Australian Capital Territory Olympic Council

________________________ INCORPORATED ________________________

2012 ANNUAL REPORT

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ACT Olympic Council

Address: C/- 53 Glasgow Street HUGHES ACT 2602

Website: www.olympics.com.au/act/

E-mail: See ‘Contact Us’ in www.olympics.com.au/act/

Formed: December 1979 (as ACT Olympic Sports Association)

Patron: Katy Gallagher MLA

Chief Minister of the ACT

President: Robin Poke Vice President: Andrew Dee Treasurer: Harry Carroll Secretary: Bruce Coe Executive Members: Shaun Creighton (Olympians)

Jim Ferguson Regan Harrison Owen Heness Brendon Prout David Pembroke (resignation from Executive

effective from 12 July 2012) Auditors: Ernst & Young

Life Members: Peter Anderson OAM

David Dickson Denis Wilson AM

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Contents Sports Directory Page 4 President’s Report Page 5 Treasurer’s Report Page 8 Education Page 9 Pierre de Coubertin recipients Page 10 Olympic Team Partners & Suppliers Page 11 London 2012 Olympians Page 12 Olympians Page 13 Other Activities Page 13 Financial Reports Page 14

Sports Directory

ARCHERY www.archery.org.au ATHLETICS www.athleticsact.org.au BADMINTON www.badmintonact.asn.au BASEBALL www.act.baseball.com.au BASKETBALL www.act.basketball.net.au BOXING www.boxingact.org.au CYCLING www.act.cycling.org.au EQUESTRIAN www.actea.asn.au FENCING www.actfa.org.au FOOTBALL www.capitalfootball.com.au GOLF www.actgolf.com.au GYMNASTICS www.actga.net HANDBALL www.acthandball.org.au/?page_id=48 HOCKEY www.hockeyact.org.au ICE HOCKEY www.actiha.org.au ICE SKATING www.actisa.asn.au JUDO www.facebook.com/pages/Judo-ACT/400691443313889 ROWING www.rowingact.org.au RUGBY www.brumbies.com.au SAILING www.act.yachting.org.au SHOOTING – Clay www.canberrainter.org.au SHOOTING – Pistol www.pistol.org.au/about/associations SHOOTING – Rifle www.canberrarifleclub.org.au SNOW SPORTS www.snowsportsact.com.au SOFTBALL www.act.softball.org.au SWIMMING www.swimmingact.com.au TABLE TENNIS www.tabletennisact.org.au TENNIS www.tennis.com.au/act/ TRIATHLON www.triathlonact.com.au VOLLEYBALL www.volleyballact.com.au WATER POLO www.sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?c=1-3212-0-0-0 WEIGHTLIFTING www.weightliftingact.com WRESTLING www.act.wrestling.com.au

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President’s Report The Australian Capital Territory Olympic Council (ACTOC) represents the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) in the ACT and is recognised as the ‘umbrella’ organisation in the Territory for the associations whose sports are among those on the Winter and Summer Olympic programs. ACTOC also promotes the interests and activities of Olympians resident in Canberra and provides administrative support to the Olympians Club of the ACT. It liaises with the ACT Government, its departments and agencies, including the ACT Academy of Sport, and supports the AOC’s education program by liaising with and providing material to schools and educational authorities as part of promoting the Olympic Movement, its ideals and ACTOC activities. It also assists the AOC in raising funds for Australian athletes preparing to participate in the Olympic Games. As such it has a key role in the ACT’s sporting and community activities. I am pleased to present the Council’s 2012 Annual Report and to outline the activities that took place during the year. The first significant event was attendance by Council Secretary Bruce Coe and myself at the unveiling of a headstone marking the Melbourne grave of Great Britain’s first-ever Olympic gold medallist, Launceston Elliot. Bruce had identified the hitherto unmarked grave several years earlier, and was subsequently instrumental in contacting British Olympic Association (BOA) and AOC officials in a bid to have the headstone erected. The ceremony, which took place on 18 March at the Fawkner Cemetery in Melbourne’s northern suburbs, was therefore the successful culmination of a lengthy campaign. In attendance were BOA Chairman Lord Colin Moynihan, Britain’s Minister for Sport Hugh Robertson and his Australian counterpart Senator Kate Lundy, the Assistant Chef de Mission of Great Britain’s 2012 Olympic Team Jan Paterson, Britain’s High Commissioner to Australia, Paul Madden, and the Secretary-General of the AOC Craig Phillips.

