For the first time in the Olympics history, there were two flag bearers, Denise Boyd (athletics) and Max Metzker (swimming), Australia's first joint-flag carriers, carried the Olympic flag in the opening ceremony instead of the national flag. Countries marched in order of the Russian alphabet, and Australia was therefore second in the parade of nations, following Greece, which has traditionally led the march since 1928.
Athletes who competed at the Games were formally recognized by the Australian Government on July 30, 2025. [2]
The Fraser government lobbied the Australian Olympic Federation and national sports organisation to boycott the Moscow Olympics due to the Soviett Union invasion of Aghanistan.[3] On 23 May 1980, the Federation voted 6-5 to attend attend the Games. Voting for participation: David McKenzie, Phil Coles, William 'Bill' Hoffman, Tom Blue, John Rodda, Lewis Luxton and voting against: Sydney Grange, Kevan Gosper, Julius Patching, Jack Howson and Eric McRae. The deciding vote was Lewis Luxton, an honorary International Olympic Committee member. The decision led to several selected athletes withdrawing due to personal personal reasons and several national sports organisations withdrawing. Australian Shooting Association decision to withdraw was successfully challenged by Yvonne Hill in court.[3]
Australian Olympic Committee has identified 62 athletes selected that did not compete due to personal withdrawl or their national sports organisation not sending a team.[1]
House of Representatives Standing Committee on Expenditure report in 1984 identified athletes and national sports organisations that were compensated for not attending the Moscow Olympics. [4] National sports organisations that received payments used the funding to attend other international sporting events.
On 30 July 2025, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Sussan Ley in the House of Representaives formally acknowledged and welcomed home the 121 athletes who defied Fraser government to compete under a neutral flag at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Athletes that were selected but did not attend were also acknowledged.[5]
Trivia
Norman May's call of the Men's 4 × 100 m Medley Relay, in which he excitedly exclaimed "Four, Three, Two, One. Gold, Gold to Australia, Gold",[6] has become one of the most famous calls in the history of Australian sport.
Books and Reports
Australian Olympic Federation. Report of tge Olympic Games 1980.Melbourne, The Federation, 1980.
Australian Olympic Federation. Annual Report 1980, Melbourne, The Federation, 1980.
Barry Cohen. Olympic Gold. The Author, 1980.
Harry Gordon. Australia and the Olympic Games. Brisbane, University of Queensland Press, 1994.
1 2 3 Gordon, Harry (1994). Australia and the Olympic Games. Brisbane: University of Queensland Press.
↑ House of Representatives Standing Committee on Expenditure (1984). Payments to athletes and teams who dod not participate in the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service. p.3. ISBN0644033886.
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Australasia (1908–1912)
