Australia at the 1996 Summer Paralympics
Encyclopedia
The 1996 Summer Paralympics
were held in Atlanta, United States of America. 166 Australian athletes, guides and pilots competed in 13 of the 17 sports, winning medals in 10 of those sports.
. This led to the Australian Government establishing the Olympic Athlete Program (OAP), funded and supported through the Australian Sports Commission
, to prepare Australia's competitors for these games.
The Australian Paralympic Federation
(APF) started receiving money from the OAP in October 1994, leading the establishment of the Paralympic Preparation Program (PPP), with a full-time staff member – Jenni Banks - to develop and implement the program. The increased funding was used to contract more experienced coaches, arrange international tours for teams, run training camps and acclimatisation programs, purchase performance improving suits and equipment.
provided financial support to the Australian Paralympic Federation to make it possible for all athletes to travel to the games. Scott Goodman and Sue Matthews were two ACT based officials that went to the Paralympics. The team mascot, Banjo, was unveiled in May.
Some States and Territories held official sending off ceremonies for their local athletes competing at the Paralympics. In Canberra, the athletes were officially sent off at a meeting of the Legislative Assembly
during the last week of July.
.
Louise Sauvage
, from Perth won gold in the Women's 1,500 m T52-53, with a result of 3:30.45 and a world record, gold in the Women's 400 m T53, with a result of 54.96 and a paralympic record, gold in the Women's 5,000 m T52-53, with a result of 12:40.71 and a world record, and a final gold in the Women's 800 m T53, with a result of 1:52.80 and a paralympic record. Louise's world record in the 1500 m took 6 seconds off the previous record, and her record in the 5000 m took place only an hour after winning the 400 m.
David Evans
earned gold in the Men's 1,500 m T44-46, with a result of 3:59.68, another gold (along with Tim Matthews, Bradley Thomas, and Neilin Fuller) in the Men's 4x100 m Relay T42-46, with a team result of 45.40 and a world record, and silver in the Men's 800 m T44-46, with a result of 1:55.81.
Fabian Blattman
from New South Wales, won gold in the Men's 1500 m T50, with a result of 5:09.41 and a Paralympic record, and silver in the Men's 800 m T50, with a result of 2:46.67.
Katrina Webb
from South Australia, was 19 years old when the 1996 games took place. In 1995 she had accepted a year-long netball scholarship at the Australian Institute of Sport
, where she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy
. People at the Australian Institute of Sport encouraged her to compete in the Paralympics in Atlanta, but Webb initially resisted because she did not view herself as disabled. She changed her mind and went on to win a gold medal in the 100 metres (328.1 ft) sprint. Her gold medal was controversial in some Paralympic circles because many did not believe she was disabled enough. Webb won a silver medal in the long jump, with a distance of 4.46 metres (14.6 ft). This distance was 24 centimetres (9.4 in) better than her previous personal best.
Lisa Llorens
from the Australian Capital Territory, won a gold and a bronze in track and field events.
Lachlan Jones
from Melbourne Victoria, competed in the 100-metre wheelchair race and won the gold medal. This came after two false starts and a protest in the medal race. Jones claims the two false starts were intentional on the part of his competitors in an attempt to distract him. The protests were dropped before they were formally considered by the judges. Jones had to compete against more abled bodied athletes in the 400-metre race because there were not enough participants with cerebral palsy to have a separate competition class at the games.
Brian Harvey
won a gold medal in the cerebral palsy class of javelin
with a distance of 34.7 metres (113.8 ft).
Darren Thrupp
won a gold medal in the Men's Long Jump F34-37 with a distance of 5.74. Darren also won bronze in the Men's 200 m T37, with a result of 25.52.
Australia was seeded sixth coming into the Atlanta Paralympic tournament. The men's team toured England and the Netherlands in the lead up to the Paralympics.
Australia beat Great Britain 78–63 in the gold medal game. This was Australia's first gold medal result in a major international competition for men or women. The match also had the largest recorded American crowd for a wheelchair basketball game with 10,061 people in attendance. Many Australians watched the game live. Australia had come back from a 15 point deficit of 20–5 during the first six minutes of the gold medal game. By halftime, Australia was down by one point after having briefly taken the lead a minute earlier.
Troy Sachs
is one of Australia's most popular and famous Paralympians. Sachs was born with one leg missing below the knee. He first competed at the 1992 Summer Paralympics
in Barcelona
when he was 15 years old. He was 19 years old during these games. In the gold medal game against Great Britain, he scored 42 points for his team. 15 of those points came from five three-point shots. He had a shooting percentage of forty-seven during the gold medal match, making eleven of his twenty-three attempted shots. He went fifteen of twenty-four from the free throw line. Hopping from his chair, Sachs cut down the net after the game ended in victory for Australia. He was enrolled at the University of Texas as a physical education major at the start of the games. At the end of the tournament, he became a professional player, competing for a team in the United States.
Women
Prior to the start of the Paralympics, Australia was ranked third in the world. In lead up preparations for the games, the team toured Canada.
Australia's women's team beat the American team for the first time in pool play
, to stay in contention for a medal. This was viewed as extremely significant by Australian women's wheelchair basketball fans and the Australian Paralympic Federation because of the dominance of the American team in women's wheelchair basketball. Australia was down 21–16 at halftime. Australia went up with seven minutes left in the second half. The match finished with a score of 31–27 in Australia's favour. American Sharon Herbst was their team's start performer and she caused a number of problems for Australia's defence. During the game, several players were knocked out of their wheelchairs, including Australia's Melissa Ferrett. The Americans challenged the win, protesting because they believed the Australians were not wearing matching uniforms.
Australia's team was coached by Peter Corr and captained by Donna Ritchie
. The team's top scorer in the competition was Liesl Tesch
.
Australia beat Brazil 67–8, beat the USA 31–27 and lost to Germany 34–26 in pool play. They lost to Canada in the semi-finals, going down 31–36. They played the Americans in the bronze medal match, losing 30–41.
This was the first Paralympic basketball tournament to feature the three-wheeled wheelchair. Most of the women on the Australian team opted to use the traditional four-wheeled wheelchair.
The pairs C/WAD team of Kris Bignall
and Tu Huyhn
were ranked as the seventh best pair in the world prior to the start of the games. They surprised the world when they won a bronze medal after beating Spain and New Zealand in the preliminaries, and after beating an American pair in the bronze medal match. Their medal was the first medal Australia had won in this sport in international competition. The two athletes had been friends for fourteen years in 1996. They are severely disabled and compete using motorised wheelchairs.
