Athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competiti ...

is a popular sport in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, with around 34,000 athletes, officials and coaches currently registered with the national association.- Athletics Australia - Annual Report 2006/07
Though not as high-profile as sports such as

Cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

Rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...

Rugby Union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

in Australia, athletics has produced many world sporting legends, including

Edwin Flack Edwin Harold Flack (5 November 1873 – 10 January 1935) was an Australian athlete and tennis player. Also known as "Teddy", he was Australia's first Olympian, being its only representative in 1896, and the first Olympic champion in the ...

Betty Cuthbert Elizabeth Alyse Cuthbert, (20 April 1938 – 6 August 2017) was an Australian athlete and a four-time Olympic champion. She was nicknamed Australia's "Golden Girl". During her career, she set world records for 60 metres, 100 yards, 200 metres ...

Herb Elliott Herbert James Elliott (born 25 February 1938) is a former Australian athlete and arguably the world's greatest middle distance runner of his era. In August 1958 he set the List of world records in athletics, world record in the mile run, clock ...

, and

Cathy Freeman Catherine Astrid Salome Freeman (born 16 February 1973) is an Aboriginal Australian former sprinter, who specialised in the 400 metres event. Her personal best of 48.63 seconds currently ranks her as the ninth-fastest woman of all time, set ...

. Australia has hosted many important athletics competitions, including the

1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Jim ...

and

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...

, the 1938, 1962, 1982 and 2006

Commonwealth Games The Commonwealth Games, often referred to as the Friendly Games or simply the Comm Games, are a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930, and, with the exce ...

, the 1985

World Cup in Athletics The IAAF Continental Cup was an international track and field competition organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). The event was proposed by IAAF former President Primo Nebiolo and was first held in 1977 as t ...

, and the 1996 World Junior Championships.

Athletics Australia Athletics Australia is the national sporting organisation (NSO) recognised by Sport Australia for the sport of athletics in Australia. First founded in 1897, the organisation is responsible for administering a sport with over 16,000 registered ...

is the governing body for athletics in Australia.

History of athletics in Australia

Evidence shows

Aboriginal Aborigine, aborigine or aboriginal may refer to: *Aborigines (mythology), in Roman mythology * Indigenous peoples, general term for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area *One of several groups of indigenous peoples, see ...

Australians participated in a range of athletics events, prior to colonisation of Australia. When British colonists arrived from 1788, they brought with them the concept of athletics competition.Athletics Australia - History
The earliest known athletics competition in Australia was in Sydney, in 1810, where Dicky Dowling won a 50 yards

sprint Sprint may refer to: Aerospace *Spring WS202 Sprint, a Canadian aircraft design *Sprint (missile), an anti-ballistic missile Automotive and motorcycle *Alfa Romeo Sprint, automobile produced by Alfa Romeo between 1976 and 1989 *Chevrolet Sprint, ...

, while the first amateur athletics club was formed in

Adelaide, South Australia Adelaide ( ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater A ...

in 1867.

Professional athletics

The

Australian gold rush During the Australian gold rushes, starting in 1851, significant numbers of workers moved from elsewhere in Australia and overseas to where gold had been discovered. Gold had been found several times before, but the colonial government of Ne ...

of the late 19th century attracted huge populations to Australia and many (professional) athletics events were conducted at the gold-fields, with the 'gift' of a gold nugget to the winner. This 'pro' tradition continues today, with the

Stawell Gift The Stawell Gift is Australia's oldest and richest short-distance running race. It is the main event in an annual carnival held on Easter weekend by the Stawell Athletic Club, with the main race finals on the holiday Monday, at Central Park, St ...

, Australia's premier professional foot-race, a highlight of the sporting calendar.

