AUSTRALIAN OLYMPIANS 2014 - THIS ISSUE - SOCHI 2014 / NANJING 2014 / ROAD TO RIO CHAMPIONS OF THE WORLD / ATHLETE TRANSITION / REUNIONS NOW Australian Olympians — 2014 FINDING SOMETHING THAT MORE Australian Olympians — 2014 16 HALL OF FAME Australian Olympians were celebrated and recognised at the Annual Sport Australia Hall of Fame awards. 10 JOHN COATES AC CHAMPIONS OF THE WORLD President, Australian Olympic Committee Australian Olympians triumph taking on the world’s best. Vice President, International Olympic Committee 32 The greatest honour in sport is to be called an Australian Olympian. This year we have seen a number of reunions take place celebrating significant milestones of ROAD TO RIO Olympic Games. Whether you are still competing or retired, I encourage you to keep sharing the Olympic spirit amongst your Team mates and in your communities. In 2016, Rio de Janeiro will host the XXXI Olympic Games and they I was most pleased to see the competitive drive and camaraderie amongst our 60 promise to be spectacular. Olympians in Sochi, where for the first time in Australia’s Olympic history we saw 43 more women (31) than men (29) competing. Congratulations to all Olympians for your collective effort and outstanding results. INSIDE Contributing to a At the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China, the spirit exhibited by the 89 Youth better world Olympians in our Australian Team epitomised what the Olympic Movement strives for. 23 through sport In November 2014 the AOC Executive resolved to recognise our Australian Indigenous heritage in the AOC’s Constitution. I was delighted to announce this with Cathy SOCHI 2014 Freeman and I look forward to the AOC offering practical support to Indigenous Australians through sport in the years to come. Australia’s largest Olympic Winter 56 68 Team competed in Sochi from 7-23 February 2014. In December the IOC unanimously adopted all 40 recommendations that comprised COMMUNITY Agenda 2020 - the strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement - at 28 - In Memoriam the 127th IOC Session in Monaco. I am pleased to advise all Olympians the IOC - Reunions & Events continues to place the clean athletes at the heart of its philosophy. NANJING 2014 YoUTH OLYMPIC GAMES - Club News Australia’s 2014 Youth Olympic Team shared the Olympic spirit at the - Contacts As we go to print I note with great sadness the passing of AOC Historian, Harry 2nd Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China. Gordon AM, a true friend of the AOC, the Olympic Movement and Australia’s Olympians. More than anyone he brought to light the extraordinary stories of our Welcome / Champions of the World / The Sport Australia Hall of Fame / Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games Olympians - from our first Games to the latest – sharing a genuine rapport with CONTENTS Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games / Rio 2016 Olympic Games / Inside the AOC / Inside the IOC athletes over decades. Harry will be sorely missed. Athlete Transition Culture / Olympians in the Community / Congratulations / Olympians in Memoriam Reunions and Events / Olympians Club News / Contacts 6 WELCOME 7 LEON WIEGARD OAM KIM CROW President, Olympians Club of Australia Chair, AOC Athletes’ Commission It has been an exciting year for the Olympians Clubs in Australia The AOC Athletes’ Commission (AC) has been busy over the past year with new heroes and new members from the Sochi Games joining our ranks. developing initiatives aimed at supporting athletes in the transition out of We look forward to a continuation of the close cooperation between the AOC sport, and brainstorming how best to promote the Olympic Spirit and and OCA. We wish Fiona de Jong well as Secretary General of the AOC and Australia’s proud Olympic traditions to the next generation. Participation thank the AOC’s Olympian and Athlete Services unit for their tremendous has been broad and vibrant at meetings, and has seen various issues work on behalf of Olympians Clubs and all the officials in State and Territory tabled with the AOC Executive, AIS leadership and the offices for their assistance to their respective Clubs. IOC Athletes’ Commission. It is pleasing to see so many of our Olympians in official positions for our Of particular excitement is the Road to Rio: IGNITE road show aimed at next Olympic Teams, with the AOC and IOC, and on Olympic Councils bringing our potential 2016 Olympians together prior to the Olympics, throughout the Nation, and those numbers seem to be on the increase. enabling athletes across different sports to meet each other and share tips Of course the work of our Olympians Club Committee Members is, and tricks for performance on the big stage. as always, much appreciated. All Australian Olympians Clubs were active over