Kris Bignall also competed as an individual in the C1 WAD category. He made it to the medals play off stage, where he lost. Tu Huyhn also competed in the individual events in the C1 WAD category. He finished fifth in pool play and did not qualify for the medal play off stage. Lyn Coleman
competed as an individual in the C1 category. She finished sixth overall. John Richardson also competed in the C1 individual event. He finished fifth in his pool and did not qualify for the medals play offs.
Scott Elsworth
competed as an individual in the C2 category. He finished sixth in his pool and did not qualify for the medal round. Fiona Given also competed in the C2 individual competition, finishing in fourth place in pool place and not qualifying for the medals.
Kieran Modra
is a South Australian blind cyclist. He competed in the 1996 Paralympics in the tandem event with pilot Kerry Golding
. He won a gold medal in the 200 metres (656.2 ft) mixed tandem sprint race.
Another tandem bike pair that competed included Terri Poole
and Sandra Smith
. Poole and Smith were ranked number one in the world prior to the start of the games. The pair also hold the world record in the 1000 metres (3,280.8 ft) event. Poole's disability is tunnel vision
. She took up cycling and triathlons as her vision started to deteriorate. Prior to that, she was an aerobics instructor and personal trainer. At the start of the games, she was 32 years old. Smith was 28 years old and is the able bodied cyclist in the pair of best friends. Smith gave up a chance to compete as an individual able-bodied cyclist to help Poole. The Perth based pair have worked together for ten years at a business started by Poole. They prepared for the games by bonding: They went to Stone Mountain
, meditated and got massages. They credited this preparation for helping them win gold in the 1000 metres (3,280.8 ft) women's tandem race, the first gold medal handed out at the Paralympics.
The Australian men finished fourth. This was the country's best finish in an international competition. The team had played a number of international matches and also had an extended training camp in Australia prior to the start of the games. The training camp included psychological preparations.
The start of the men's team was Robert Crestani. His ability to throw the ball and his offensive tactics helped the team remain competitive. Other key players for the team included Warren Lawton and Gerrard Gosens. These three players were on the court for almost the whole competition.
In pool play, they beat Italy 5–2, the Czech Republic 7–0, and the Netherlands 3–2. They drew with Germany 3–3 and Slovenia 4–4. In the Qualification round, they lost to Finland 1–4, drew with Spain 3–3 and lost to Canada 1–3. In the medal elimination round, they lost to Canada 2–3. In the bronze medal match, they lost to spain 2–6.
Australia's win over Italy is important in the team's history because the Italian team was ranked number one in the world coming into the Paralympic games.
Women
Unlike the men's team, the women's Australian team did not have as much experience as other teams in the Paralympic goalball competition. European teams had competed against each other in the lead up to the games. This gave them an advantage as they knew their opponents' strengths and weaknesses.
The Australian women had several injuries during the Paralympics. Sarah Kennedy injured herself in training, which limited her mobility.
Australia lost all but one match. They lost to Spain 0–1, to Sweden 0–4, to Denmark 1–5, to Germany 0–2 and to the USA 0–3. Australia's sole victory came against Korea, where they won 2–0. Australia finished as the last team in the competition based on goals for and against as they had a record of 3–16. The 0–1 loss to Finland was considered impressive by goalball followers because Finland won a silver medal.
.
Brian Nicholl is a Paralympian powerlifter. He is 1.64 metres (5.4 ft) tall. In 1996, his day job was a physical trainer for the Collingwood Football Club
.Before joining Collingwood, he was part of the Department of Sport and Recreation in Victoria. Some of his work involved outreach to schools. He also served as the chairman of Australian Weightlifting for People With Disabilities. Prior to the start of the games, he was a three time world champion and six time Paralympian. He first competed internationally in 1972. He had recorded a personal best and world record of 230 kilograms (507.1 lb) set at the 1994 World Championships held in Melbourne. He finished fourth at the 1972 Paralympics in Germany, second at the 1976 Paralympics in Canada, third at the 1980 Paralympics in the Netherlands, fourth at the 1984 Paralympics in the United Kingdom, third at the 1988 Paralympics in Seoul and gold at the 1992 Paralympics in Barcelona. He was 44 years old when he competed in 1996. Nicholl was coached by Biagoi Blagoev, the 1980 Summer Olympics
weightliting silver medalist. He was the defending gold medalist and world record holder. In the lead up to the games, he sought guidance from Herb Elliott
. He competed in the 90 kilograms (198.4 lb) powerlifting division in 1996. He won a silver medal, only beaten by Ryszard Tomaszewski of Poland
who set a world record with his lift.
Richard Nicholson
was an ACT based powerlifter. He seriously began training for inclusion on the Paralympic powerlifting team two and a half years prior to the games. Prior to the start of the games, he set an Australian record for a lift when competing in the 56 kilograms (123.5 lb) class. Prior to the games, he believed that he could set a personal best at the games. His competitiveness in the games was hampered because he had limited experience, and his coach stayed in Melbourne. He believed that his chances would be better at the 2000 Summer Paralympics
, when he could compete before a home crowd.
George Hucks
was a member of the Australian team. During a practice in Atlanta prior to the start of the games, Hucks broke his kneecap. Hucks, from South Australia, was the team's best player. This was a major loss for the team. Hucks was flown home and another player was flown into Australia to replace him.
Australia did not win a single match in wheelchair rugby. They lost to New Zealand 23–39, to Great Britain 33–34, to Canada 24–39, to the USA 18–31 and to Sweden 25–29.
Ashley Adams
was a member of this 1996 Paralympics team. He set four personal best records. He also set three Australian records. Adams also appeared in one event final.
James Nomorhas was an ACT
based shooter. Paralympic based ACT shooters like Nomorhas are widely recognised in the ACT shooting community. He won a silver medal in the mixed SH1 Sport Pistol event.
Elizabeth Kosmaia is a shooter from South Australia
. The 1996 Paralympics were the seventh Paralympics in which she competed.
Priya Cooper
from Western Australia
won one gold medal in a swimming relay event and four individual gold medals in swimming for the 200 m individual medley, the 100 m backstroke, the 100 m freestyle, and the 400 m freestyle.
Kingsley Bugarin
, a Perth
-based visually impaired swimmer, competed in his fourth Paralympics in Atlanta at the age of 28. Prior to these games, he had never won a single Paralympic medal. In Atlanta, he won a gold medal in the 200 m individual medley, where he set a world record. In the finals, he was seven seconds behind before the breaststroke, made up six of those seconds, and was only one second behind entering into the freestyle before he made it up to win the gold. He swam the 200 m in 2 minutes and 22 seconds. His world records at the games included 1:10.81 in the 100 m breaststroke, 2:35.21 in the 200 m breaststroke and 2:22.45 in the 200 m individual medley.