Australasian Union

In 1890, the first Inter-Colonial championships was held in Sydney, featuring teams from the

Australasia Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecologica ...

n colonies of

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, and

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. The Australasian Athletics Union of Australasia was formed in 1897 to govern the sport, with combined Australian and New Zealand teams representing at the

1908 Events January * January 1 – The British ''Nimrod'' Expedition led by Ernest Shackleton sets sail from New Zealand on the ''Nimrod'' for Antarctica. * January 3 – A total solar eclipse is visible in the Pacific Ocean, and is the 46 ...

and

1912 Olympic Games Year 191 ( CXCI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Apronianus and Bradua (or, less frequently, year 944 ''Ab urbe condit ...

. In 1928, New Zealand withdrew from the Union to form their own national association and the Amateur Athletics Union of Australia became the peak-body for athletics in Australia. The

Australasian Championships The Australian Open is a tennis tournament held annually at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia. The tournament is the first of the four Grand Slam tennis events held each year, preceding the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. ...

now became Australian Championships, with official women's events held from 1930.

Early women's athletics

Female participation in women's athletics at the turn of the 20th century was usually restricted to 'picnic' meets where ladies races were conducted, along with egg-and-spoon races and other carnival events. Athletics Gold - History of Women's Athletics in Australia
/ref> In late 1906, at

Kalgoorlie Kalgoorlie is a city in the Goldfields–Esperance region of Western Australia, located east-northeast of Perth at the end of the Great Eastern Highway. It is sometimes referred to as Kalgoorlie–Boulder, as the surrounding urban area includ ...

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

, the first women's 'state championship' was run, with Loyal Forward winning the 50 yards sprint and invitational 100 yards. Though these events were held during a professional meeting,

Richard Coombes Richard Coombes (18 March 1858 – 15 April 1935) was a journalist and father of amateur athletics in Australia. Coombes was born at Hampton Court, Middlesex, England the son of Richard Coombes, hotelkeeper, and his wife Ellen, ''née'' Parsons. ...

, President of the men's Amateur Athletics Union, considered the prizes awarded were compliant with amateur rules. A Sydney Ladies amateur athletics club was formed by Mrs Drennan, herself a sprinter, in 1913, and competitions, held under the auspices of the

NSW ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

men's association were conducted over the next five years. Professional races for women were also very popular during this time.

Amateur unions

From 1928, the Amateur Athletics Union of Australia, had responsibility for track and field in Australia, including women's athletics with women's events being held, for the first time, at the

1928 Amsterdam Olympics The 1928 Summer Olympics ( nl, Olympische Zomerspelen 1928), officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad ( nl, Spelen van de IXe Olympiade) and commonly known as Amsterdam 1928, was an international multi-sport event that was celebrated from ...

. The first joint

National Championships A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the best team, indi ...

were conducted in Melbourne in 1930. In 1932 an Australian Women's Amateur Athletics Union was formed which administered women's track and field in Australia and held its own national championships until 1978. An amalgamation of men's and women's bodies occurred in 1978 and, in 1989 this combined association was renamed as

. Combined annual national championships have been held since 1978.

Athletics Australia

Currently, Athletics Australia works with its affiliated state bodies and the Australian and State Institutes of Sport to assist athletes achieve a high standard of performance.

International teams

- medal tallys Olympic Games, World Championships, World Indoor Championships and Commonwealth Games.

Olympic Games

Australia is one of the few countries who have entered track and field athletes in every

. At the first Olympics, in

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

in 1896, Victorian runner,

won both

800 metres The 800 metres, or meters ( US spelling), is a common track running event. It is the shortest commonly run middle-distance running event. The 800 metres is run over two laps of an outdoor (400-metre) track and has been an Olympic event since the ...

and

1500 metres The 1500 metres or 1,500-metre run (typically pronounced 'fifteen-hundred metres') is the foremost middle distance track event in athletics. The distance has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896 and the World Championships in Athletic ...

events.Athletics Australia - Olympic Games medalists
The first Australian woman to win an Olympic medal was

Shirley Strickland Shirley Barbara de la Hunty AO, MBE (née Strickland; 18 July 1925 – 11 February 2004), known as Shirley Strickland during her early career, was an Australian athlete. She won more Olympic medals than any other Australian in running sports. ...

