Australia at the 2008 Summer Olympics

Infobox Olympics Australia
games=2008 Summer
competitors=433
sports=26
flagbearer= James Tomkins (opening)
Stephanie Rice (closing)
gold=14
silver=15
bronze=17
total=46
rank=6

A total of 433 competitors competed for Australia at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. [cite web|url=http://www.olympics.com.au/Portals/3/pdf/2008_Australian_Team_030808.pdf|title=2008 Australian Olympic Team|work=www.olympics.com.au/|date=4/08/2008|accessdate=2008-08-06] The team was Australia's second largest away team after the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, which included a team of 482 competitors. Australian athletes have competed in every Summer Olympic Games of the modern era.

In addition to competitors, 418 officials and 38 medical personnel were part of the Australian team. [cite web|url=http://www.olympics.com.au/TheTeam/2008TeamTrivia/tabid/359/Default.aspx?link=359&|title=Team Trivia|work=www.olympics.com.au/|date=4/08/2008|accessdate=2008-08-06] Australia competed in 26 of the 28 Olympic program sports; they failed to qualify in Baseball and Team handball. Australia also sent a men's but not a women's football (soccer) squad, and had two beach volleyball but no indoor volleyball teams competing.

Medalists

Athletics

Australia sent forty representatives to compete in athletics events. [ [http://www.foxsports.com.au/beijing_olympics/story/0,27313,23925601-5016771,00.html "Australia finalises athletics team"] , News.com.au, June 26, 2008] Jana Rawlinson, who was to have competed in the women's 400m hurdles, withdrew in July due to a toe injury. [ [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/07/10/1215282984282.html "Athletics Australia rallies behind Rawlinson"] , "The Age", July 10, 2008] Nathan Deakes, who was to have competed in walking and was described as a "gold medal hope", also withdrew a few days later due to a persistent hamstring injury. [ [http://www.bangkokpost.com/sportsplus/sportsplus.php?id=128971 "Australia's Nathan Deakes limps out of Beijing Games"] , "Bangkok Post", July 21, 2008]

Men

Track Events

Field Events

Women

Knockout stage

Quarterfinals

Gold medal match

Women

Cycling

Australia selected competitors in all four cycling disciplines – BMX [cite web | url= http://www.olympics.com.au/Athletes/TheTeam/tabid/343/Default.aspx?TeamID=41&SportID=9&DisciplineID=36#teamTableContainer | title=The Team - Cycling - BMX | publisher=Australian Olympic Committee | accessdate=2008-07-14 ] , mountain biking [cite web | url= http://www.olympics.com.au/Athletes/TheTeam/tabid/343/Default.aspx?TeamID=38&SportID=9&DisciplineID=10#teamTableContainer | title=The Team - Cycling - MTB | publisher=Australian Olympic Committee | accessdate=2008-07-14 ] , road racing [cite web | url= http://www.olympics.com.au/Athletes/TheTeam/tabid/343/Default.aspx?TeamID=39&SportID=9&DisciplineID=12#teamTableContainer | title=The Team - Cycling - Road | publisher=Australian Olympic Committee | accessdate=2008-07-14 ] and track racing [cite web | url= http://www.olympics.com.au/Athletes/TheTeam/tabid/343/Default.aspx?TeamID=40&SportID=9&DisciplineID=16#teamTableContainer | title=The Team - Cycling - Track | publisher=Australian Olympic Committee | accessdate=2008-07-14 ] . Mountain biker Chris Jongewaard lost his legal appeal to be included in the team after being excluded because of a car accident involving another cyclist for which he was due to face court in late 2008. [cite web | url= http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/07/25/2314613.htm?site=local | title=Jongewaard shattered by Olympics omission | publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation | accessdate=2008-08-05 ]