Photo: Courtesy of BJ Coe

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On 17 May I attended a ceremony at the University of Canberra Senior Secondary College (UCSSC) Lake Ginninderra marking the institution’s 25 years of operation. In that time, in concert with the Australian Institute of Sport, the College has played an integral role in the education of aspiring athletes, whose daily training environment has been complemented by high quality educational and vocational opportunities. As a result more than 100 Olympians have studied at UCSSC during its first quarter century. During the commemoration proceedings a Hall of Fame was unveiled and I presented a letter of congratulation from Craig Phillips to College Principal Martin Watson. Assistant Secretary Owen Heness once again took full and efficient responsibility for the administration of the annual Pierre de Coubertin awards, the centrepiece of the AOC’s education program. The awards engage students from Canberra’s secondary schools, whose nominees are required to have taken an active part in their schools’ sporting activities, and in literary or artistic projects demonstrating their appreciation of the Olympic Movement and its values. On Friday 22 June, the day before the internationally-recognised Olympic Day, 27 students were presented with their awards by Olympic rowing silver medallist Jaime Fernandez. Jaime also provided an inspirational insight into the trials and tribulations that beset him during a distinguished career, then showed the students his ‘home movie’ of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games opening ceremony. Also popular with the students was marathon runner Martin Dent, who had learned only days earlier of his selection for the London Games. The Council again wishes to record its appreciation to Jenny Noordhuis from the ACT Department of Education for her help in running the event, and to Diane Heness, who once more provided superb catering. On 27 June, one month to the day before the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympic Games, the Council held a major fundraising lunch at the Lobby Restaurant, Parkes. The guest speaker was Olympic swimming gold medallist Petria Thomas, who enthralled the audience with her account of the challenges she faced prior to at last achieving her lifetime’s ambition at the Athens Olympics in 2004. Also there was British High Commissioner Paul Madden, who reported on London’s progress towards presenting the Games and took great delight in reminding us of the challenge to Australia that Great Britain presented! A further notable contribution was made by the 2012 Deputy Chef de Mission Kitty Chiller, while Olympic rowing gold medallist Mike McKay was interviewed, as was the doyenne of Canberra Olympians, Judy Wilson, who as Judy Canty contested the long jump the last time London hosted the Olympics in 1948. As always we were very grateful for the generosity of our major benefactor, Richard Rolfe, whose contribution of Olympic memorabilia ensured that we exceeded our fundraising target, and to Vice-President Andrew Dee and his Rowing Australia colleagues, who played a major role in organising the event. It was also good to welcome federal Sports Minister Kate Lundy, her ACT counterpart Andrew Barr, the CEO of the Australian Sports Commission Simon Hollingsworth, AOC Vice President Ron Harvey and members of the local Carbine Club, one of the foremost supporters of sporting endeavour in Australia. Council members fortunate enough to travel to London for the 2012 Olympic Games were Vice President Andrew Dee, Assistant Secretary Owen Heness and myself. All members, however, had a role in Australian team ‘welcome home’ events held in Canberra on 28 August, all of which were enthusiastically supported by our Patron, Chief Minister Katy Gallagher, the ACT government and a small but very efficient team from the ACT Academy of Sport led by Manager Gerard Coradini. A public reception in Civic Square was followed by a private function for team members and officials in the Canberra Theatre Centre, then to mark what was the last day of the team’s national welcome home tour a further reception was held at The Deck, Regatta Point. The event also had an unusual sequel. During the Theatre Centre function Britain’s Assistant High Commissioner Tony Brennan overheard dual Olympic rowing medallist Kim Crow explaining how her bronze medal had been damaged. Mr Brennan duly arranged with the British Olympic Association for a replacement medal to be sent out, and at a light-hearted ceremony at the British High Commission on 11 October he presented Kim with her new medal.

