Australia

Tokyo 2020 will see the largest Indigenous contingent in Australian Olympic history


The Tokyo-bound Australian Olympic team will include the largest number of Indigenous athletes in games history.

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Of the 472 athletes, 16 will represent the First Nations people of Australia, competing in 11 sports.

Despite competing at every summer Games since their inception in 1896, Indigenous athletes were not picked for the Australian team until Tokyo first hosted the Games in 1964.

Back then it was basketballer Michael Ah Matt and boxers Adrian Blair and Francis Roberts who made history.

The first Indigenous female was swimmer Samantha Riley, who won a bronze medal in the 100 metres breaststroke in Barcelona in 1992.

The first gold medallist was Nova Peris-Kneebone, as a member of the Hockeyroos in Atlanta 1996, followed soon after by track and field athlete Cathy Freeman winning the 400 metres in Sydney 2000.

Most often it is Freeman’s run that is cited by other athletes — both Indigenous and non-Indigenous — as the Olympic moment that inspired them most.

In another first, two-time Olympic hurdler Kyle Vander-Kuyp, a Worimi and Yuin man, has been appointed the team’s first Indigenous liaison officer, as part of his broader role in athlete services.

He says the number of Indigenous athletes in the team is a “huge highlight”, not only for him but the entire country. 

As Australia’s greatest ever 110m hurdler, with 12 national titles and still the holder of the national record, Vander-Kuyp has plenty to offer our athletes.(

AAP: Rod Taylor 

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He hopes his experiences will be of benefit to everyone in the team, Indigenous or not.

“It’s just using some of your knowledge from the past and helping athletes to have that best journey possible to perform well and execute what they’ve been working hard for,” he said. 

“It’s a real credit to all the athletes who have persevered and shown resilience to get through a really tough global pandemic and to make it to the starting line.

“Something I’m looking forward to helping them with is all the one percenters — be there, be a voice, be someone to listen, just be an encouragement, be a pat on the back.

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“I’m looking forward to meeting some [of the athletes] for the first time, touching base with them.

“And particularly for the Indigenous athletes, to know that they’ve got a friendly face to come up and say hello to and connect.

“I know that we’ve got a little cultural hub set up in the village with the map of all the language groups — I’m hoping all athletes engage with that.”

COVID-19 protocols mean any connecting will be done without the traditional handshake or hug.

“I don’t think we can have a lot of contact with athletes like handshaking and all that but I’m excited to see potentially a few of my cousins,” Vander-Kuyp said.

“There’s a good chance I’m related to the Longbottoms.

“Angeline Blackburn I’ve been mentoring on the track and Kyah Simon is a cousin, but I’ve never met her.

“So I’m definitely going to have to hold back from just giving these athletes a big hug but definitely looking forward to touching base.”

Simon hopes Indigenous representation will grow

Kyah Simon is back in the Matildas team after missing the last World Cup in 2019 through injury.

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She says along with long-time goalkeeper, Lydia Williams, they take enormous pride in representing their people and country, while being “a positive role model for so many young Indigenous kids back home in Australia”.

“That really resonated with me on a personal level, because Cathy [Freeman] was my inspiration as a nine-year-old girl, sitting at home in my lounge room watching the Olympic Games back in 2000,” she said.

“To think that potentially I could have that impact on some other young kids … is definitely something I have in the back of my mind.

“I’m so privileged and proud that I can be one of only a few Indigenous Olympians, but I hope that down the track in 20 years’ time there’s double or triple the amount of Indigenous Olympians representing our country.”

Beach volleyballers hitting for gold 

While the Australian Olympic team officials have gone against tradition of setting a medal target for Tokyo, beach volleyball player Taliqua Clancy is not shying away from claiming she’s targeting gold with her playing partner Mariafe Artacho del Solar.

“We put that pressure on ourselves,” Clancy said.

“There is no doubt in our minds that we have what we need and we had really good preparation.

“We love the pressure, that’s why you want to put on the green and gold.

“I’m so grateful for the opportunities the sport has given me, it’s taken me around the world and now it’s taken me to my second Olympics.”

Proud to wear Indigenous-design jersey 

Maurice Longbottom will be playing in the men’s rugby sevens team in Tokyo along with Dylan Pietsch.

He’s previously told The Ticket that being able to wear an Olympic uniform with an Indigenous design is “massive”.

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“I was blown away by it,” Longbottom said when he saw the uniform for the first time.

“My Olympic journey started five years ago when I switched from rugby league to rugby sevens.

“I played in the Ella Sevens, an Indigenous tournament, and that sort of just changed my mind on everything … I thought I’ve got an opportunity here, I might chase this and see how it goes, and it all happened quite quickly for me.

“The next thing I knew I was signing a three-year deal.”

Longbottom says being selected for Tokyo is another tick on a list of goals he set himself, and he’s happy he’ll get to share the experience with close friends.

“I sat down with a friend of mine and we just set out some goals and this happened to be our last goal.

“I’m lucky enough to have teammates that support me and support my culture, having that is amazing.

“I definitely reckon there is a lot more recognition now for Indigenous people, you feel as one, you don’t feel divided, you don’t feel like that “other person”.

Australia’s Indigenous athletes heading to Tokyo

Ash Barty, Tennis, Ngarigo

Angeline Blackburn, Track and Field, Monero Ngarigo and Yuin

Taliqua Clancy, Beach Volleyball, Wulli Wulli and Goreng Goreng

Thomas Grice, Shooting, Dharawal 

Maurice Longbottom, Rugby Sevens, Dharawal

Patrick Mills, Basketball, Nunga

Leilani Mitchell, Basketball, Wuthathi

Brooke Peris, Hockey, Ngarrawanji

Dylan Pietsch, Rugby Sevens, Wiradjuri

Stacey Porter, Softball, Kamilaroi

Kyah Simon, Football, Anaiwan

Tarni Stepto, Softball, Kamilaroi

Brandon Wakeling, Weightlifting, Wonnarua

Lydia Williams, Football, Noongar

Mariah Williams, Hockey, Wiradjuri

Alex Winwood, Boxing, Noongar



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