An Olympic Record
[ The University of Melbourne Voice Vol. 3, No. 5
14 July - 10 August 2008 ] By Rod Warnecke
The University of Melbourne has a long and proud involvement with the Olympic movement. Students, alumni, staff and club members have represented Australian at the Games on some 140 occasions.
Students, staff and Melbourne University Sports Association club members played integral roles in the success of the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne. And a new chapter in Olympic representation see the current crop of Melbourne University students and alumni represent Australia in Beijing.
Some of Australia’s greatest Olympians studied at the University of Melbourne before, during and after their outstanding sporting careers.
Olympic gold medalists who studied at Melbourne include Herb Elliot (Science student; athletics, 1500m, Rome 1960), Ralph Doubell (Science graduate; athletics, 800m, Mexico City 1968), Peter Antonie (Building student; rowing, double scull, Barcelona 1992), Nick Green (Horticulture graduate; rowing, coxless four, Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996), Kathy Watt (Science graduate; cycling, road race, Barcelona 1992), Cathy Freeman (Arts student; athletics, 400m, Sydney 2000), Tom King (Engineering graduate; sailing, 470 class, Sydney 2000) and Mark Turnbull (Building graduate; sailing, 470 class, Sydney 2000).
Other Melbourne University Olympians of note include former Governor of Victoria, John Landy, who competed at the Helsinki and Melbourne Games (winning bronze in the 1500m in 1956).
Current International Olympic Committee Vice-President and 1956 Olympic silver medalist Kevan Gosper also spent time at the University, while former Australian Sports Commission board member and 1984 bronze medalist Margot Foster graduated with a Bachelor of Arts/Laws.
The University has also been the learning centre for a number of Olympic officials, particularly those associated with the 1956 Melbourne Games.
Chairman of the Organising Committee for the Melbourne Olympics, Sir Wilfrid Kent-Hughes, was a coach with the Melbourne University Athletics Club, while the Organising Committee Secretary was Edgar Tanner who won a Blue for Boxing at the University.
The University’s Vice-Chancellor of the time, Professor George Paton led the cultural program associated with the Games; and Associate Professor Bill Rawlinson was dispatched to the 1952 Games in Helsinki to study the ‘organisational aspects of the event’ on behalf of the Organising Committee and was later made an IOC attaché.
University staff member Marc Marsden and Athletic Club Secretary Peter Hoobin devised and managed the 1956 Olympic Torch Relay, while current Sports Association Honorary Treasure Alf Lazer was one of the torch relay runners. The Sports Union’s Bill Tickner was an official for the track and field competition; while Athletics Club member Ken Mason led the team of engineering students in charge of the Olympic flame and cauldron at the MCG.
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