, at the 1948 London Games, with a bronze medal in the

100 metres The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been conteste ...

sprint while Australia's first female gold medalist in athletics was

Marjorie Jackson Marjorie Jackson-Nelson (13 September 1931) is a former Governor of South Australia and a former Australian athlete. She finished her sporting career with two Olympic and seven Commonwealth Games Gold Medals, six individual world records and ...

who won the 100 metres and

200 metres The 200 metres, or 200-meter dash, is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 metre racetrack, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques is needed to successfully run the race. A slightl ...

sprint races in 1952. The most bemedalled Australian athletes at the Olympic Games have been for men

Stan Rowley Stanley Rupert Rowley (11 September 1876 – 1 April 1924) was an Australian sprinter who won four medals at the 1900 Summer Olympics. He was born in Young, New South Wales and died in Manly, New South Wales. Biography In 1900 he ...

and

Jared Tallent Jared Tallent OAM (born 17 October 1984) is an Australian race walker and Olympic gold medallist in the 50 km walk from London in 2012. He is a four-time Olympic medallist, three-time World Championship medallist and holds the current Oly ...

(with three) and for women Shirley Strickland (with seven).

Commonwealth Games

The

began as the British Empire Games in 1930 and Australian athletes have competed at every edition since, with female representatives from 1938.

Decima Norman Clara Decima Hamilton (), MBE (9 September 1909 – 29 August 1983) was an Australian athlete. She was the only Australian woman who won five gold medals at the 1938 British Empire Games. Biography Norman was born on 9 September 1909 in Ta ...

was the star of those 1938 Sydney Games, winning five gold-medals. Since then, many other female athletes have starred at the Games, including Marjorie Jackson-Nelson,

Pam Kilborn Pamela Kilborn-Ryan, AM, MBE (born 12 August 1939) is an Australian former athlete who set world records as a hurdler. For three years, she was ranked as the world's top woman hurdler. Kilborn was also an Olympic class sprinter, Long Jumper ...

Denise Boyd Denise Margaret Robertson-Boyd (born 15 December 1952) is an Australian former Olympic sprinter, who reached two Olympic finals in the 200 metres sprint. Boyd won the gold medal for 200 metres at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton. Boyd's ...

Debbie Flintoff-King Debra ("Debbie") Lee Flintoff-King, (OAM) (born 20 April 1960) is a retired Australian athlete, and winner of the women's 400 m hurdles event at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Athletics career Flintoff-King was born in Melbourne, the daughter of ...

and

Jane Flemming Jane Christina Flemming OAM (born 14 April 1965) is a former Australian Olympic track and field athlete. She completed her HSC in 1982 at Mater Christi College, Belgrave. She was the 1990 Commonwealth Games champion at heptathlon and long jum ...

. The most successful medalist at the Commonwealth Games has been

Raelene Boyle Raelene Ann Boyle (born 24 June 1951) is an Australian retired athlete, who represented Australia at three Olympic Games as a sprinter, winning three silver medals, and was named one of 100 National Living Treasures by the National Trust of ...

who won nine medals, including seven golds.Athletics Australia - Commonwealth Games medalists
Australia's best performed male athletes at the 'Friendly Games' include John Treloar,

, and

Gary Honey Gary Ronald Honey (born 26 July 1959 in Thomastown, Victoria) is a retired long jumper from Australia. He won a silver medal at the 1984 Olympics with a jump of 8.24 metres. Career In addition, Honey won gold medals at the 1982 and 1986 Com ...

, with walker

Nathan Deakes Nathan Deakes (born 17 August 1977 in Geelong) is an Australian former race walker. Deakes trained with the Australian Institute of Sport. By performances, Deakes is Australia's best and most successful ever race walker, winning several in ...

the most successful, winning four gold and one bronze medal during his career.