Gemmma Dashwood was another Australian competing. She was from Weston, Australian Capital Territory
. Her selection to participate in the Paralympic games was a dream come true. Prior to the games, she stated a desire to also compete in the 2000 Paralympics to be held in Sydney. She was selected to compete in the 400 m freestyle, 100 m freestyle, the 100 m butterfly and the 200 m medley. By the time the games started, Dashwood had been swimming for eleven years, only three of those spent in disabled swimming competitions. Her pre-Paralympic training involved getting up at 4am to train at the Telopea Park Swimming Club. In order to compete in the Paralympics, she delayed her acceptance to the University of Newcastle
, where she planned to study speech therapy. She set a world record in the 100 m butterfly, where she captured a gold. Dashwood also won a silver medal in another swimming event.
Judy Young was an ACT based swimmer who competed in the Paralympics.
Tracy Cross won a medal in the100 m butterfly race.
Jeff Hardy won a medal in the 100 m men's butterfly race.
competed for Australia in wheelchair tennis at the 1996 Paralympic Games, where he won a silver and bronze medal. He lost his legs in an accident when he was sixteen years old.
Overall, the country brought home 42 gold medals, 37 silver medals and 27 bronze medals. Australia's gold medal haul was one more than the total combined metal haul of Australia's 1996 Olympic team
. The medal haul also surpassed the 24 gold medals that Australia had won at the 1992 Paralympics
.
, the New South Wales Minister for the Olympics, was presented with an IPC flag during the closing ceremonies.
Warwick Smith
and the Premier of New South Wales Bob Carr
. A parade was later held in Sydney, with tens of thousands of people attending. In Victoria, an event was held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
prior to the start of an Australian Football League
playoff game. Another reception was held in Victoria at Parliament House, Melbourne
, with the Premier of Victoria Jeff Kennett
as the host and the Victorian Workcover Authority
as the sponsor.
, Channel Seven
's AM and Witness programs, and coverage in all the national newspapers. Channel Seven, an Australian commercial station, sent a crew to Atlanta to cover the games. The crew did live interviews, and helped provide coverage of the games. This coverage included several segments of fifteen minutes during the station's news programs. Media coverage of the games was aided by the time difference: Event results came in live during morning shows on Australian radio. The Australian Paralympic Federation considered the media coverage to be a great success in terms of boosting awareness of its program and its athletes.
1996 Summer Paralympics
The 1996 Paralympic Games in Atlanta, USA were held from 16 August to 25 August. It was the first Paralympics to get mass media sponsorship, and had a budget of USD $81 million....
were held in Atlanta, United States of America. 166 Australian athletes, guides and pilots competed in 13 of the 17 sports, winning medals in 10 of those sports.
Background
In September 1993 the OIC announced that Sydney was the winning bid for the 2000 Summer Olympics, and the International Paralympic Committee announced Sydney would also be the host of the 2000 Summer Paralympics2000 Summer Paralympics
The 2000 Paralympic Games were held in Sydney, Australia, from 18 October to 29 October. The eleventh Summer Paralympic Games, an estimated 3800 athletes took part in the Sydney programme. They commenced with the opening ceremony on 18 October 2000...
. This led to the Australian Government establishing the Olympic Athlete Program (OAP), funded and supported through the Australian Sports Commission
Australian Sports Commission
The Australian Sports Commission is the governing body responsible for distributing funds and providing strategic guidance for sporting activity in Australia. It is an agency of the Government of Australia within the portfolio of Health and Ageing...
, to prepare Australia's competitors for these games.
The Australian Paralympic Federation
Australian Paralympic Committee
The Australian Paralympic Committee is the National Paralympic Committee in Australia for the Paralympic Games movement. It oversees the means by which Australia participates at the Summer Paralympics and the Winter Paralympics.-History:...
(APF) started receiving money from the OAP in October 1994, leading the establishment of the Paralympic Preparation Program (PPP), with a full-time staff member – Jenni Banks - to develop and implement the program. The increased funding was used to contract more experienced coaches, arrange international tours for teams, run training camps and acclimatisation programs, purchase performance improving suits and equipment.
Team
166 athletes made up the Australian contingent to the 1996 paralympics. This was much smaller than other countries such as the USA, Germany, Britain and Spain. The Australian Sports CommissionAustralian Sports Commission
The Australian Sports Commission is the governing body responsible for distributing funds and providing strategic guidance for sporting activity in Australia. It is an agency of the Government of Australia within the portfolio of Health and Ageing...
provided financial support to the Australian Paralympic Federation to make it possible for all athletes to travel to the games. Scott Goodman and Sue Matthews were two ACT based officials that went to the Paralympics. The team mascot, Banjo, was unveiled in May.
Some States and Territories held official sending off ceremonies for their local athletes competing at the Paralympics. In Canberra, the athletes were officially sent off at a meeting of the Legislative Assembly
Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly
The Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly is the unicameral legislature of the Australian Capital Territory...
during the last week of July.
Athletics
The Australian team was coached by Chris NunnChris Nunn
Chris Nunn was the head coach of the Australian athletics team at the 1996 Summer Paralympics and the 2000 Summer Paralympics, where the teams won numerous medals. Prior to coaching, he was an athletics competitor representing Australia on the international stage, including an appearance in the...
.
Louise Sauvage
Louise Sauvage
Alix Louise Sauvage OAM is an Australian paralympic wheelchair racer.Sauvage is often regarded as the most renowned disabled sportswoman in Australia. She won two gold medals and a silver medal at the 2000 Sydney Paralympic games in front of a home crowd...
, from Perth won gold in the Women's 1,500 m T52-53, with a result of 3:30.45 and a world record, gold in the Women's 400 m T53, with a result of 54.96 and a paralympic record, gold in the Women's 5,000 m T52-53, with a result of 12:40.71 and a world record, and a final gold in the Women's 800 m T53, with a result of 1:52.80 and a paralympic record. Louise's world record in the 1500 m took 6 seconds off the previous record, and her record in the 5000 m took place only an hour after winning the 400 m.