the past 12 months in keeping up communications to Olympians, The AOC AC has also enjoyed working with the AIS Personal Excellence to running events and supporting our current Olympic Teams. On the share ideas of how best to engage with our athlete cohorts. International Olympians scene, it is pleasing to report that the World Olympians Association (WOA) is making positive changes and it A huge success was seen in the mentoring program for our Youth Olympic has regained a much closer association with the IOC. Team called “Champ Connect”– so wonderfully supported by Olympians of all ages and sports- that the program will be rolled out for future Summer, All the best for the coming year, Winter and Youth Teams. The AC has also been involved with ASADA in cheers. developing new educational content for their programs. The AC always loves to hear from Olympians as to your ideas of how to grow the Australian Olympic tradition! 8 WELCOME 9 CHAMPIONS OF MATHEW BELCHER OAM AND WILL RYAN Sailing – 470 Mathew Belcher and Will Ryan successfully defended their World title at the ISAF Sailing World Championships in September 2014. The win was Belcher’s fifth consecutive World title in the Men’s 470 class, a record breaking achievement. The World Championship title is Belcher and Ryan’s second, as a pair. Belcher won a Gold Medal in the same event at the London 2012 Olympic Games, partnered with Malcolm Page OAM. Belcher and Ryan’s 2014 World Championship performance qualifies the Men’s 470 Class to represent Australia at the Rio 2016 The Olympic Games. SAM WILLOUGHBY BMX CYCLING Olympic Silver Medallist from the London 2012 Olympic Games, Sam Willoughby, by won the World title at the UCI BMX World Championships in Rotterdam, Netherlands in July 2014. Willoughby, previously won the title in 2012, but unfortunately crashed out at the 2013 Championships, hence his determination to reclaim the 2014 World title. WORLD Willoughby breezed through the early rounds and made the move in the final from second to first over American Connor Fields. Willoughby was visibly emotional at the end of the race. “It’s incredible, you train hard and set your goals. It’s all realistic on paper but doing it is a whole differ- ent story” Willoughby said. 10 CHAMPIONS OF THE WORLD 11 LUKE DAVIDSON, Glenn O’SHEA, Men’S HOCKEY TEAM ALEXANDER EDMONDSON, MITCHELL The Australian Men’s Hockey Team convincingly MULHERN, MILES SCOTSON defended their title at the World Cup in The CYcling Men’S TEAM PURSUIT Hague in June 2014. The Men’s Hockey Team Luke Davidson, Glenn O’Shea, Alexander defeated the host country, the Netherlands, 6-1 Edmondson and Mitchell Mulhern have success- in the final of the competition, contested once fully defended Australia’s World title beating every four years. However, early in the match Denmark in the final at the UCI Track World the outcome was less than predictable. Championships in Cali, Colombia in March 2014. The Men’s Hockey Team fell behind the Miles Scotson also received a Gold Medal as an Netherlands on the scoreboard, but came back integral member of the team, racing in the qual- with a hat-trick from Chris Ciriello and strikes ifying round. The strategic use of a fifth cyclist from Kieran Govers, Glenn Turner and Jamie was said to have given the Australian Team fresh Dwyer OAM. legs and a tactical advantage. The men earned their World title Rainbow “Our aim is always to Jerseys, coming from behind in the second half of the race to win the Gold in a time of 3 minutes dominate our opponents and 57.907, ahead of the Danish Team clocking 3 to defend better and attack minutes 59.623 seconds. better and to control the ball Prior to the event in Cali, only Edmondson in the midfield. And I think we and O’Shea had experience in the Team Pursuit at a World Championship. “We had two new did all of those things.” guys – well, three new guys. We rode five guys and they were super, super hungry to win a Coach Ric Charlesworth AM world title and I think that was the difference,” O’Shea said. The Men’s Hockey Team became the third team, following Pakistan and Germany, to secure consecutive World titles. “We..were super, super hungry to win a world title and I think KEN WALLACE OAM that was the difference,” CANOe/KAYAK SPrint — K1 5000M Dual Olympian Ken Wallace OAM has been crowned World Champion in the K1 5000m race Glenn O’Shea at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Moscow. This is Wallace’s second consecutive World title in the event, which he has dominated The Australian team in recent years. Wallace also won Silver with celebrates with its Lachlan Tame in the Men’s K2 1000m race at the trophy winning World Championships and came 9th in the K1 their men’s Field 500m event, the same event which he won Gold Hockey World Cup final against the in Beijing in 2008.