World Championships

Australia has again been represented at each edition of the IAAF World Championships. Australia has had two multiple gold medal winners (

and

Jana Rawlinson Jana Pittman (born 9 November 1982) is an Australian former athlete. During her athletic career Pittman specialised in the 400 metres run and 400-metre hurdles events. She is a two-time world champion in the 400 m hurdles, from 2003 and 200 ...

), and six single gold medal winners (

Robert de Castella Francois Robert "Rob" de Castella (born 27 February 1957) is an Australian former world champion marathon runner. De Castella is widely known as "Deek" or "Deeks" to the Australian public, and "Tree" to his competitors due to his thick legs an ...

Dmitri Markov Dmitri Markov ( be, Дзьмітры Маркаў; born 14 March 1975 in Vitebsk, Byelorussian SSR) is a retired Belarusian-Australian pole vaulter. He is a former World Champions in athletics (men), world champion and current Oceanian record ho ...

Steve Hooker ''yes'Steve is a masculine given name, usually a short form (hypocorism) of Steven or Stephen Notable people with the name include: steve jops * Steve Abbott (disambiguation), several people * Steve Adams (disambiguation), several people * Steve ...

Dani Samuels Dani Stevens (née Samuels, born 26 May 1988) is a retired Australian discus thrower who in 2009 became the youngest ever female world champion in the event. She is the current national and Oceanian record holder. Stevens qualified for the 2020 ...

and

Sally Pearson Sally Pearson, OAM (née McLellan; born 19 September 1986) is an Australian former athlete. She is the 2011 and 2017 World champion and 2012 Olympic champion in the 100 metres hurdles. She also won a silver medal in the 100 m hurdles at th ...

Other international competitions

Australian athletes have also competed in a range of other international competitions.Athletics Australia - International Results

World Indoor Championships

Australia's indoor world champions include:
Mike Hillardt,

Kerry Saxby-Junna Kerry-Anne Saxby-Junna, born Kerry Saxby AM (born 2 June 1961) is a retired Australian race walker. She was born in Young, New South Wales and grew up in Ballina, New South Wales. She represented Australia 27 times in international competi ...

Melinda Gainsford-Taylor Melinda Gainsford-Taylor (born 1 October 1971 in Narromine, New South Wales) is a retired Australian athlete, who specialised in sprint events. In 1995 Gainsford-Taylor won the World Indoor championship over 200 m. During her career she ...

Tamsyn Lewis Tamsyn Carolyn Lewis (born 20 July 1978) is an Australian media personality and former track and field athlete who won a total of eighteen Australian Championships across the 400 metres, 800 metres and 400m hurdles. She first repres ...

Steven Hooker Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; h ...

Fabrice Lapierre Fabrice Lapierre (born 17 October 1983 in Réduit, Mauritius) is a Mauritian-born Australian long jumper. Lapierre placed 4th at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, Germany, behind another Australian, Mitchell Watt, who took the ...

and

World Cup

Australians competed for

Oceania Oceania (, , ) is a region, geographical region that includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Spanning the Eastern Hemisphere, Eastern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres, Oceania is estimated to have a land area of ...

n team in the World Cup now called the

IAAF Continental Cup The IAAF Continental Cup was an international track and field competition organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). The event was proposed by IAAF former President Primo Nebiolo and was first held in 1977 as t ...

. Australian champions include: * Lyn Jacenko - 1977 Long Jump *

Joanna Stone Joanna "Jo" Stone-Nixon (born 4 October 1972 in London, England) is a retired javelin throw The javelin throw is a track and field event where the javelin, a spear about in length, is thrown. The javelin thrower gains momentum by running w ...

- 1998 Javelin *

Craig Mottram Craig Mottram (born 18 June 1980) is a former Australian long and middle-distance runner who specialised in the 5000 meter event. Early years Mottram was born on 18 June 1980 in Frankston, Victoria. He attended Geelong Grammar School. Caree ...