David Evans
David Evans (athlete)
David Evans is a Paralympic athletics competitor from Australia. He won a silver medal at the 1996 Atlanta Games in the Men's 800 m T44-46 event and two gold medals in the Men's 4x100 m Relay T42-46 event and the Men's 1,500 m T44-46 event.-References:...
earned gold in the Men's 1,500 m T44-46, with a result of 3:59.68, another gold (along with Tim Matthews, Bradley Thomas, and Neilin Fuller) in the Men's 4x100 m Relay T42-46, with a team result of 45.40 and a world record, and silver in the Men's 800 m T44-46, with a result of 1:55.81.
Fabian Blattman
Fabian Blattman
Fabian Blattman is a Paralympic competitor from New South Wales, Australia. He became disabled after a motorbike accident. He started playing disabled bowls, before switching to athletics...
from New South Wales, won gold in the Men's 1500 m T50, with a result of 5:09.41 and a Paralympic record, and silver in the Men's 800 m T50, with a result of 2:46.67.
Katrina Webb
Katrina Webb
Katrina Webb is an Australian Paralympic athlete. She has won Gold, Silver and Bronze medals in athletics at three Paralympic Games. She was the first torch bearer to enter the Olympic Stadium for the Opening Ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games and in 2006 Katrina was selected to present...
from South Australia, was 19 years old when the 1996 games took place. In 1995 she had accepted a year-long netball scholarship at the Australian Institute of Sport
Australian Institute of Sport
The Australian Institute of Sport is a sports training institution in Australia with world class facilities and support services. The Institute's headquarters is situated in Canberra, the capital city of Australia. The 66.0 hectare site campus is in the northern suburb of Bruce, but some of the...
, where she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development, chiefly in the various areas of body movement....
. People at the Australian Institute of Sport encouraged her to compete in the Paralympics in Atlanta, but Webb initially resisted because she did not view herself as disabled. She changed her mind and went on to win a gold medal in the 100 metres (328.1 ft) sprint. Her gold medal was controversial in some Paralympic circles because many did not believe she was disabled enough. Webb won a silver medal in the long jump, with a distance of 4.46 metres (14.6 ft). This distance was 24 centimetres (9.4 in) better than her previous personal best.
Lisa Llorens
Lisa Llorens
Lisa Llorens is an Australian Paralympic athlete. She specialises in Paralympic high jumping, long jumping and sprinting, in competitions for athletes with autism....
from the Australian Capital Territory, won a gold and a bronze in track and field events.
Lachlan Jones
Lachlan Jones
Lachlan Jones was an Australian Paralympic competitor. He won a gold medal in the men's athletics 100 metres T32 event the 1996 Summer Paralympics with a world record time of 0:19.90.-References:...
from Melbourne Victoria, competed in the 100-metre wheelchair race and won the gold medal. This came after two false starts and a protest in the medal race. Jones claims the two false starts were intentional on the part of his competitors in an attempt to distract him. The protests were dropped before they were formally considered by the judges. Jones had to compete against more abled bodied athletes in the 400-metre race because there were not enough participants with cerebral palsy to have a separate competition class at the games.
Brian Harvey
Brian Harvey (athlete)
Brian Harvey is a Paralympic athletics competitor from Queensland, Australia. He won a bronze medal at the 2000 Sydney Games in the men's discus throw F38 event.-References:...
won a gold medal in the cerebral palsy class of javelin
Javelin
A Javelin is a light spear intended for throwing. It is commonly known from the modern athletic discipline, the Javelin throw.Javelin may also refer to:-Aviation:* ATG Javelin, an American-Israeli civil jet aircraft, under development...
with a distance of 34.7 metres (113.8 ft).
Darren Thrupp
Darren Thrupp
Darren Thrupp is a Paralympian athlete from Australia competing mainly in category T37 sprint events. Thrupp has competed in five paralmpics winning at least one gold medal at each. His first medals at the Games were in 1992 when he won a gold medal in the C7-8 long jump, he followed this up in...
won a gold medal in the Men's Long Jump F34-37 with a distance of 5.74. Darren also won bronze in the Men's 200 m T37, with a result of 25.52.
Basketball
MenAustralia was seeded sixth coming into the Atlanta Paralympic tournament. The men's team toured England and the Netherlands in the lead up to the Paralympics.
Australia beat Great Britain 78–63 in the gold medal game. This was Australia's first gold medal result in a major international competition for men or women. The match also had the largest recorded American crowd for a wheelchair basketball game with 10,061 people in attendance. Many Australians watched the game live. Australia had come back from a 15 point deficit of 20–5 during the first six minutes of the gold medal game. By halftime, Australia was down by one point after having briefly taken the lead a minute earlier.
Troy Sachs
Troy Sachs
Troy Sachs is a wheelchair basketball player from Australia. He competed in the Paralympic Games in 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008, where he won three medals...
is one of Australia's most popular and famous Paralympians. Sachs was born with one leg missing below the knee. He first competed at the 1992 Summer Paralympics
1992 Summer Paralympics
The 1992 Summer Paralympics were the ninth Paralympic Games to be held. They were held in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.- Sports :The games consisted of 487 events spread over fifteen sports. Powerlifting and weightlifting were considered to be a single sport...
in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
when he was 15 years old. He was 19 years old during these games. In the gold medal game against Great Britain, he scored 42 points for his team. 15 of those points came from five three-point shots. He had a shooting percentage of forty-seven during the gold medal match, making eleven of his twenty-three attempted shots. He went fifteen of twenty-four from the free throw line. Hopping from his chair, Sachs cut down the net after the game ended in victory for Australia. He was enrolled at the University of Texas as a physical education major at the start of the games. At the end of the tournament, he became a professional player, competing for a team in the United States.
Women
Prior to the start of the Paralympics, Australia was ranked third in the world. In lead up preparations for the games, the team toured Canada.
Australia's women's team beat the American team for the first time in pool play
Group stage
A group stage is the round-robin stage of many sporting championships, particularly a sports' World Cup. The name implies that there is also a knock out stage to follow...
, to stay in contention for a medal. This was viewed as extremely significant by Australian women's wheelchair basketball fans and the Australian Paralympic Federation because of the dominance of the American team in women's wheelchair basketball. Australia was down 21–16 at halftime. Australia went up with seven minutes left in the second half. The match finished with a score of 31–27 in Australia's favour. American Sharon Herbst was their team's start performer and she caused a number of problems for Australia's defence. During the game, several players were knocked out of their wheelchairs, including Australia's Melissa Ferrett. The Americans challenged the win, protesting because they believed the Australians were not wearing matching uniforms.
