Olympic Games

Australia at Athens 1896

Australia did not send an official team to the first of the modern Games at Athens in 1896. In fact, Australia, as such, did not exist at that time — Federation was still five years away.
Australia’s first ever medal was actually a gold medal. It was won by Edwin Flack, who won gold in the 800m and 1500m races in Athens 1896.
Another interesting thing about Edwin Flack is that he is one of the few athletes to compete at the Olympic Games in two different sports: Athletics and Tennis both in 1896.