Register For Our Mailing List

Register to receive our free weekly newsletter including editorials.

Home / 573

The numbers behind Australia’s record-breaking Olympics

Australia has a proud history at the Summer Olympics. We have won at least one medal in every Summer games all the way back to 1896.

We have secured top-ten finishes on the medals table every Olympics since 1992. The fact there are more than 50 countries with larger populations makes these results ever more impressive.

The 2024 Olympics were no different.

Most gold medals

There are different ways to measure Olympic success, however the International Olympic Committee (IOC) medal tally ranks countries by the number of gold medals won.

By this measure, Paris 2024 was Australia’s most successful Olympics.

Our 18 golds breaks the previous record of 17 set in Athens (2004) and Tokyo (2021).

So how did this happen?

The golden haul was led by our swimmers, particularly the women.

Swimming is Australia’s most successful Olympic sport. We have a strong swimming culture and very demanding national qualifying times.

Importantly, there are a lot of swimming events at the Olympics – in Paris there were 35 golds available in the pool. In comparison, sports such as hockey and handball only had two gold medals on offer.

Australia won 18 swimming medals including seven gold.

Traditionally, when the swimming events finish, Australia starts to slide down the medal tally as other countries with strengths in other sports surge.

This slide did not happen as fast in Paris. Day 12, with four golds and two bronze (none from swimming) was our most successful day in Olympic history.

We also won gold medals in events for the first time. One of those went to Arisa Trew, 14, who became our youngest gold medallist and first gold medallist in women’s park skateboarding.

Other first-time golds included the women’s time trial (Grace Brown), men’s 50-metre freestyle (Cameron McEvoy), women’s BMX (Saya Sakakibara), women’s pole vault (Nina Kennedy), women’s canoe slalom (Jess Fox) and women’s kayak cross (Noemie Fox).

One-third of Australia’s gold medals came in less traditional Olympic sports such as canoe slalom, skateboarding and BMX.

In fact, if the Fox sisters, Jess and Noemie, were a country, their combined three gold medals would have ranked them 29th, ahead of countries such as Denmark and Austria.

Comparing to previous results

Comparing medal tallies historically is difficult, as many things have changed.

New sports have been added in recent Olympics, resulting in more medals being available. But the world population has nearly tripled since 1956, which means more competition for medals.

In 1956, Australia won 8.61% (13 out of 151) of the gold medals available and were ranked third on the medal tally.

This is our highest percentage of golds and our highest rank.

So, was this actually our best Olympic performance?

Maybe, but it is important to acknowledge we had a lot less competition.

@nickreecemelbourne Count down to Paris 2024, throw back to Melbourne 1956 ??????#melbourne #melbourneaustralia #olympics ? original sound - nickreecemelbourne

Australia’s remoteness and international conflicts resulted in many countries not attending the games. China did not compete. Neither did most of Africa.

Only 72 countries competed and nearly 10% (323 out of 3314) of competing athletes were Australian.

In 2000, Australia won its most medals (58, including 16 gold), but were likely advantaged by a vocal home crowd and featuring our biggest team ever (632 athletes).

Athens 2004 probably ranks slightly ahead of Tokyo 2021 as our team won their 17 golds from 301 events, whereas there were 339 events in Tokyo.

But there were slightly more total competitors in Tokyo.

In Paris, 10,714 athletes from 206 countries competed; 462 (4.31%) were Australian.

The 2024 team may have been advantaged by the non-attendance of most Russian athletes. However, Russia’s most successful Olympic sports are wrestling, gymnastics and athletics, not swimming, skateboarding and canoe slalom.

Also, Australia only won four gold medals last time Russia did not attend the games, in 1984. So we don’t know what difference it would have made to our medal tally.

One thing we can all agree on is that Australia has had a very successful Olympics.

What was the secret to Australia’s success in Paris?

A search of the Olympics subreddit provides some plausible (“strong sporting culture”) as well as humorous (“all the slow Aussies got eaten by wildlife”) answers to this question.

But what other reasons are there?

Funding boosts

The Australian Sports Commission directly invested a record $398.3 million in high performance funding for Paris.

This money funded projects such as developing a replica Paris BMX Freestyle track and launching a new canoe slalom kayaking program.

This preparation helped contribute to Olympic success for Australia.

Direct athlete support

Since the Tokyo games, $47 million in direct athlete support grants have been awarded.

The AOC also invested in Indigenous Athletes Support Grants and financial incentives for medal winners.

Mining magnate Gina Rinehart also personally supported our swimming, rowing, volleyball and synchronised swimming teams.

This support allows athletes to train more and work less.

Female role models and inspiration

Some of Australia’s finest recent Olympic performances have been from women. This has included Cathy Freeman’s iconic 400m win and the more recent performances of swimmer Ariarne Titmus.

More media exposure, equal representation, federal funding and presence for female sports has made it easier to inspire and support new generations of elite female athletes.

These developments may have contributed to the success of our female athletes, who won 13 of Australia’s gold medals in Paris.

Science and innovation

Australia has always been at the forefront of sports science.

For example, Australia was the first country in the world to use underwater cameras to extract data from the pool.

They are planning to increase their use of AI in the lead-up to the 2028 Olympics.

Australia also used environmental measurement units in the Olympic village to help athletes avoid the negative effects of hot summer temperatures and humidity during the games.