Australia's team was coached by Peter Corr and captained by Donna Ritchie
Donna Ritchie
Donna Ritchie is a wheelchair basketball player from Australia. She was part of the silver medal winning Australia women's national wheelchair basketball team at the 2000 Summer Paralympics.-References:...
. The team's top scorer in the competition was Liesl Tesch
Liesl Tesch
Liesl Tesch is an Australian wheelchair basketball player. She has represented her country at five Paralympic Games, winning three total medals. She has made numerous appearances for her country at other wheelchair basketball events. Tesch also competed in the sport as a professional. She has...
.
Australia beat Brazil 67–8, beat the USA 31–27 and lost to Germany 34–26 in pool play. They lost to Canada in the semi-finals, going down 31–36. They played the Americans in the bronze medal match, losing 30–41.
This was the first Paralympic basketball tournament to feature the three-wheeled wheelchair. Most of the women on the Australian team opted to use the traditional four-wheeled wheelchair.
Boccia
The 1996 result was the best ever for an Australian team in Boccia. The Australian team had six athletes who competed individually, as pairs and in a team event in the C1, C2 and C/WAD categories. Prior to the start of the games, the team was ranked eleventh in the world. The team's fifth play finish in the team event was the best the country had ever done in the event. The team was captained by Fiona Given.The pairs C/WAD team of Kris Bignall
Kris Bignall
Kris Bignall is an Australian boccia Paralympian.The pairs C/WAD team of Kris Bignall and Tu Huyhn were ranked as the seventh best pair in the world prior to the start of the games. They surprised the world when they won a bronze medal after beating Spain and New Zealand in the preliminaries, and...
and Tu Huyhn
Tu Huyhn
Tu Huyhn is an Australian boccia Paralympian.The pairs C/WAD team of Kris Bignall and Tu Huyhn were ranked as the seventh best pair in the world prior to the start of the games. They surprised the world when they won a bronze medal after beating Spain and New Zealand in the preliminaries, and after...
were ranked as the seventh best pair in the world prior to the start of the games. They surprised the world when they won a bronze medal after beating Spain and New Zealand in the preliminaries, and after beating an American pair in the bronze medal match. Their medal was the first medal Australia had won in this sport in international competition. The two athletes had been friends for fourteen years in 1996. They are severely disabled and compete using motorised wheelchairs.
Kris Bignall also competed as an individual in the C1 WAD category. He made it to the medals play off stage, where he lost. Tu Huyhn also competed in the individual events in the C1 WAD category. He finished fifth in pool play and did not qualify for the medal play off stage. Lyn Coleman
Lyn Coleman
Lyn Coleman is an Australian Paralympian who competed in boccia at the 1984 Summer Paralympics, 1988 Summer Paralympics, 1992 Summer Paralympics, 1996 Summer Paralympics and the 2000 Summer Paralympics. From 1995 to 2000, her international ranking climbed every year. She is from Queensland.-...
competed as an individual in the C1 category. She finished sixth overall. John Richardson also competed in the C1 individual event. He finished fifth in his pool and did not qualify for the medals play offs.
Scott Elsworth
Scott Elsworth
Scott Elsworth is an Australian Paralympian who competed in boccia at the 1996 Summer Paralympics and the 2000 Summer Paralympics. He is from New South Wales. At the 1996 Games, his team finished fifth. He is a thrower in boccia. He was coached at the 2000 Games by Joan Stevens...
competed as an individual in the C2 category. He finished sixth in his pool and did not qualify for the medal round. Fiona Given also competed in the C2 individual competition, finishing in fourth place in pool place and not qualifying for the medals.
Cycling
Australian cyclists prepared for the games and Atlanta's humid weather by undergoing acclimatisation training in Perth and Melbourne. Australian cyclists were also provided with racing suits by the International Wool Secretariat and CSIRO. These uniforms helped to minimise the impact of sweat on a cyclist's performance.Kieran Modra
Kieran Modra
Kieran Modra is an Australian cyclist, and a Paralympic gold and bronze medalist.-Biography:Modra was born in Port Lincoln, South Australia. Visually impaired from birth, Modra competed in athletics at the 1988 Summer Paralympics and in both athletics and swimming at the 1992 Paralympics in...
is a South Australian blind cyclist. He competed in the 1996 Paralympics in the tandem event with pilot Kerry Golding
Kerry Golding
Kerry Golding is a Paralympic cyclist from Australia. He won a gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Games in the Mixed 200 m Sprint Tandem open event.-References:...
. He won a gold medal in the 200 metres (656.2 ft) mixed tandem sprint race.
Another tandem bike pair that competed included Terri Poole
Terri Poole
Teresa 'Terri' Poole is a vision-impaired Australian Paralympian who rides a bicycle. She has won several gold medals. As of 2001, she holds five world records in tandem cycling.-References:...
and Sandra Smith
Sandra Smith (cyclist)
Sandra Smith is a Paralympic cyclist from Australia. She won a pair of gold medals at the 1996 Atlanta Games in the Women's Individual Pursuit Tandem open event and the Women's Kilo Tandem open event.-References:...
. Poole and Smith were ranked number one in the world prior to the start of the games. The pair also hold the world record in the 1000 metres (3,280.8 ft) event. Poole's disability is tunnel vision
Tunnel vision
Tunnel vision is the loss of peripheral vision with retention of central vision, resulting in a constricted circular tunnel-like field of vision.- Medical / biological causes :Tunnel vision can be caused by:...
. She took up cycling and triathlons as her vision started to deteriorate. Prior to that, she was an aerobics instructor and personal trainer. At the start of the games, she was 32 years old. Smith was 28 years old and is the able bodied cyclist in the pair of best friends. Smith gave up a chance to compete as an individual able-bodied cyclist to help Poole. The Perth based pair have worked together for ten years at a business started by Poole. They prepared for the games by bonding: They went to Stone Mountain
Stone Mountain
Stone Mountain is a quartz monzonite dome monadnock in Stone Mountain, Georgia, United States. At its summit, the elevation is 1,686 feet amsl and 825 feet above the surrounding area. Stone Mountain granite extends underground at its longest point into Gwinnett County...
, meditated and got massages. They credited this preparation for helping them win gold in the 1000 metres (3,280.8 ft) women's tandem race, the first gold medal handed out at the Paralympics.
Equestrian
Goalball
MenThe Australian men finished fourth. This was the country's best finish in an international competition. The team had played a number of international matches and also had an extended training camp in Australia prior to the start of the games. The training camp included psychological preparations.
The start of the men's team was Robert Crestani. His ability to throw the ball and his offensive tactics helped the team remain competitive. Other key players for the team included Warren Lawton and Gerrard Gosens. These three players were on the court for almost the whole competition.