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It was a fitting climax to a delightful relationship with the High Commission that had endured throughout the Olympiad.

Photo: Courtesy of British High Commission

An ACT Sport Hall of Fame lunch had meanwhile taken place on 5 October, at which Beijing 2008 hockey Olympian Sarah Young, formerly Taylor, was inducted, and this was followed by the ACT’s annual Sportstar awards on 30 November. The provision by the AOC of banners, a Channel Nine DVD and an athlete action Powerpoint ensured that the event was very much Olympic-themed, while it also provided the opportunity of presenting Olympic participation pins, medals and certificates to Canberra-based Olympians, notably the most successful of all in London, swimmer Alicia Coutts. Olympians, some 130 of whom live in the ACT, are role models to sportspeople of all abilities, most notably aspiring Olympians, and are a great resource, potentially, in terms of assisting the Council’s fundraising efforts and profile. Olympians Club activities, individually and collectively, were reported in regular articles submitted to the AOC for the national newsletter The Olympian, while Olympians also either assisted with or attended events organised by the Council. Notable attendees were Olympians Club president Shaun Creighton, his vice-president, David Dickson, softballers Sally McCreedy and Joanne Brown, Bruce and Kay Hick from rowing, and swimmers Petria Thomas and Adam Pine. Through the media and other communication channels the ACTOC continued to promote its activities as widely as possible. All events contained in this report received media coverage. We particularly acknowledge the journalistic support of Tim Gavel from ABC Radio and Chris Dutton and Lyn Mills from the Canberra Times. As indicated above, the Council continued to maintain an excellent relationship with the ACT Government, Sports Minister Andrew Barr in particular remaining as supportive as ever following donations and grants totalling close to $100,00 the previous year that enabled the Council to reach its fundraising target and local athletes to better achieve their targets. The Council continued, on the government’s behalf, to seek or support events with which to commemorate Canberra’s centenary year. This included the biennial conference of the Australian Society for Sports History, being held in July 2013.

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We also maintained a very good relationship with the ACT’s sports lobby group, ACTSport and its CEO Mark Cartwright. ACTOC provided further assistance to the two key working groups ACTSport administers, the first tasked with providing input into arrangements for Canberra’s centenary and the second with helping to establish an ACT Sport Museum and Hall of Fame, as well as the aforementioned Sportstar awards. As part of its 2012 community involvement program the Council assisted individuals and charitable organisations with donations of Olympic memorabilia to assist in their fundraising efforts. Among these organisations were Retina Australia and Brain Tumour Alliance Australia. We also made a donation to the ACT Cancer Council, on behalf of Jenny Noordhuis, the Department of Education’s Pierre de Coubertin awards representative, in memory of her late husband, and to the Magic Moments Foundation Limited in support of its Christmas ‘basket brigade’ campaign. The ACTOC maintained, as always, a productive and mutually helpful relationship with the executive and staff of the AOC, notably in the areas of Olympic history, finance, website operations and the AOC database. I extend particular thanks to Secretary-General Craig Phillips for his support and encouragement, and thank his great team. Together with the Council’s Secretary, Bruce Coe, I attended the AOC’s Annual General Meeting in Sydney, while Bruce was the Council’s constant ‘attendee’ of the regular AOC/SOC conference call meetings. I look forward, with the AOC and my fellow Council members, to a 2013-2016 quadrennium that will include the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi in 2014 and the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro two years later. I wish to thank all members of the executive for their support and assistance throughout the year, notably Vice President Andrew Dee, who demonstrated great administrative capacity, our indefatigable and immensely enthusiastic Secretary, Bruce Coe, our extremely efficient Treasurer, Harry Carroll, and stalwart long-time member Owen Heness. Robin Poke

Treasurer’s Report The AOC provides $5,000 per year for the ACTOC to undertake activities in the ACT to support the Olympic Movement. In 2012 the Council spent $3,388 with a balance of $1,782 remaining at the end of the year. Funds were predominately spent on attending relevant sporting functions throughout the Territory, representing the AOC and promoting the Olympic Movement, and administrating the Pierre de Coubertin Awards. The major focus for the Council during 2009-2012 quadrennium was to raise funds for the Olympic Team. Funds raised though this environment do not go through the accounts of the ACTOC, instead they are processed directly through the AOC accounts (see separate financial statement at Appendix 1). In 2012 we raised $8,119 through a fundraising luncheon. Over the quadrennium $71,592 was raised, with the major contribution being a generous donation of $50,000 from the ACT Government. Harry Carroll

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Education The AOC’s a.s.p.i.r.e. school network aims to highlight the Olympic sport traditions and values as the context for teaching life values and life skills.

