Category: Australian Olympic Committee
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Australian Prime Ministers and Sport Series – Andrew Fisher
By Greg Blood ANDREW FISHER – AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY 5th Prime Minister (1908–1909; 1910–1913; 1914–1915) Andrew Fisher viewed sport and physical fitness in terms of nationalism. The physical fitness of Australian men would be important in defending the new nation and the Olympic Games could help promote physical fitness and the nation on the…
australiansportreflections
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2000 Sydney Olympic and Paralympic Games Power Brokers: Why to Expect Many Changes in 2032 Brisbane’s Journey
By Greg Blood It is just over ten years until the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Brisbane and South East Queensland. If the 2000 Sydney Games are any guide, there will be significant turnover of political and administrative power brokers over this period. Documented are the power broker changes during the lead up – 1993…
australiansportreflections
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Toyko Olympics: Medals, Personal Bests, Athlete & Team Journeys and Camaraderie
By Greg Blood Prior to the Tokyo Olympics, I detailed the support that the Australian Government through the AIS provided to the Australian Olympic and Paralympic teams. It is worthwhile examining the results and outcomes of Tokyo Olympics and how improvements can be made for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics. I was so pleased the Olympics…
australiansportreflections
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Revisiting Olympic Athlete Program & Paralympic Preparation Program (1994-2000)
By Greg Blood It is worthwhile revisiting the Olympic Athlete Program (OAP) and Paralympic Preparation Program (PPP) with the strong likelihood of Brisbane and South East Queensland hosting the 2032 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. These Australian Government funding programs led to Australia having its most successful Summer Olympics and Paralympics to date. Besides the Australia’s…
australiansportreflections
Australian Institute of Sport, Australian Olympic Committee, Australian Sports Commission, Author – Greg Blood, Coaching, Evaluation and Review, Funding, Governance, Government Policy, High Performance Sport, History, Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Paralympics Australia, Politics, Sport Science, Sports Medicine, Talent Development -
Contribution of Australian sport administrators to international sport
By Greg Blood Australian sport administrators have filled significant positions in international sport. John Coates has often argued that Australian sport administrators need to hold significant Australian positions particularly President/Chair for several years before standing for positions on international sports federations. I recently researched Ray Godkin’s sport administration career for his Wikipedia article and it…
australiansportreflections
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2022 Beijing Winter Olympics / Paralympics – sporting sanctions should not be used to protest against China’s human rights record
by Greg Blood The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China has been reported to call for China to be stripped of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics due to the country’s increasingly poor human rights record. This made me reflect on two instances of the Australian Government using sporting boycotts/sanctions – boycott of 1980 Moscow Olympics and banning…
australiansportreflections
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Leaders in Australian Sport 1980-2020
By Greg Blood Recently Ian Hanson, swimming journalist and historian, published an article on James Taylor CBE who in 1920 was the inaugural President of the Australian Olympic Council and held the position until his death in 1944. It reminded me that in early part of 20th century Australian sport there were many long term…
australiansportreflections
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The Relationship between the Australian Olympic Committee and the Australian Sports Commission
By Greg Blood. Orginally published in Sporting Traditions, V35 (1) May 2018 Since the 2016 Rio Olympics, the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) and Australian Sports Commission (ASC) have had several very public disagreements regarding the funding and direction of high performance sport. In 1980, the Fraser Government requested the then Australian Olympic Federation to boycott…
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How should we judge funding of Australian Olympic athletes and teams?
By Greg Blood. Originally published in The Roar, 13 June 2018. Currently there is an interesting conundrum in Australian Olympic sport. The failure of the Australian Olympic team to achieve its target of the top five on the medal table at the Rio Olympics has raised questions about the suitability of medal targets. This failure…
australiansportreflections
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Who should succeed John Coates in 2021 as AOC President?
By Greg Blood. Originally published in The Roar, 6 May 2017. In the lead up to the 2017 Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) President election, John Coates indicated that this would be his last term. Coates bemoaned that he had difficulty in finding a successor as one reason why he still sought re-election. Mind you I’m…
australiansportreflections