In pool play, they beat Italy 5–2, the Czech Republic 7–0, and the Netherlands 3–2. They drew with Germany 3–3 and Slovenia 4–4. In the Qualification round, they lost to Finland 1–4, drew with Spain 3–3 and lost to Canada 1–3. In the medal elimination round, they lost to Canada 2–3. In the bronze medal match, they lost to spain 2–6.
Australia's win over Italy is important in the team's history because the Italian team was ranked number one in the world coming into the Paralympic games.
Women
Unlike the men's team, the women's Australian team did not have as much experience as other teams in the Paralympic goalball competition. European teams had competed against each other in the lead up to the games. This gave them an advantage as they knew their opponents' strengths and weaknesses.
The Australian women had several injuries during the Paralympics. Sarah Kennedy injured herself in training, which limited her mobility.
Australia lost all but one match. They lost to Spain 0–1, to Sweden 0–4, to Denmark 1–5, to Germany 0–2 and to the USA 0–3. Australia's sole victory came against Korea, where they won 2–0. Australia finished as the last team in the competition based on goals for and against as they had a record of 3–16. The 0–1 loss to Finland was considered impressive by goalball followers because Finland won a silver medal.
Judo
Australia sent one athlete to compete in judo: Anthony Clarke. He was coached by Trevor Kschammer. This was the only sport where Australia had a ratio of one athlete to one coach. Anthony Clarke won a gold medal, going undefeated. He beat Arlindo Tinoco of Brazil in 51 seconds, Fermin Campos Ariza of Spain in five minutes in the semi-final and beat Run Ming Men of China in the gold medal match in 35 seconds. Clarke's victory of Men in 1996 made up for Clarke's 1994 loss to Men in the 1994 FESPIC Games. Clarke's victory was the result of a lot of planning. Prior to the matches, Clarke and Kschammer rehearsed how Clarke would handle his competitors.| Athlete | Event | 1/8-Final | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opposition Result |
Opposition Result |
Opposition Result |
Opposition Result |
Rank | ||
| Anthony Clarke | Judo Judo at the 1996 Summer Paralympics -Medal table:The following countries also competed:- Medal summary :... |
bye | W |
W |
W |
 |
Lawn bowls
In preparation for the games, five bowlers competed in a tournament in South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
Powerlifting
Powerlifting is a competitive event in the Paralympics. Only the top 12 world ranked athletes in each category are allowed to compete in the games.Brian Nicholl is a Paralympian powerlifter. He is 1.64 metres (5.4 ft) tall. In 1996, his day job was a physical trainer for the Collingwood Football Club
Collingwood Football Club
The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
.Before joining Collingwood, he was part of the Department of Sport and Recreation in Victoria. Some of his work involved outreach to schools. He also served as the chairman of Australian Weightlifting for People With Disabilities. Prior to the start of the games, he was a three time world champion and six time Paralympian. He first competed internationally in 1972. He had recorded a personal best and world record of 230 kilograms (507.1 lb) set at the 1994 World Championships held in Melbourne. He finished fourth at the 1972 Paralympics in Germany, second at the 1976 Paralympics in Canada, third at the 1980 Paralympics in the Netherlands, fourth at the 1984 Paralympics in the United Kingdom, third at the 1988 Paralympics in Seoul and gold at the 1992 Paralympics in Barcelona. He was 44 years old when he competed in 1996. Nicholl was coached by Biagoi Blagoev, the 1980 Summer Olympics
1980 Summer Olympics
The 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Moscow in the Soviet Union. In addition, the yachting events were held in Tallinn, and some of the preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football tournament...
weightliting silver medalist. He was the defending gold medalist and world record holder. In the lead up to the games, he sought guidance from Herb Elliott
Herb Elliott
Herbert James "Herb" Elliott AC MBE is a former Australian athlete, one of the world's greatest middle distance runners...
. He competed in the 90 kilograms (198.4 lb) powerlifting division in 1996. He won a silver medal, only beaten by Ryszard Tomaszewski of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
who set a world record with his lift.
Richard Nicholson
Richard Nicholson
Richard Nicholson is a Paralympic competitor from Australia. He competed at the 1996 Summer Paralympics, the 2000 Summer Paralympics, 2004 Summer Paralympics and the 2008 Summer Paralympics. At the 2000 Games, he won a silver medal in the powerlifting Men's Up To 60 kg event...
was an ACT based powerlifter. He seriously began training for inclusion on the Paralympic powerlifting team two and a half years prior to the games. Prior to the start of the games, he set an Australian record for a lift when competing in the 56 kilograms (123.5 lb) class. Prior to the games, he believed that he could set a personal best at the games. His competitiveness in the games was hampered because he had limited experience, and his coach stayed in Melbourne. He believed that his chances would be better at the 2000 Summer Paralympics
2000 Summer Paralympics
The 2000 Paralympic Games were held in Sydney, Australia, from 18 October to 29 October. The eleventh Summer Paralympic Games, an estimated 3800 athletes took part in the Sydney programme. They commenced with the opening ceremony on 18 October 2000...
, when he could compete before a home crowd.
Rugby
Wheelchair rugby was a demonstration sport at the 1996 Summer Paralympics. The sport has the same level of aggression as non-wheelchair rugby and is the only wheelchair contact sport that is played in the Paralympics. The contact is a reason Australian players compete. The contact and aggression is often damaging to the wheelchairs. For this reason, a welder was at the games to repair wheelchairs of rugby players. National rugby rivalries were carried over into the wheelchair version, with the Australian team viewing the match against New Zealand as one of their most important.George Hucks
George Hucks
George Hucks is from South Australia. He was a member of the Australia national wheelchair rugby team. During a practice in Atlanta prior to the start of the 1996 Summer Paralympics, Hucks broke his kneecap. Hucks, from South Australia, was the team's best player. This was a major loss for the...
was a member of the Australian team. During a practice in Atlanta prior to the start of the games, Hucks broke his kneecap. Hucks, from South Australia, was the team's best player. This was a major loss for the team. Hucks was flown home and another player was flown into Australia to replace him.
Australia did not win a single match in wheelchair rugby. They lost to New Zealand 23–39, to Great Britain 33–34, to Canada 24–39, to the USA 18–31 and to Sweden 25–29.