- 2003 and 2006 3000 metres *

- 2006 and 2010 Pole Vault *

- 2010 100m hurdles

World Cross-country Championships

Benita Johnson Benita Jaye Willis (born on 6 May 1979 in Mackay, Queensland) is an Australian long-distance runner, who is a three-time national champion in the women's 5,000 metres. Her foremost achievement is a gold medal in the long race at the 2004 IAAF ...

- 2004 World Champion - Long Course (8000m)

World Junior Championships

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

hosted the 1996 World Junior Championships, a bi-ennial event in which competitors must be 19 years of age or younger. Australian Gold medalists at these events include: *

Miles Murphy Miles Murphy (born 19 May 1967) is an Australian former sprinter who competed in the 1988 Summer Olympics. At the 1986 Commonwealth Games he won a silver medal in the 4 x 400 metres relay. He was Chief Executive Officer, Australian Paralympic ...

- 1986 400 metres *

Rohan Robinson Rohan Stuart Robinson (born 15 November 1971 in Melbourne, Victoria) is an Australian retired hurdler. His personal best time was 48.28 seconds, achieved in the 2nd semi-final at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capi ...

- 1990 400 metres hurdles * Susan Andrews, Sophie Scamps, Kylie Hanigan, Renee Poetschka - 1990 4 × 400 metres relay * Jagen Hames - 1994 High Jump * Paul Byrne - 1994 800 metres * Scott Thom, Brad Jamieson, Casey Vincent, Daniel McFarlane - 1998 4 × 400 metres relay *

- 2000 400 metres and 400 metres hurdles *

- 2006 Discus *

Robert Crowther Robert Crowther (born 2 August 1987 in Cloncurry) is an Australian long jumper. His personal best is 8.12 metres, achieved at the IAAF Diamond League in 2011 in Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban area ...

- 2006 Long Jump

World Youth Championships

The World Youth (Under 18) Championships commenced in 1999 and Australian winners include: *

Georgie Clarke Georgina "Georgie" Clarke (born 17 June 1984 in Geelong) is an Australian athlete who specialised in the middle-distance events. She won multiple international medals at youth and junior levels. She competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney ...

- 1999 800 metres and 2001 1500 metres * Shermin Oksuz - 2001 Long Jump *

Kimberley Mickle Kimberley Mickle (born 28 December 1984) is an Australian track and field athlete who competes in the javelin throw. Her personal best of 66.83 m, achieved on 22 March 2014 in Melbourne, was, until 2018, the Australian record. Biography She w ...

- 2001 Javelin *

Sally McLellan Sally Pearson, OAM (née McLellan; born 19 September 1986) is an Australian former athlete. She is the 2011 and 2017 World champion and 2012 Olympic champion in the 100 metres hurdles. She also won a silver medal in the 100 m hurdles at th ...

- 2003 100 metres hurdles *

- 2003 Discus * Ronnie Buckley - 2003 Discus * Chris Noffke - 2005 Long Jump *

Vicky Parnov Vicky Parnov (born 24 October 1990 in Moscow, Soviet Union) is an Australian athlete who competes in

- 2007 Pole Vault

Pacific Conference Games

The

Pacific Conference Games The Pacific Conference Games were a quadrennial athletics competition, held between 1969 and 1985 and contested by Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and the United States. Each of the five nations hosted an edition of the competition before its ...

were a quadrennial event conducted between athletes from Australia, Japan, Canada, New Zealand and the United States between 1969 and 1985. The 1977 Pacific Conference Games were held in

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...

. The most successful athlete at these Games was

who won six gold medals between 1973 and 1977.

