Emma McKeon
Over the weekend, swimmer Emma McKeon cemented herself as the most successful Olympic athlete in Australian history. She won her sixth gold medal in the 4x100m freestyle relay, surpassing Ian Thorpe’s long-held record of five gold medals.
Steven Bradbury
The gold medal of Australian short track speed skater at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City is so iconic it barely needs any recounting. Many like to assert Australia as the ‘lucky country’ for various reasons, but if there was truly a moment that summed up whatever ludicrous luck of this quiet, hardworking nation, it’s Steven Bradbury in delightful shock as his competitors lay squabbling before the finish line.
Cathy Freeman
It is hard to say any Australian will ever usurp Cathy Freeman’s spot in the nation’s cultural memory. Before a home crowd in Sydney wearing the green and gold body suit that has become as iconic as the moment itself, she won the gold medal in the 400m. She would raise both the Australian and Aboriginal flags on her victory lap, a historic moment for Indigenous Australians on the world stage.
