Athletics, which has been a sport at every Olympic Games of the modern era, certainly has its roots in ancient times. There is extensive evidence, including in the Bible, of athletic contests in the various games in ancient Greece. The modern sport of athletics is at least 150 years old.

In winning the triple jump (then known as hop, step and jump) in Athens in 1896 James Connolly from the United States became the first Olympic champion in over 1500 years.

An Australian, Edwin Flack, was also victorious at Athens 1896 in the 800 metres and 1500 metres. Flack, who became known as “The Lion of Athens” was leading the marathon with about six kilometres to go before surrendering the lead to the eventual victor, Spiridon Louis from Greece, and eventually withdrawing before the finish.

The first events for women were not held until the 1928 Games in Amsterdam when the 100m, 4x100m relay, 800m, high jump and discus were contested. With the inclusion of the women’s 3000m steeplechase at Beijing 2008, the number of events for women across track, field and road events will increase to 23, just one behind the men with the 50km walk the additional event.

Paarvo Nurmi of Finland and American Carl Lewis have each won nine athletics gold medals. Nurmi won his Olympics titles in six different events from Antwerp 1920 through to Amsterdam 1928. Two of his gold medals at Paris 1924, in the 1500 metres and 5000 metres, were won less than two hours apart. Nurmi also won three silver medals. Lewis won his Olympic titles in four different events from Los Angeles 1984 through to Atlanta 1996, including four consecutive long jump gold medals. The only other athlete to win the same event four times in succession was American Al Oerter in the discus from Melbourne 1956 through to Mexico City 1968. Ray Ewry also of the United States won eight gold medals in the standing jumping events from Paris 1900 through to London 1908.

Since 1896 and Flack’s two gold medals Australia’s male Olympic champions have been Anthony “Nick” Winter (triple jump  at Paris 1924), John Winter (high jump at London 1948), Herb Elliott (1500m at Rome 1960) and Ralph Doubell (800m at Mexico City 1968). The two Winters were not related.

Australia’s women first competed in Amsterdam in 1928 with Edith Robinson competing in the 100m and 800m. The first gold medals came at Helsinki 1952 with Marjorie Jackson winning the 100m and 200m and Shirley Strickland the 80m hurdles. With three of the top four place-getters in the 100 metres, the 4 x 100 metres relay team started as favourites. Unfortunately, a dropped baton ended all chances of a medal but the team was still good enough to recover from the mishap to finish fifth. There was no mishap in the relay in Melbourne in 1956 with Betty Cuthbert, Shirley Strickland, Fleur Mellor and Norma Croker shattering the world record on their way to the gold medal. Melbourne saw Australians win all the women’s track events with Betty Cuthbert, like Marjorie Jackson, winning the 100m and 200m and Shirley Strickland, in the 80m hurdles, becoming the first woman to successfully defend an Olympic athletics title. At the close of her career, Shirley Strickland had won seven Olympic medals (3 gold, 1 silver, 3 bronze) which was a record for a female athlete for many years. The record now is eight (3 silver, 5 bronze) by Merlene Ottey, when representing Jamaica.

Betty Cuthbert won the inaugural women’s 400 metres at Tokyo 1964 and Maureen Caird and Pam Kilborn finished first and second in the 80m hurdles in Mexico City in 1968. Raelene Boyle won three silver medals in the sprints in Mexico City and Munich in 1972. Glynis Nunn won the first staging of the heptathlon (previously the pentathlon) at Los Angeles 1984 and Debbie Flintoff-King stopped the nation with her ever-so-narrow win in the 400m hurdles at Seoul 1988. Cathy Freeman, with the hopes of the whole country behind her, emphatically won the 400 metres in Sydney in 2000.

Athens in 2004 saw bronze medals going to Nathan Deakes and Jane Saville in the men's and women's 20km walks respectively. These medals were the first by Australian walkers at the Olympic since Noel Freeman's silver in the 20km event in Rome. The men's 4 x 400 metres relay team's unexpected silver medal emulated the performance of the Kevan Gosper-led quartet in Melbourne in 1956.

Some of Australia's most memorable medals in Beijing were from the sport of athletics. Steve Hooker became an overnight celebrity when he took out gold in the men's pole vault. Hooker's jump of 5.96m was also an Olympic record. Sally McLellan beat the odds to win silver in the women's hurdles and endurance master of the road Jared Tallent took home a silver and bronze for the men's 50km and 20km road walks respectively.

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