Athletics events in Australia

Athletics Australia conducts a range of important athletics events and championships each year.Athletics Australia - Season Guide 2007/08
These include:

National Championships

The national titles have been conducted for over a hundred years, though the event has only been a joint championship since 1978. The most successful athletes at this event include

Warwick Selvey Warwick Perrins Selvey (3 December 1939 – 16 August 2018) was an Australian Olympic athlete who competed in the shot put and discus events. Selvey won a total of 18 Australian Championships in Athletics between 1960 and 1973 which is a rec ...

(19 wins) and

Gael Martin Gael Patricia Mulhall-Martin (born 27 August 1956) is a former Australian athlete who competed in the shot put and in the discus throw at the Olympic level and also had a career in powerlifting. Athletics Born in Melbourne, Mulhall-Martin is ...

(20 wins).

Athletics Grand Prix

The

IAAF World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation (from 1912 to 2001) and International Association of Athletics Federations (from 2001 to 2019, both abbreviated as the IAAF) is the international governing body for ...

approved meets at Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne comprise the most important athletics meetings held in Australia, with Australian athletes required to compete in order to gain international selection.

State Championships

Each Australian state or territory holds its own state athletics championships annually.

Other events

Inter-varsity athletics competitions were conducted in Australia from the late 19th century. Since 1993, the

Australian University Games The UniSport Nationals is a multi-sport event held annually between the 43 Australian universities and tertiary institutions. Overseen by UniSport, the peak governing body of university sport in Australia, the nationals is the flagship event on ...

have presented an annual multi-sport event. Athletes studying at tertiary institutions are eligible to compete in the bi-annual

World University Games The Universiade is an international multi-sport event, organized for university athletes by the International University Sports Federation (FISU). The name is a portmanteau of the words "University" and "Olympiad". The Universiade is referred t ...

Training and development

National training facilities for top level athletics competitors exist at the

Australian Institute of Sport The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) is a high performance sports training institution in Australia. The Institute's headquarters were opened in 1981 and are situated in the northern suburb of Bruce, Canberra. The AIS is a division of the ...

and support both Olympic and Paralympic competitors.

World records

The first Australian to set a ratified world record was

Triple Jump The triple jump, sometimes referred to as the hop, step and jump or the hop, skip and jump, is a track and field event, similar to the long jump. As a group, the two events are referred to as the "horizontal jumps". The competitor runs down th ...

Nick Winter Anthony William "Nick" Winter (25 August 1894 – 6 May 1955) was an Australian sportsman. He won the gold medal in the triple jump at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, in the process setting a new world record. His medal-winning jump re ...

at the

1924 Paris Olympics The 1924 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1924), officially the Games of the VIII Olympiad (french: Jeux de la VIIIe olympiade) and also known as Paris 1924, were an international multi-sport event held in Paris, France. The op ...

, with the first official female record-holder Decima Norman, who equalled the

100 yards 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit (measurement), unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment ...

world record in New Zealand, in 1939.- Athletics Australia - list of world record holders
/ref>

Distance runner Long-distance running, or endurance running, is a form of continuous running over distances of at least . Physiologically, it is largely aerobic in nature and requires stamina as well as mental strength. Within endurance running comes two d ...

Ron Clarke is still the most successful Australian athlete in terms of setting world records, with seventeen official records from Two-Miles to the 'One-Hour run' between 1963 and 1968.

Pole Vault Pole vaulting, also known as pole jumping, is a track and field event in which an athlete uses a long and flexible pole, usually made from fiberglass or carbon fiber, as an aid to jump over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the Myc ...

Emma George __NOTOC__Emma George (born 1 November 1974 in Beechworth, Victoria) is a former Australian pole vaulter. She set twelve world records in a row in the late nineties, but she lost the record on 26 May 2000 to Stacy Dragila and was unable to recaptu ...

is the most successful female Australian record-breaker, setting eleven world records from 1995 to 1999.

set the most recent world record in Australia, at

Geelong Geelong ( ) (Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in the southeastern Australian state of Victoria, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon River, ...

on 2 December 2006 when he recorded a time of 3-35.47 for the

50 km walk The 50 kilometre race walk was an Olympic athletics event that first appeared in 1932 and made its final Olympic appearance in 2021. The racewalking event is competed as a road race. Athletes must always keep in contact with the ground and the ...

