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WHY ARE AUSTRALIANS SO CRAZY ABOUT SPORTS? |
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Beautiful weather, lots of tennis courts, golf
courses and other sporting facilities, along with many beaches and
waterways, open spaces and bushland, encourage Australians to take up
outdoor activities as part of their lifestyle.
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Almost one-third of the population are registered sports participants. Many more are involved in activities such as fishing, bushwalking, recreational boating, horse riding and fitness programs. Water sports have a huge following and the high interest in sailing is seen in Australia’s entry in every America’s Cup challenge since 1967. | In September 1983 Australia II became the first foreign yacht to win the cup held by the US since 1851. Australians are also enthusiastic sports watchers. Crowds of more than 100 000 are common in Melbourne for the grand final of the Australian Football competition. | ||
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HOW INVOLVED IS AUSTRALIA IN THE OLYMPICS? |
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| Australia will be the host nation to the Olympic Games for the second time in less than 50 years when the Games are held in Sydney in 2000. The 1956 Olympic Games were held in Melbourne, and Australia has been the host nation for three Commonwealth Games, in Sydney (1938), Perth (1962) and Brisbane (1982). |
Australia is one of only three nations to have
competed at every modern Olympic Games and has been represented at all 13
Commonwealth Games. Australians have won 78 Olympic and 396
Commonwealth gold medals. In Olympic Games held between 1948 and 1992, women won more than |
40% of the gold medals won by Australians - a
remarkable achievement since only 23% of events at the Games were
available to women.
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WHAT ARE SOME OTHER POPULAR SPORTS IN AUSTRALIA? |
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Aussies love rugby, Australian rules football,
cricket, sailing, horse racing, cycling, fishing and gymnastics. As
sports fans, they are even more intense than our American obsession with
the NFL and the NBA. 
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Australians easily take up new sports like
American football, basketball and lacrosse, and most elementary and high
schools devote two half-days during the week for sporting events. |
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Sport is of such cultural
importance that the government has an entire agency to support athletics,
and government at all levels spends close to $3 billion on recreation
annually. |
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