Australian athletes continue to benefit from state-of-the-art facilities at the Australian Institute of Sport.

The (AIS) European Training Centre in Italy tripled its accommodation in the lead-up to Paris.

It now provides a “home away from home” and competitive advantage for more Australian athletes training or competing in Europe.

Enhanced wellbeing focuses

All major Australian sporting bodies have been committed to the “Win Well 2032 Pledge”.

The pledge focuses on ensuring national sporting organisations are committed to supporting mental, emotional, cultural and physical wellbeing to foster the best chance for athletes to succeed.

Historical precedent

Australian athletes have consistently performed better in the Olympics than other developed countries with bigger populations, like Canada and Spain.

Australians have always had a strong interest in sports, with many of us believing sport contributes to our national identity.

In 1962, Sports Illustrated identified Australia as the best sporting nation in the world per population level.

These foundations set a precedent for modern and future generations, creating an expectation to maintain Australia’s global sporting status.The Conversation

 

Vaughan Cruickshank, Senior Lecturer in Health and Physical Education, University of Tasmania;
Brendon Hyndman, Associate Professor of Health & Physical Education (Adj.), Charles Sturt University, and
Tom Hartley, Lecturer in Health and Physical Education, University of Tasmania

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

 

RELATED ARTICLES

Matildas reality check: little impact on the A-League

What kind of society do we want to become?

banner

Most viewed in recent weeks

Why the $5.4 trillion wealth transfer is a generational tragedy

The intergenerational wealth transfer, largely driven by a housing boom, exacerbates economic inequality, stifles productivity, and impedes social mobility. Solutions lie in addressing the housing problem, not taxing wealth.

The 2025 Australian Federal election – implications for investors

With an election due by 17 May, we are effectively in campaign mode with the Government announcing numerous spending promises since January and the Coalition often matching them. Here's what the election means for investors.

Finding the best income-yielding assets

With fixed term deposit rates declining and bank hybrids being phased out, what are the best options for investors seeking income? This goes through the choices, and the opportunities and risks involved.

What history reveals about market corrections and crashes

The S&P 500's recent correction raises concerns about a bear market. History shows corrections are driven by high rates, unemployment, or global shocks, and that there's reason for optimism for nervous investors today. 

Howard Marks: the investing game has changed

The famed investor says the rapid switch from globalisation to trade wars is the biggest upheaval in the investing environment since World War Two. And a new world requires a different investment approach.

Welcome to Firstlinks Edition 605 with weekend update

Trump's tariffs and China's retaliatory strike have sent the Nasdaq into a bear market with the S&P 500 not far behind. What are the implications for the economy and markets, and what should investors do now? 

  • 3 April 2025

Latest Updates

Investment strategies

4 ways to take advantage of the market turmoil

Every crisis throws up opportunities. Here are ideas to capitalise on this one, including ‘overbalancing’ your portfolio in stocks, buying heavily discounted LICs, and cherry picking bombed out sectors like oil and gas.

Shares

Why the ASX needs dual-class shares

The ASX is exploring the introduction of dual class share structures for listed companies. Opposition is building to the plan but the ASX should ignore the naysayers and bring Australia into line with its global peers.

The state of women's wealth in Australia

New research shows the average Australian woman has $428,000 in net wealth, 40% less than the average man. This takes a deep dive into what the gender wealth gap looks like across different life stages.

Investing

The two most dangerous words in investing

Market extremes are where the biggest investment risks and opportunities lie. While events like this are usually only obvious in hindsight, learning to watch out for these two words can alert you to them in real time.

Shares

Investing in the backbone of the digital age

Semiconductors are used to make microchips and are essential to a vast range of technology and devices. This looks at what’s driving demand for chips, how the industry is evolving, and favoured stocks to play the theme.

Gold

Why gold’s record highs in 2025 differ from prior peaks

Gold prices hit new recent highs, driven by a stronger euro, tariff concerns, and steady ETF buying – all while the precious metal’s fundamental backdrop remains solid amid a shifting global economic landscape.

Now might be the best time to switch out of bank hybrids

In this interview, Schroders' Helen Mason discusses investing in corporate and financial credit securities, market impacts of tariffs, opportunities for cash investments, and views on tier two and hybrid bonds.

Sponsors

Alliances

© 2025 Morningstar, Inc. All rights reserved.

Disclaimer
The data, research and opinions provided here are for information purposes; are not an offer to buy or sell a security; and are not warranted to be correct, complete or accurate. Morningstar, its affiliates, and third-party content providers are not responsible for any investment decisions, damages or losses resulting from, or related to, the data and analyses or their use. To the extent any content is general advice, it has been prepared for clients of Morningstar Australasia Pty Ltd (ABN: 95 090 665 544, AFSL: 240892), without reference to your financial objectives, situation or needs. For more information refer to our Financial Services Guide. You should consider the advice in light of these matters and if applicable, the relevant Product Disclosure Statement before making any decision to invest. Past performance does not necessarily indicate a financial product’s future performance. To obtain advice tailored to your situation, contact a professional financial adviser. Articles are current as at date of publication.
This website contains information and opinions provided by third parties. Inclusion of this information does not necessarily represent Morningstar’s positions, strategies or opinions and should not be considered an endorsement by Morningstar.