BMX

;Men

Women

Track

Sprints

Points Races

Equestrian

Australia selected a team of twelve equestrians to compete at the 2008 Olympics. Hayley Beresford, Kristy Oatley and Heath Ryan will compete in dressage. Edwina Alexander, Laurie Lever, Peter McMahon and Matt Williams were selected for the jumping competition. Clayton Fredericks, Lucinda Fredericks, Sonja Johnson, Megan Jones and Shane Rose were selected for the three-day event. [cite web | url= http://www.olympics.com.au/Athletes/TheTeam/tabid/343/Default.aspx?TeamID=5&SportID=10&DisciplineID=4#teamTableContainer | title=The Team - Equestrian - Dressage | publisher=Australian Olympic Committee | accessdate=2008-07-15 ] [cite web | url= http://www.olympics.com.au/Athletes/TheTeam/tabid/343/Default.aspx?TeamID=7&SportID=10&DisciplineID=9#teamTableContainer | title=The Team - Equestrian - Jumping | publisher=Australian Olympic Committee | accessdate=2008-07-15 ] [cite web | url= http://www.olympics.com.au/Athletes/TheTeam/tabid/343/Default.aspx?TeamID=6&SportID=10&DisciplineID=5#teamTableContainer | title=The Team - Equestrian - Eventing | publisher=Australian Olympic Committee | accessdate=2008-07-15 ]

Dressage

Team Jumping

Women's Team:The Australian women's football team failed to qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games.

Gymnastics

Australian gymnasts qualified for Beijing in all three categories: artistic, rhythmic and trampoline. Naazmi Johnston was the only rhythmic gymast to qualify. Ben Wilden was the only trampolinist selected in the squad and Samuel Simpson was the only male artistic gymnast but a full women's artistic gymnastic team of six qualified: [cite web | url= http://www.olympics.com.au/Athletes/TheTeam/tabid/343/Default.aspx?TeamID=10&SportID=13&DisciplineID=1#teamTableContainer | title=The Team - Gymnastics - Artistic | publisher=Australian Olympic Committee | accessdate=2008-07-15 ] [cite web | url= http://www.olympics.com.au/Athletes/TheTeam/tabid/343/Default.aspx?TeamID=11&SportID=13&DisciplineID=11#teamTableContainer | title=The Team - Gymnastics - Rhythmic | publisher=Australian Olympic Committee | accessdate=2008-07-15 ] [cite web | url= http://www.olympics.com.au/Athletes/TheTeam/tabid/343/Default.aspx?TeamID=12&SportID=13&DisciplineID=17#teamTableContainer | title=The Team - Gymnastics - Trampoline | publisher=Australian Olympic Committee | accessdate=2008-07-15 ]

Artistic

;Men

Trampoline

Men

Women

Preliminary Round

The top two teams from each group advance to the Semifinals. Australia were eliminated on Goal Difference with China and entered the playoff for 5th/6th.

Group A

Judo

Australia has selected a team of 13 for the 2008 Games: [cite web | url= http://www.olympics.com.au/Athletes/TheTeam/tabid/343/Default.aspx?TeamID=15&SportID=16&DisciplineID=-1#teamTableContainer | title=The Team - Judo | publisher=Australian Olympic Committee | accessdate=2008-06-25 ]

Men

Rowing

For the first time, Australia qualified for every rowing event at an Olympics: [cite web | url= http://www.ausport.gov.au/ais/news/australian_rowers_qualify_14_boats_for_beijing | title=Australian rowers qualify 14 boats for Beijing| publisher=Australian Sports Commission | accessdate=2008-07-07 ] [cite web | url= http://www.olympics.com.au/Athletes/TheTeam/tabid/343/Default.aspx?TeamID=17&SportID=18&DisciplineID=-1#teamTableContainer | title=The Team - Rowing | publisher=Australian Olympic Committee | accessdate=2008-07-07 ]

Men

Women

Women

Swimming

Australia sent 43 swimmers to Beijing. [ [http://www.foxsports.com.au/beijing_olympics/athleteprofile/0,27316,24071234-5017297,00.html "Australia's Olympic swimming team"] , Fox Sports] The Men's team won 3 Silver and 3 Bronze medals, while the Women's team won 6 Gold, 2 Silver and 4 Bronze medals and set 4 World Records.

The members of the swim team [cite web | url= http://www.olympics.com.au/Athletes/TheTeam/tabid/343/Default.aspx?TeamID=1&SportID=1&DisciplineID=14#teamTableContainer | title=The Team - Swimming | publisher=Australian Olympic Committee | accessdate=2008-04-29 ] and their results were :

Men

Table Tennis

Australia has qualified both men's and women's table tennis teams for Beijing. Each team includes three competitors. The men's team is Kyle Davis, William Henzell and David Zalcberg. The women's team is Jian Fang Lay, Miao Miao and Stephanie Sang. [cite web | url= http://www.olympics.com.au/Athletes/TheTeam/tabid/343/Default.aspx?TeamID=22&SportID=22&DisciplineID=-1#teamTableContainer | title=The Team - Table Tennis | publisher=Australian Olympic Committee | accessdate=2008-06-25 ]