. Other famous athletics world records set in Australia include: * Men's Javelin - 85.71m -

Egil Danielsen Egil Danielsen (9 November 1933 – 29 July 2019) was a Norway, Norwegian javelin thrower. He competed at the 1956 and 1960 Olympics and won the gold medal in 1956. Danielsen, who used an old-type wooden javelin, did poorly in the 1956 final, w ...

- Melbourne, 1956 * Women's 400 metres - 47.60 -

Marita Koch Marita Koch (later Meier-Koch; born 18 February 1957) is a German former sprint track and field athlete. During her career she collected 16 world records in outdoor sprints as well as 14 world records in indoor events. Her record of 47.60 in th ...

- Canberra, 1985 (current world record) * Women's 4 × 100 metres relay - 41.37 -

GDR East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...

- Canberra, 1985 (current world record)

Athletics venues in Australia

Athletics is conducted in most major centres in Australia, with a number of notable tracks: *

Lakeside Stadium Lakeside Stadium is an Australian sports arena in the South Melbourne suburb of Albert Park, Victoria, Albert Park. Comprising an athletics track and soccer stadium, it currently serves as the home ground and administrative base for association ...

- Melbourne's main venue for athletics *

Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

(formerly QEII Stadium) - hosted the

1982 Commonwealth Games The 1982 Commonwealth Games were held in Brisbane, Australia, from 30 September to 9 October 1982. The Opening Ceremony was held at the QEII Stadium (named after Elizabeth II), in the Brisbane suburb of Nathan. The QEII Stadium was also the a ...

* Sydney International Athletics Centre - the warm-up track for the

2000 Sydney Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 (Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from 1 ...

and host of the World Junior Championships *

Santos Stadium SA Athletics Stadium is a comprehensive, modern athletics facility. Located only a few minutes drive from the Adelaide CBD, the athletics facility offers a national standard nine lane running track and field complex including training and warm-u ...

- since 1998 the main venue for athletics in

State Athletics Stadium, Western Australia. Opened in 2009 to replace Perry Lakes which had been built for the 1962 British Empire and a Commonwealth Games. A large number of tracks originally established for athletics have since been converted to use by other sports: *

Sydney Cricket Ground The Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) is a sports stadium in Sydney, Australia. It is used for Test cricket, Test, One Day International and Twenty20 cricket, as well as, Australian rules football and occasionally for rugby league, rugby union and as ...

- main venue of the

1938 British Empire Games The 1938 British Empire Games was the third British Empire Games, the event that evolved to become the Commonwealth Games. Held in Sydney, Australia from 5–12 February 1938, they were timed to coincide with Sydney's sesqui-centenary (150 ye ...

Melbourne Cricket Ground The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), also known locally as "The 'G", is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Victoria. Founded and managed by the Melbourne Cricket Club, it is the largest stadiu ...

- main venue of the

1956 Melbourne Olympics The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, from 22 November to 8 December 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, whi ...

and

2006 Commonwealth Games The 2006 Commonwealth Games, officially the XVIII Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Melbourne 2006 (Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm 2006'' or ''Naarm 2006''), was an international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth held ...

athletics *

Kensington Oval The Kensington Oval is a stadium located to the west of the capital city Bridgetown on the island of Barbados. It is the pre-eminent sporting facility on the island and is primarily used for cricket. it has hosted many important and exciting c ...

(formerly Olympic Sports Field) - from 1965 to 1998, the home of

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

n athletics *

Bruce Stadium Canberra Stadium (GIO Stadium for commercial reasons) is a facility primarily used for rugby league and rugby union games, located adjacent to the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, the capital of Australia. It is the largest sports v ...