Shooting
The shooting events were some of the most competitive at the Atlanta Paralympics, with six world records and nine Paralympic records set. Australia did not set any of these records. The team still did well with Australian athletes setting 11 individual personal best records in the 22 events in which they competed. All but one of the seven Australian competitors set a personal best record.Ashley Adams
Ashley Adams
Ashley Adams is an Australian cattle grazier and Paralympic shooting medallist.-Personal:Adams was born on 12 October 1955. He became a paraplegic in 1982 at the age of 26 after being involved in an accident at a local motorbike competition, where he fell off his motorbike and broke his back....
was a member of this 1996 Paralympics team. He set four personal best records. He also set three Australian records. Adams also appeared in one event final.
James Nomorhas was an ACT
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
based shooter. Paralympic based ACT shooters like Nomorhas are widely recognised in the ACT shooting community. He won a silver medal in the mixed SH1 Sport Pistol event.
Elizabeth Kosmaia is a shooter from South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
. The 1996 Paralympics were the seventh Paralympics in which she competed.
Swimming
A training camp was held for Australian swimmers in Townsville prior to the start of the games. Head coach Ian Findlay was hired with the intention of improving the overall level of coaching for the Paralympic Games and to help improve Australia's medal chances.Priya Cooper
Priya Cooper
Priya Cooper is a world champion disabled swimmer, winning nine Paralympic gold medals as well as world records and world championships. She competed in the Australian 1992, 1996 and 2000 Summer Paralympics swimming team with an S8 classification...
from Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
won one gold medal in a swimming relay event and four individual gold medals in swimming for the 200 m individual medley, the 100 m backstroke, the 100 m freestyle, and the 400 m freestyle.
Kingsley Bugarin
Kingsley Bugarin
Kingsley Haldane Bugarin OAM is a former Australian swimmer. He competed in five consecutive Summer Paralympics from 1984 to 2000, winning a total of five gold, eight silver, and six bronze medals....
, a Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
-based visually impaired swimmer, competed in his fourth Paralympics in Atlanta at the age of 28. Prior to these games, he had never won a single Paralympic medal. In Atlanta, he won a gold medal in the 200 m individual medley, where he set a world record. In the finals, he was seven seconds behind before the breaststroke, made up six of those seconds, and was only one second behind entering into the freestyle before he made it up to win the gold. He swam the 200 m in 2 minutes and 22 seconds. His world records at the games included 1:10.81 in the 100 m breaststroke, 2:35.21 in the 200 m breaststroke and 2:22.45 in the 200 m individual medley.
Gemmma Dashwood was another Australian competing. She was from Weston, Australian Capital Territory
Weston, Australian Capital Territory
Weston is a suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. On Census night 2006, Weston had a population of 3,176 people....
. Her selection to participate in the Paralympic games was a dream come true. Prior to the games, she stated a desire to also compete in the 2000 Paralympics to be held in Sydney. She was selected to compete in the 400 m freestyle, 100 m freestyle, the 100 m butterfly and the 200 m medley. By the time the games started, Dashwood had been swimming for eleven years, only three of those spent in disabled swimming competitions. Her pre-Paralympic training involved getting up at 4am to train at the Telopea Park Swimming Club. In order to compete in the Paralympics, she delayed her acceptance to the University of Newcastle
University of Newcastle, Australia
The University of Newcastle is an Australian public university that was established in 1965. The University's main and largest campus is located in Callaghan, a suburb of Newcastle in New South Wales...
, where she planned to study speech therapy. She set a world record in the 100 m butterfly, where she captured a gold. Dashwood also won a silver medal in another swimming event.
Judy Young was an ACT based swimmer who competed in the Paralympics.
Tracy Cross won a medal in the100 m butterfly race.
Jeff Hardy won a medal in the 100 m men's butterfly race.
Tennis
David HallDavid Hall (tennis)
Hall was inducted into the New South Wales Hall of Champions in 2009.In 2010 Hall was appointed an ambassador for wheelchair tennis by the International Tennis Federation to help promote the sport in Australia and worldwide...
competed for Australia in wheelchair tennis at the 1996 Paralympic Games, where he won a silver and bronze medal. He lost his legs in an accident when he was sixteen years old.
| Athlete | Event | Round of 64 | Round of 32 | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opposition Result |
Opposition Result |
Opposition Result |
Opposition Result |
Opposition Result |
Opposition Result |
Rank | ||
| David Hall David Hall (tennis) Hall was inducted into the New South Wales Hall of Champions in 2009.In 2010 Hall was appointed an ambassador for wheelchair tennis by the International Tennis Federation to help promote the sport in Australia and worldwide... |
Men's singles | bye | W 6–2, 6–1 |
W 7–6, 6–1 |
W 7–5, 7–5 |
L 7–6, 5–7, 5–7 |
W 6–3, 6–0 |
 |
| Mick Connell | Men's singles | W 6–0, 6–2 |
L 2–6, 6–4, 3–6 |
Did not advance | ||||
| Daniela Di Toro | Women's singles | N/A | bye | W 6–4, 6–1 |
W 6–4, 6–1 |
L 7–6, 1–6, 4–6 |
L 4–6, 6–4, 3–6 |
4 |
| Randa Henson | Women's singles | N/A | W 6–4, 7–6 |
L 2–6, 1–6 |
Did not advance | |||
| David Hall David Hall (tennis) Hall was inducted into the New South Wales Hall of Champions in 2009.In 2010 Hall was appointed an ambassador for wheelchair tennis by the International Tennis Federation to help promote the sport in Australia and worldwide... Mick Connell |
Women's doubles | N/A | bye | W 6–0, 6–1 |
W 6–0, 6–0 |
W 7–6, 6–1 |
L 2–6, 6–3, 6–7 |
 |
| Daniela Di Toro Randa Henson |
Women's doubles | N/A | bye | W 6–1, 6–1 |
L 1–6, 0–6 |
L 2–6, 7–6, 2–6 |
4 | |
Medal tally
At the 1996 Summer Paralympics, Australia had the second highest medal tally of any country competing. The country brought home 20 gold medals during the first four days of the competition.Overall, the country brought home 42 gold medals, 37 silver medals and 27 bronze medals. Australia's gold medal haul was one more than the total combined metal haul of Australia's 1996 Olympic team
Australia at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Australia competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, United States. Australia sent a record team of 424 athletes, 254 men and 170 women, to the Atlanta Games. Most notable is the number of women, easily more than double the then-record 74 women who had competed in Seoul just eight years earlier...
. The medal haul also surpassed the 24 gold medals that Australia had won at the 1992 Paralympics
Australia at the 1992 Summer Paralympics
Australia competed at the 1992 Games. They finished seventh in the total medal count. Australia won medals in swimming, athletics and powerlifting. - References :...
