Thomas Edward "Eddie" Tolan, nicknamed the "Midnight Express", was an American track and field athlete who competed in sprints. He set world records in the 100-yard dash and 100 meters event and Olympic records in the 100 meters and 200 meters events. He was the first non-Euro-American to receive the title of the "world's fastest human" after winning gold medals in the 100 and 200 meters events at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. In March 1935, Tolan won the 75, 100 and 220-yard events at the World Professional Sprint Championships in Melbourne to become the first man to win both the amateur and professional world sprint championships. In his full career as a sprinter, Tolan won 300 races and lost only 7.
Elizabeth Alyse Cuthbert, was an Australian athlete and a four-time Olympic champion. She was nicknamed Australia's "Golden Girl". During her career, she set world records for 60 metres, 100 yards, 200 metres, 220 yards and 440 yards. Cuthbert also contributed to Australian relay teams completing a win in the 4 × 100 metres, 4 × 110 yards, 4 × 200 metres and 4 × 220 yards. Cuthbert had a distinctive running style, with a high knee lift and mouth wide open. She was named in 1998 an Australian National Treasure and was inducted as a Legend in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Athletics Australia Hall of Fame in 2000.
Shirley Barbara de la Hunty AO, MBE, known as Shirley Strickland during her early career, was an Australian athlete. She won more Olympic medals than any other Australian in running sports.
Ann Elizabeth PackerMBE is an English former sprinter, hurdler and long jumper. She won a gold medal in the 800 metres and a silver in the 400 metres at the 1964 Summer Olympics.
Sarah Frances "Fanny" Durack, also known by her married name Fanny Gately, was an Australian competition swimmer. From 1910 until 1918 she was the world's greatest female swimmer across all distances from freestyle sprints to the mile marathon.
Sandra Anne Morgan, also known by her married name Sandra Beavis, or as Sandra Morgan-Beavis, is an Australian former freestyle swimmer who was part of the gold medal-winning team in the 4×100-metre freestyle relay at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. At the age of 14 years and 6 months, she became the youngest Australian to win an Olympic gold medal, a record that was broken by Arisa Trew at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Stanley Rupert Rowley was an Australian sprinter who won four medals at the 1900 Summer Olympics. He was born in Young, New South Wales and died in Manly, New South Wales.
Marlene Judith Mathews AO is a retired Australian Olympic sprinter. She has been described as 'one of Australia's greatest and unluckiest' champions.
June Elaine Rita Maston was an Australian sprinter and athletics coach from New South Wales. In 1948 she placed fourth in the Australian national championships over 100 yards.
John Thomas Devitt, AM was an Australian sprint freestyle swimmer of the 1950s and 1960s, who won a gold medal in the 100-metre freestyle at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. He won in controversial circumstances, being awarded the gold medal despite the timekeepers recording a slower time than the American silver medallist Lance Larson. He also claimed a gold medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, in the 4×200-metre freestyle relay.
Ilsa Konrads is an Australian former freestyle swimmer of the 1950s and 1960s, who won a silver medal in the 4×100-metre freestyle relay at the 1960 Summer Olympics. In her career, she set 13 individual world records, and after her swimming career ended, was the Australasian editor of Belle magazine. Along with her brother John Konrads, who also set multiple world records, and won gold in the 1500-metre freestyle, they were known as the Konrad Kids.
Melinda Gainsford-Taylor is a retired Australian athlete, who specialised in sprint events.
Alice Eileen Wearne was an Australian sprinter. She competed in the 1932 Summer Olympics, and won gold and bronze medals at the 1938 British Empire Games.
Dianne Burge, OAM was an Australian sprinter who competed in two Olympic Games and won three gold medals at the Commonwealth Games. She was awarded the title South Australian 'Athlete of the Century' by Athletics South Australia. Burge died on 11 June 2024, at the age of 80.
James Andrew Carlton was an Australian sprinter. He competed in 100yd and 220yd events at the 1928 Summer Olympics, and was eliminated in quarter finals.
Edwin William "Slip" Carr was an Australian athlete who equalled the Olympic Record for the 100m sprint in 1923 and represented Australia at the Paris Olympic Games in 1924, in the 100m and 200m sprints. He represented Australia in rugby union, playing in tests against the South African Springboks and the New Zealand All Blacks in 1921.
Jack Weyman Nelson was an All-American competition swimmer for the University of Miami who competed in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics in butterfly and served as a Hall of Fame swimming coach at Fort Lauderdale's Pine Crest School, the Jack Nelson Swim Club, and the University of Miami. He allegedly sexually abused many of his athletes. He managed teams that won 6 National Championship titles, and 30 High School State Championships.
Gary Alfred Holdsworth is an Australian former sprinter. He competed at the 1964 Summer Olympics in the 100 m, 200 m and 4 × 100 m relay, but was eliminated in the preliminaries in all three events.
Peter Francis Vassella was an Australian sprinter who competed in the 1964 Summer Olympics. He was previously married to another Australian Olympic Sprinter, Marilyn Black.
Jeanne Courtney Hallock, also known by her married name Jeanne Craig, is an American former club, high school, and Olympic competition swimmer who was voted to the AAU All America team twice. Serving as the U.S. team Co-Captain, she swam in the preliminary heats of the gold medal-winning women's 4×100-meter freestyle relay in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, though she did receive a medal as she did not swim in the finals. She also swam in the 1964 Olympic preliminaries for the 100-meter freestyle, her signature event, but did not make the finals.