- host to the 1985

IAAF World Cup in Athletics The IAAF Continental Cup was an international track and field competition organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). The event was proposed by IAAF former President Primo Nebiolo and was first held in 1977 as t ...

- where two world records were set that still stand in 2008. *

Stadium Australia Stadium Australia, currently known as Accor Stadium for sponsorship purposes, is a multi-purpose stadium located in the Sydney Olympic Park, in Sydney, Australia. The stadium, which in Australia is sometimes referred to as Sydney Olympic Stad ...

- host of the

athletics events * Olympic Park Stadium - the home of athletics from 1956 to 2011 in

and the site of numerous world records Other significant former athletics venues in Australia include: *

Sydney Sports Ground The Sydney Sports Ground No. 1 was a Stadium and Dirt track racing venue in Sydney, New South Wales. The ground was located where the car park of the Sydney Football Stadium (SFS) currently sits. The ground had two main grandstands and was surro ...

, Moore Park and

Pratten Park Pratten Park is a sporting complex in the Sydney suburb of Ashfield. It was officially opened on 12 September 1912 by the Governor of New South Wales, Frederic Thesiger. Pratten Park was named after Herbert Pratten, an alderman and then mayor ...

in Sydney * Royal Park and St. Kilda Cricket Ground in Melbourne *

Adelaide Oval Adelaide Oval is a sports ground in Adelaide, South Australia, located in the parklands between the city centre and North Adelaide. The venue is predominantly used for cricket and Australian rules football, but has also played host to rugby ...

Norwood Oval Norwood Oval (currently known as Coopers Stadium due to sponsorship from the Adelaide-based Coopers Brewery) is a suburban oval in the western end of Norwood, an inner eastern suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. It is owned by Norwood, Payn ...

, and

Wayville Showgrounds The Adelaide Showground holds many of Adelaide's most popular events, including the Royal Adelaide Show. The Showground (also popularly known as the Wayville Showgrounds) is located in the inner-southern Adelaide suburb of Wayville, just so ...

in Adelaide *

Exhibition Ground Brisbane Showgrounds (formerly known as the Brisbane Exhibition Ground) is located at 600 Gregory Terrace, Bowen Hills, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia and was established in 1875. It hosts more than 250 events each year, with the largest bein ...

Bowen Park, Brisbane Bowen Park is a heritage-listed park of at O'Connell Terrace (corner of Bowen Bridge Road), Bowen Hills, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1863 to 1950s. It was also known as the Acclimatisation Society Gardens. It wa ...

and

Lang Park Lang Park, also known as Brisbane Football Stadium, by the sponsored name Suncorp Stadium, and nicknamed: 'The Cauldron', is a multi-purpose stadium in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Milton. The current facility co ...

in Brisbane *

Leederville Oval Leederville Oval (known as Medibank Stadium under a naming rights agreement between 2006 and 2016) is an Australian rules football ground located in Leederville, a suburb of Perth, Western Australia. The ground is used as a home ground by two c ...

in Perth *

North Hobart Oval North Hobart Oval is a Stadium, sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football. History North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a Brickfields Hiring Depot, convi ...

in Hobart A specially constructed Cross country facility was opened at

in November 2007. Named as the ' Stromlo Forest Park

cross-country track', this venue hosted the 2008 Australian Cross-Country trials.The Age - Runners to tackle Australia's Algarve
/ref>

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Athletics In Australia

History of athletics in Australia

Professional athletics

Australasian Union

Early women's athletics

Amateur unions

Athletics Australia

International teams

Olympic Games

Commonwealth Games

World Championships

Other international competitions

World Indoor Championships

World Cup

World Cross-country Championships

World Junior Championships

World Youth Championships

Pacific Conference Games

Athletics events in Australia

National Championships

Athletics Grand Prix

State Championships

Other events

Training and development

World records

Athletics venues in Australia

See also

References