.
| Medal tallies for Australia | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place | Sport | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | Cycling Cycling at the 1996 Summer Paralympics Cycling at the 1996 Summer Paralympics consisted of 23 events in two disciplines, road cycling and track cycling.-Medal table:The following countries also competed:- Road cycling :- Track cycling :... |
5 | 5 | 0 | 10 |
| 1 | Wheelchair basketball Wheelchair basketball at the 1996 Summer Paralympics Wheelchair basketball at the 1996 Summer Paralympics consisted of men's and women's team events.- Medal summary :- References :... |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 | Athletics Athletics at the 1996 Summer Paralympics Athletics at the 1996 Summer Paralympics consisted of 210 events, 155 for men and 55 for women.-Medal table:- Men's events :- Women's events :- References :... |
19 | 12 | 12 | 43 |
| 3 | Swimming Swimming at the 1996 Summer Paralympics Swimming at the 1996 Summer Paralympics consisted of 168 events, 87 for men and 81 for women. Because of a tie in the men's 100 m freestyle S4 event, a total of 169 bronze medals were awarded.-Medal table:... |
16 | 16 | 12 | 44 |
| 3 | Wheelchair tennis Wheelchair tennis at the 1996 Summer Paralympics Wheelchair tennis at the 1996 Summer Paralympics consisted of four events, singles and doubles competitions for men and women.- Medal summary :- References :... |
0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 3 | Judo Judo at the 1996 Summer Paralympics -Medal table:The following countries also competed:- Medal summary :... |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | Lawn bowls Lawn bowls at the 1996 Summer Paralympics Lawn bowls at the 1996 Summer Paralympics consisted of eight events.-Medal table:The following countries also competed:- Medal summary :... |
0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 7 | Boccia Boccia at the 1996 Summer Paralympics Boccia at the 1996 Summer Paralympics consisted of five events. All events were mixed, meaning that men and women competed together.-Medal table:The following countries also competed: - Medal summary :... |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 9 | Powerlifting Powerlifting at the 1996 Summer Paralympics -Medal table:Forty-five other counties also competed in this sport.- Medal summary :... |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 12 | Shooting Shooting at the 1996 Summer Paralympics Shooting at the 1996 Summer Paralympics consisted of 15 events.-Medal table:Twenty-four other countries also participated in this sport.- Medal summary :... |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Equestrian Equestrian at the 1996 Summer Paralympics Equestrian at the 1996 Summer Paralympics consisted of nine events. All events were mixed, meaning that men and women competed together.-Medal table:The following countries also competed:- Medal summary :... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Goallball Goalball at the 1996 Summer Paralympics Goalball at the 1996 Summer Paralympics consisted of men's and women's team events.- Medal summary :-Pictures:... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Wheelchair rugby Wheelchair rugby at the 1996 Summer Paralympics Wheelchair rugby at the 1996 Summer Paralympics consisted of a mixed team event. Wheelchair rugby was being contested as a demonstration sport, and not an official part of the Paralympic program, but medals were awarded and stayed on medal table... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 42 | 37 | 27 | 106 |
Closing Ceremonies
As representative for the next host city, Michael KnightMichael Knight (Australian politician)
Michael Steven Knight AO is a former Australian politician. He was member for Campbelltown in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly between 1981 and 2001. He served as Minister for the Olympics between 1995 and 2001 in the Carr Labor government.- Education :Knight attended Doonside High School...
, the New South Wales Minister for the Olympics, was presented with an IPC flag during the closing ceremonies.
Return home
When the games were over, athletes returned home to parades and receptions. These events took place in all Australian state and territory capitals. New South Wales based athletes were greeted at the Sydney airport by the Federal Minister for SportMinister for Sport (Australia)
The Australian Minister for Sport is Mark Arbib, who was appointed on 14 September 2010, following the Labor Party's win at the 2010 election. The ministry is located within the Prime Minister and Cabinet portfolio.-List of Ministers for Sport:...
Warwick Smith
Warwick Smith (politician)
Warwick Leslie Smith AM is an Australian politician, and was a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives from December 1984 to March 1993 and again from March 1996 to October 1998, representing the Division of Bass, Tasmania....
and the Premier of New South Wales Bob Carr
Bob Carr
Robert John "Bob" Carr , Australian statesman, was Premier of New South Wales from 4 April 1995 to 3 August 2005. He holds the record for the longest continuous service as premier of NSW...
. A parade was later held in Sydney, with tens of thousands of people attending. In Victoria, an event was held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
prior to the start of an Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
playoff game. Another reception was held in Victoria at Parliament House, Melbourne
Parliament House, Melbourne
Parliament House in Melbourne, located at Spring Street in East Melbourne at the edge of the Melbourne city centre, has been the seat of the Parliament of Victoria, Australia, since 1855 .- History :In 1851, even before the colony of Victoria acquired full parliamentary self-government, Governor...
, with the Premier of Victoria Jeff Kennett
Jeff Kennett
Jeffrey Gibb Kennett AC , a former Australian politician, was the Premier of Victoria between 1992 and 1999. He is currently the President of Hawthorn Football Club. He is the founding Chairman of beyondblue, a national depression initiative.- Early life :Kennett was born in Melbourne on 2 March...
as the host and the Victorian Workcover Authority
Victorian Workcover Authority
The Victorian Workcover Authority is a government authority established by the State Government of Victoria, Australia. It has three functions:* Policing occupational health and safety legislation* Providing worker's compensation...
as the sponsor.
Media coverage
There was more media coverage for the 1996 Paralympics in Australia than there was for previous Paralympic games. The Australian Paralympic Federation set a goal prior to the start of the games to do just this, with a focus on attaining coverage in sections other than the sport pages of newspapers. Media outlets that covered Australia at the Paralympics included Who Weekly, ABC Radio National, Nine Network's Today ShowToday (Australian TV program)
Today and Weekend Today are Australian breakfast television programmes, the show is often referred to as The Today Show. The show has been broadcast live by the Nine Network each morning since 1982...
, Channel Seven
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
's AM and Witness programs, and coverage in all the national newspapers. Channel Seven, an Australian commercial station, sent a crew to Atlanta to cover the games. The crew did live interviews, and helped provide coverage of the games. This coverage included several segments of fifteen minutes during the station's news programs. Media coverage of the games was aided by the time difference: Event results came in live during morning shows on Australian radio. The Australian Paralympic Federation considered the media coverage to be a great success in terms of boosting awareness of its program and its athletes.