The Pierre de Coubertin Awards were again kernel to ACTOC’s contribution to the AOC’s Olympic education program. These awards were administered and promoted by ACTOC in conjunction with the ACT Department of Education and Training and Sport and Recreation ACT. In particular, Jenny Noordhuis of the ACT Department of Education & Training (PE & Sport) provided invaluable support in the functioning of the scheme. . The awards were presented on the basis of students actively participating in school physical education and sport programs and the production of a piece of work, literary or artistic, depicting an appreciation of the Olympic Games. All high schools and colleges in the ACT were invited to nominate one student each, from years 10, 11 or 12. On 22 June 2012, a presentation morning was conducted in the Hedley Beare Centre for Teaching and Learning at the Weston campus of Canberra College. Jaime Fernandez, a triple Olympian rower (Sydney 2000 silver medallist), held the students spellbound with his story of his journey from his introduction to rowing, as a teenaged schoolboy, to standing on the Olympic podium in Sydney. Martin Dent told the students of his long years of striving to become an Olympian finally being rewarded with his selection to run in the marathon at London 2012. Jaime and Martin then presented the 27 award recipients with their framed certificates and associated AOC pins.

Two former recipients of Pierre de Coubertin awards, Lauren Boden (2004) and Caroline Buchanan (2006) were members of the Australian team at London 2012. Lauren competed in the women’s 400m hurdles and Caroline in BMX cycling. Melding education with sport was one of the desires of Pierre de Coubertin when he revived the Olympic Games in the 1890s. Indeed, the first of the seven Fundamental Principles of Olympism, contained in the Olympic Charter, says:

Olympism is a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will and mind. Blending sport with culture and education, Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy of effort, the educational value of good example, social responsibility and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles.

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With those sentiments in mind, Robin Poke attended the unveiling ceremony of the sporting Hall of Fame at the University of Canberra Senior Secondary College (UCSSC) Lake Ginninderra in May. The creation of the Hall of Fame was part of celebrating the 25 years since the college’s opening in 1987. Throughout that quarter of a century, UCSSC Lake Ginninderra has played a central role in supporting sporting excellence in the ACT through its Elite Sports Program which has led to the educating of over 100 Olympians. The Elite Sports Program is conducted in partnership with the Australian Institute of Sport and the ACT Academy of Sport. Robin presented a congratulatory letter from Craig Phillips, on behalf of the Australian Olympic Committee, to the College Principal Martin Watson.

Recipients of 2012 Pierre de Coubertin Awards

Jessica Goyne Melba Copland Secondary School Grace Johnson Amaroo School Alysha McNee-Darrach Campbell HS Isabella Bain Canberra Girls’ Grammar School Jack Gruber Caroline Chisholm HS Jordan Brown St Edmund’s College Regan Walsh Erindale College Emma de Kiefte Stromlo HS Zachary Harrigan Melrose HS Joshua Buitendam St Francis Xavier College Niranjan Gupte Belconnen HS Luke Letcher Radford College Ryan Hore Trinity Christian School Davis Jensen Canberra HS Stephanie Conolan Daramalan College Allan Pierre-Lewis UCSSC Lake Ginninderra Amelia Crane Alfred Deakin HS Mitchell Brown Brindabella Christian School Jake Provan Burgmann Anglican School Leigh Kalsbeek Merici College Talis Tebecis Telopea Park HS Jordan Tsekenis Wanniassa HS Sarah Quilter Canberra College Patrick Jackson Marist College Thomas Faul Lyneham HS Kristy Helmers Lanyon HS Andrew Robinson St Mary MacKillop College

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London 2012 Olympians with ACT affiliations

