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Edwin Flack: 'The Lion of Athens'

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Edwin Flack: 'The Lion of Athens' Ï Êüóìïò NEWS IN ENGLISH WEDNESDAY 1 DECEMBER 2010 19 Edwin Flack: ‘The Lion of Athens’ ■ Australia honours first Olympic Champion (1896) Edwin Flack was a trailblazer - the first Australian to compete at the Athens 1896 Olympic Games, and first to win. He was a student at Melbourne Church of England Grammar School where he studied Hellenic history. When he left Melbourne in 1895 to study account- ancy in London, he was the Australian mile champion. In 1896 he resolved to attend the Athens Games, the first of the modern Olympics; he took leave from his job, travelled across Europe by boat and train, and became the only Australian participant. y the end of the Athens both the Olympic singles and dou- BGames he possessed heroic s- bles. He didn’t win a match, but a tatus, and was followed in the draw enabled him (with English streets by crowds who dubbed partner George Robertson) to be Olympic silver coin -Edwin Flack (Australian Royal Mint) him,’The Lion of Athens’. accorded bronze-medal status in Donated to the Marathon Australia had no national the men’s doubles. Run Museum & Spyridon Olympic committee then, and It was Flack’s private decision to Louis’ grandson Flack was entered as a member of go to Athens in 1896 and he was Edwin Flack – Olympic champion 1896 the London Athletic Club - but he the first link in a chain that has event. The Hellenic people of other 100 yards... then stopped as victory set off wild celebrations chose to run in the colours of his seen Australia represented at 1896 had observed with great in- I should have fallen if I had gone and he became the first Hellenic Australian club, the Old Mel- every modern Olympic Games. terest the restoration of the Pana- any further.” He was soon in the athletics champion in 1,500 years. burnian Athletic Club. He won Edwin Flack was awarded two thenaic stadium in preparation of ambulance cart, where he Louis was an instant national both the 800 and 1500 metres crowns of olive wreaths for each the return of an ancient Hellenic promptly passed out. There was hero. The Hellenes were ecstatic. championships, breaking a pat- of his Olympic victories and these legacy, the Olympic Games. The now just 5km to go and a Hellene Not only had their ancient tern of US domination in track are on permanent display at the new marathon race was consid- was in the lead. Olympic Games been revived in and field. On the day after his Australian Gallery of Sport and ered the highlight of the first re- In the stadium, the atmosphere their capital city, but a fellow 800m final, he competed with Olympic Museum in Melbourne. vived Olympics. was tense. As the word spread countryman had won the most Spyridon Louis in the Olympic He owned and operated a The marathon, which was run that it was Louis that led the race, glorious of events, the Hellenic- marathon, over a distance he had dairy farm in Berwick, Victoria on April 10, 1896, was a close and the cry “Hellene, Hellene!” was born marathon race. never run before. He led before and has been laid to rest in the dramatic race. There was no tele- taken up by thousands of raptur- collapsing at the 34km mark. Berwick Cemetery. A statue com- vision coverage in those days, so ous spectators. Flack epitomised the Aus- memorating Flack and his athletic news of the race was carried back The whole stadium was on their tralian have-a-go spirit; although achievements stands in the medi- to the stadium by bicycle or horse- feet now, every eye trained on no more than a social tennis play- an strip of High Street, Berwick. back. With six miles to go, word the entrance. And then, after a er, he entered The Australian Olympic Com- arrived that Edwin Flack, an Aus- momentary pause there mittee has recognised Flack’s im- tralian who had already won gold came into the arena a lean, portance in Australian Olympic medals in the 800 and 1,500-meter sweat-stained, dust-cov- history and has adopted the name, races, was well in the lead. The ered figure in the blue and Edwin Flack Avenue, to one of mostly Hellenic crowd was dis- white of Hellas. the streets adjacent to the heartened by the news. As Louis entered the s- Olympic Stadium in Homebush Cheered on by supporters from tadium, two Greek Bay, venue of the Sydney 2000 his home village, Spyridon Louis princes – Crown Prince Olympic Games. Flack has also accelerated away from his compa- Constantine and Prince been inducted into the Australian George – rushed to meet Sports and Athletics Hall of Fame triot. He was now the leading Hel- lene. He was now second, and him and accompanied him on his final lap for a finish- 1896 Olympic gaining on Flack. Louis later re- ported: “For the first time I was ing time of 2:58:50. Louis’s Marathon - full of ambition. A foreigner Flack & Louis should not come first in this race! I made my strides as long as possi- For Hellenes in particular, ble. I kept coming closer to the the marathon was a special Australian but he was a damned tough guy.” Flack was now suffer- Battle of Marathon 2500th Anniversary Event: ing from the terrible early pace. “I Millennium Centre - then began to feel rather done in Greek Australian Sports Hall of Fame, 1 December, 2010 myself and I had the feeling that I should not be able to finish,” he Celebrations of the Battle of Marathon’s 2,500-year anniver- later wrote. sary will culminate in Sydney with a commemorative event at The last thing Flack needed the, Millennium Centre - Greek Australian Sports Hall of Fame, now, five miles from the finish, Brighton-Le-Sands, on 1 December, 2010. was Louis at his shoulder, but In recognition of Edwin Flack’s 1896 Olympic legacy a com- that is what he got. And more memorative silver coin from the Australian Perth Mint, was pre- than that it was a Louis looking, sented to Spyridon Louis’ grandson by the Greek Australian in Flack’s words, “very fresh and Professionals’ Association and the Australian Hellenic Educa- running well”. Louis later said: “I tors’ Association. This symbolic gesture is in honour of his don’t know whether it was 100m, grandfather, Spyridon Louis, who participated in the 1896 A- 200m or 500m that the Aus- thens Olympic marathon run with Australia’s Edwin Flack. tralian and I were fighting each The coin will be on permanent display at the Marathon Run other side by side. I looked at him Museum as part of the Australian sports collection as well as Pe- perpetually out of the corner of ter Sweeney’s book, ‘Edwin Flack- The Lion of Athens’. an eye. And I didn’t let him gain The specially assembled collection of Australian marathon one metre’s ground on me. When donations to Spyridon Louis’ grandson, the Marathon Run Mu- he wanted to take the lead and seum and the Municipality of Marathon will be discussed in de- shake me off I stayed with him tail on the night. and in the end he carried on A major highlight includes an exclusive visual presentation of breathlessly falling further and Maria Polyzou’s recreation of Pheidippides’ legendary run from further behind.” Flack was now Edwin Flack has been honoured with a Statue in High Street Berwick, Athens to Sparta and Marathon. finished. “I staggered on for an- Victoria.
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