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Rewards flowing for innovative Aussies
Australia is starting to see the rewards of a sound sports system and was gearing for a top-five medal finish at the Athens Olympics.
Australia is starting to see the rewards of a sound sports system and was gearing for a top-five medal finish at the Athens Olympics, Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates said on Thursday.
Australia savoured its best performance at an Olympics since Melbourne in 1956 when they claimed 58 medals -- 16 gold, 25 silver and 17 bronze -- in finishing fourth on the medal tally at the 2000 Sydney Games.
But Coates is expecting hotter competition from Germany in Athens to keep a top-four spot behind the United States, Russia and China.
"Our objective is to finish in the top-five nations and I can't quantify how many medals we will need to achieve that, but we expect somewhere around 40-45 medals," Coates told a press conference.
"We haven't set a specific target in terms of medals, just the top-five overall performance, but we benchmark against world championships and other such events on a four-yearly basis for the purposes of funding that is made direct to the athletes.
"On our benchmarks last year Australian athletes won 50 medals across 20 sports, so that's an indication that we're going okay.
"As a guide, the benchmark in 1999 had us at 60 medals and we won 58 at the Sydney Games."
Australia, which punches far above its weight in global sports on a 20 million population base, has qualified in 27 of the 28 sports on the Olympic program -- handball missed out -- and ranks behind only hosts Greece and the United States in team sports representation in Athens.
Coates said Australia's rise in sporting performance dated back to the embers of the nation's low point at the 1976 Olympics when it came away from Montreal with one silver and four bronze medals.
That led to the 1981 introduction of the nationally-funded Sports of Institute, which is now recognised around the world for its ability to identify, develop and produce champions.
More than half of the 620-strong Sydney Olympic team were current or former AIS athletes, and they won 32 of Australias record-breaking 58 medals.
"This all dates back to the Institute of Sports and the additional funding that successive governments have made available, particularly the additional funding that was introduced into Australian sport leading into the Sydney Olympics over six years and which has been maintained," Coates said.
"We have a very good sports system and we're starting to see the rewards and I find it very pleasing that people like (basketballer) Lauren Jackson, volleyballers and some of the softballers, who go to Japan, can make a very good living out of sport.
"And also still come back and be proud to represent Australia at the Olympics like (Glasgow Rangers footballer) Craig Moore."
Coates said with the increased funding came a responsibility to athletes to deliver at the Olympics.
