-20-year-old from Rooty Hill in Sydney’s West competed in Pairs Figure Skating at PyeongChang 2018, alongside his Russian-born parter Katia Alexandrovskaya, where the duo finished 18th on debut.
Cathy Freeman is the most successful Indigenous athlete with gold at Sydney 2000 and silver at Atlanta 1996 in the 400m.
A total of 15 medals have been won by the following eight (11) Indigenous athletes:
Women dominate Indigenous Medals
Of the 60 Indigenous athletes known to represent Australia at the Olympic Games, 43 are men and 17 are women. But between them the women have won 11 out of Australia’s 15 Indigenous medals.
Indigenous Australian medallists
- Samantha Riley (1992 & 1996- bronze; 1996- silver, swimming)
- Cathy Freeman (1996- silver; 2000- gold, athletics)
- Baeden Choppy (1996- bronze, hockey)
- Nova Peris (1996- gold, hockey)
- Stacey Porter (2004- silver; 2008- bronze, softball)
- Desmond Abbott (2008- bronze, hockey)
- Rohanne Cox (2008- silver, basketball)
- Joel Carroll (2012 - bronze, hockey)
- Taliqua Clancy (2020 - silver, beach volleyball)
- Patty Mills (2020 - bronze, basketball)
- Ash Barty (2020 - bronze, Tennis - mixed doubles)
Boxing is the sport with the greatest representation of athletes (20), followed by Athletics (8), Basketball (7), Football (5) and Hockey (5).
Australia's Indigenous Olympians
About The AOC's RAP
Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP)
The AOC has taken another step on its journey of reconciliation through sport with the launch of its second ‘Innovate’ Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP).
The AOC is working to recognise the heritage, culture and history of First Nations people at every level of the organisation.
Our Reconciliation Journey
*WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are warned that the following article contains images of deceased persons.
Australia has been represented by 59 Indigenous athletes at the Summer Olympic Games and by one Indigenous athlete at the Winter Olympic Games.
Our Partnerships
The AOC has established and continued partnerships and collaborations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stakeholders and other like-minded organisations. Read more for a summary of the partnerships and milestones achieved.
Walk With Us
The AOC both accepts and extends the invitation to ‘Walk with Us’.
‘Walk with Us’ was a vision that originated from the AOC’s Indigenous Advisory Committee (IAC). It underpins the AOC’s Vision for Reconciliation and reflects a reconciliation journey that is shared.
To date, the AOC has embodied this vision through the facilitation of two ‘Walk with Us’ forums. The first, inaugural ‘Walk with Us’ forum was held in November 2020.
Australian Olympic Indigenous Coaching Scholarship
In partnership with The Toyota Foundation, the AOC funded the first Inaugural Australian Olympic Indigenous Coaching Scholarship (AOICS) pilot for Indigenous coaches in the Olympic sport of basketball.
Olympics Unleashed and Australian Olympic Change-Maker
The Olympics Unleashed and Australian Olympic Change-Maker programs continues to increase their reach into remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art
Walking Together PAUL FLEMING Aboriginal Artist: Paul Fleming (Olympian – Beijing 2008, Boxing), a First Nation Australian man from Wakka Wakka Wanyurr Majay, Yuggera Country.
Ngalmun Danalaig (Our Way of Life) DAVID BOSUN
Torres Strait Artist: David Bosun, a proud Wug man and Mualgal artist from Moa Island in the Torres Strait, is one of the founders of the printmaking tradition in Zenadth Kes (the Torres Strait) and has worked in printmaking, drawing and painting for over 20 years.
Governance
The AOC Executive, Athletes Commission, and Indigenous Advisory Committee form the building blocks for consultation to guide the AOC’s reconciliation journey.
Latest Indigenous Olympians' Stories