Men

August 14

Taekwondo

Four Australians have qualified for the Beijing Olympics. Ryan Carneli will compete in the men's under 58kg division and Burak Hasan in the men's 58-68kg division. Carmen Marton will compete in the women's over 67kg division and Tina Morgan in the women's 57-67kg division. [cite web | url= http://www.olympics.com.au/Athletes/TheTeam/tabid/343/Default.aspx?TeamID=23&SportID=23&DisciplineID=-1#teamTableContainer | title=The Team - Taekwondo | publisher=Australian Olympic Committee | accessdate=2008-06-25 ]

Men

Women

Volleyball

Beach

Two teams qualified for the Olympics. The women's team Barnett-Cook (Tamsin Barnett and Natalie Cook), and the men's team Schacht-Slack (Andrew Schacht and Joshua Slack).

Men

Classification 7th-8thGroup GamesBronze Medal Match

Wrestling

Four wrestlers represented Australia at the 2008 Games: [cite web | url= http://www.olympics.com.au/Athletes/TheTeam/tabid/343/Default.aspx?TeamID=29&SportID=28&DisciplineID=7#teamTableContainer | title=The Team - Wrestling Freestyle | publisher=Australian Olympic Committee | accessdate=2008-06-25 ] . [cite web | url= http://www.olympics.com.au/Athletes/TheTeam/tabid/343/Default.aspx?TeamID=30&SportID=28&DisciplineID=8#teamTableContainer | title=The Team - Wrestling Greco-Roman | publisher=Australian Olympic Committee | accessdate=2008-06-25 ] None of them made it past the qualification round.

;Men's Freestyle

Media coverage

In Australia, both the Seven Network and SBS TV provided television coverage of the games. Live web video streaming of selected events was provided by Yahoo!7. Radio station 2GB held the exclusive Sydney radio rights through the Seven Network, while in other capital cities commercial partners were joined by ABC Local Radio in providing radio coverage. Additionally, Telstra broadcast Seven's coverage and that of selected events to 3G mobile phones via the Next G network.

An estimated eight million viewers in Australia watched the televised broadcast of the Opening Ceremony, the largest number ever, surpassing that of the 2000 Sydney Olympics opening ceremony. [ [http://www.smh.com.au/news/off-the-field/seven-in-heaven-as-8-million-tune-in/2008/08/09/1218139181035.html Seven in heaven as 8 million tune in] "Sydney Morning Herald", August 9, 2008] Seven was the only network to televise the Opening Ceremony in Australia.

Seven has been criticised for broadcasting Australian Football League games in lieu of Olympic events with Australian athletes in contention for medals, as well as for the quality of their coverage in general. [ [http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/beijing_olympics/story/0,27313,24159914-5014105,00.html Viewers outraged as Channel Seven dumps Olympic coverage for AFL match] , "News.com", August 11, 2008] ] [ [http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,24163544-5001030,00.html Channel 7 stumbles on Beijing Olympic Games coverage] , "Daily Telegraph", August 11, 2008] ] The network cited existing contractual obligations for their AFL scheduling. [ [http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2008/08/seven-on-defense.html Seven on the defense] , "TV Tonight", August 12, 2008] ] In response, the AFL made concessions to Seven that allowed more Olympics coverage to be broadcast in certain markets. [ [http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2008/08/afl-relents-seven-allowed-more-olympics.html AFL relents, Seven allowed more Olympics] , "TV Tonight", August 12, 2008] ]

During the closing days of the games, Seven and the rival Nine Network engaged in a "bidding war" to secure athletes, particularly gold medalists, for exclusive contracts to appear on their respective programs. Stephanie Rice signed a $800,000 two-year contract with Seven, and as a result withdrew (along with several other athletes) from being filmed for Nine's "60 Minutes" hours before the show. [ [http://www.smh.com.au/news/latest-news/seven-nine-in-bidding-war/2008/08/22/1219262524936.html Seven, Nine in Bidding War] , "Sydney Morning Herald", August 22, 2008.] Both networks are fighting for the lead in the Australian television ratings and, whilst Seven has broadcast the last several Olympics, Nine will be co-broadcasting with Foxtel the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London.

ee also

* Australia at the 2008 Summer Paralympics

External links

* [http://www.olympics.com.au/ Official website of Australia's team for the Beijing Olympics]

References