Luke Adams Athletics Angie Bainbridge Swimming Silver medal, women’s 4 x 200m relay Abby Bishop Basketball Bronze medal, women’s basketball Lauren Boden Athletics Melissa Breen Athletics Scott Brennan Rowing Caroline Buchanan Cycling – BMX William Buckland Rowing Brendan Cole Athletics Sarah Cook Rowing Alicia Coutts AC Swimming Gold medal, women’s 4 x 100m relay Silver medal, women’s 4 x 200m relay Silver medal, women’s medley relay Silver medal, women’s 200m individual medley Bronze medal, women’s 100m butterfly Kimberley Crow KC Rowing Silver medal, women’s double sculls Bronze medal, women’s single sculls Nathan Deakes Athletics Martin Dent Athletics Tommaso D’Orsogna Swimming Bronze medal, medley relay Chris Erickson Athletics Hannah Every-Hall Rowing Anna Flanagan Hockey Sally Foster Swimming Rebecca Henderson Cycling – MTB Belinda Hocking Swimming Damien Hooper Boxing Chloe Hosking Cycling – Road Regan Lamble Athletics Rebecca Lee Athletics Tobias Lister Rowing Patrick Mills Basketball James Roberts Swimming Nathan Roberts Volleyball Michael Rogers Cycling – Road * Adam Rutter Athletics Greg Sukochev Volleyball Thomas Swann Rowing Claire Tallent Athletics Jared Tallent Athletics Silver medal, 50km walk Tristan Thomas Athletics

* During the Olympic Games it was announced that the International Olympic Committee had stripped Tyler Hamilton (US) of the gold medal that he had won at Athens 2004 in the men’s individual time trial. Hamilton had admitted to using performance enhancing drugs prior to Athens. As a result, all the remaining cyclists in the time trial were elevated one position. Michael Rogers originally finished fourth, but after the elevation was placed third and thus became an Olympic bronze medallist, eight years after the event.

AC Alicia Coutts joined Ian Thorpe (Sydney 2000) and Shane Gould (Munich 1972) as the only Australians to win five medals at one Olympic Games.

KC Kim Crow became the first Australian rower to win two medals at one Olympic Games.

Forty-four ACT-based officials were members of the Australian Olympic Team in London. These included Kitty Chiller as a Deputy Chef de Mission, and Lucy Warhurst, Susan Hobson and Matt Sebbens as the section heads of archery, athletics and volleyball (including beach volleyball) respectively.

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Olympians

ACTOC participated in the organisation of the ‘welcome home’ events for the 2012 Olympic Team. These took place on 28 August and comprised a public celebration in Civic Square, a formal reception generously hosted by the Chief Minister of the ACT and an AOC-hosted team function at The Deck restaurant, overlooking Lake Burley Griffin. The resounding success of the public function was attributed to organisational skills of the staff of the ACT Academy of Sport under the expert guidance of Gerard Coradini. All events were well attended with the returning Olympians given a resounding welcome by Canberrans. The hundreds of school children waving flags, banners and streamers and banging thunder sticks made to event a colourful, noisy and joyous occasion. Many autographs were garnered. The Olympians Club of the ACT continued to be active throughout 2012 under to guiding hands of Shaun Creighton, President, David Dickson, Vice President, and Regan Harrison, Secretary. In August, Sarah (Taylor) Young, women’s hockey at Beijing 2008, was inducted into the ACT Sport Hall of Fame. There are now 26 Olympians as full members of the hall of fame.

Other Activities Throughout 2012, ACTOC continued to support the AOC by research assistance and providing content for the website www.olympics.com.au.

During 2012 Robin Poke contributed to Australia’s rich Olympic literature by releasing Olympic Gold: Our greatest individual Olympians since 1896. Robin completed the monumental editorial task, commenced by the late Kevin Berry (Tokyo 1964 gold medallist), by pulling together the stories of the 74 individual gold medallists (including Vancouver 2010), penned by a host of writers, including many of Australia’s iconic sporting journalists. Stop Press: In the 2013 Australia Day honours, ACT Olympic Council President Robin Poke was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) ‘for significant service to the sport of rowing and the Olympic movement as an administrator, journalist and author’. Congratulations, Robin.

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