Australia competed at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, USSR. Although Australia did not officially participate in the American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics, athletes were encouraged to boycott by the government, and Australia competed under the Olympic Flag. 120 competitors, 92 men and 28 women, took part in 92 events in 17 sports.
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.
Michelle Ford — Swimming, Women's 800 metres FreestyleNeil Brooks, Mark Kerry, Peter Evans and Mark Tonelli — Swimming, Men's 4 × 100 m Medley Relay, known as the Quietly Confident QuartetRick Mitchell — Athletics, Men's 400 metresJohn Sumegi — Canoeing, Men's K1 500 metres Kayak SinglesGraeme Brewer — Swimming, Men's 200 metres FreestyleMax Metzker — Swimming, Men's 1.500 metres FreestyleMark Kerry — Swimming, Men's 200 metres BackstrokePeter Evans — Swimming, Men's 100 metres BreaststrokeMichelle Ford — Swimming, Women's 200 metres ButterflyIn the third Olympic archery competition that Australia contested, the nation sent two women and one man. Carole Toy, a veteran of the 1972 Games, repeated her 15th-place performance despite shooting 20 points lower.
Women's Individual Competition:
Terene Donovan — 2343 points (→ 9th place)Carole Toy — 2285 points (→ 15th place)
Men's Individual Competition:
Scott Dumbrell — 2271 points (→ 26th place)Men's 10,000 metres
Bill ScottHeat — 28:58.8Final — 28:15.1 (→ 9th place)Stephen AustinHeat — 29:45.2 (→ did not advance)Gerard BarrettHeat — did not finish (→ did not advance)Men's Long Jump
Gary HoneyQualification — 7.44 m (→ did not advance)Men's Triple Jump
Ian CampbellQualification — 17.02 mFinal — 16.72 m (→ 5th place)Ken LorrawayQualification — 16.80 mFinal — 16.44 m (→ 8th place)Men's Marathon
Robert de CastellaFinal — 2:14:31 (→ 10th place)Chris WardlawFinal — 2:20:42 (→ 28th place)Gerard BarrettFinal — did not finish (→ no ranking)Men's Hammer Throw
Peter FarmerQualifying Round — 69.16m (→ did not advance, 13th place)Men's 20 km Walk
David SmithFinal — DSQ (→ no ranking)Men's 50 km Walk
Willi SawallFinal — 4:08:25 (→ 8th place)David SmithFinal — did not finish (→ no ranking)Men's Decathlon
Peter HadfieldFinal — 7709 points (→ 13th place)
Women's 100 metres
Denise BoydHeat — 11.56Quarterfinals — 11.35Semifinals — 11.44 (→ did not advance)Debbie WellsHeat — 11.72Quarterfinals — 11.66 (→ did not advance)Women's 100 m Hurdles
Penelope GilliesHeat — 13.68 (→ did not advance)Women's Discus Throw
Gael MulhallQualification — 54.90 m (→ did not advance)Women's Shot Put
Gael MulhallFinal — 18.00 m (→ 12th place)Women's Javelin Throw
Pam MatthewsQualification — 55.72 m (→ did not advance)Petra RiversQualification — 51.08 m (→ did not advance)Women's High Jump
Christine StantonQualification — 1.88mFinal — 1.91m (→ 6th place)Men's Team CompetitionPreliminary Round (Group C):Lost to Cuba (76-83)Defeated Italy (84-77)Defeated Sweden (64-55)Classification Round (Group B):Defeated Czechoslovakia (91-86)Lost to Poland (74-101)Defeated Senegal (95-64)Defeated India (93-75) → 8th placeTeam Roster:Peter AliStephen BrehenyPerry CrosswhiteMel DalgleishIan DaviesGordon McLeodDanny MorseauLes RiddleLarry SengstockPhil SmythMichael TuckerPeter WalshHead Coach: Lindsay GazeMen's Lightweight (– 60 kg)
Norm StevensFirst Round — Lost to Geza Tumbas (Yugoslavia) on points (1-4)Ten cyclists represented Australia in 1980.
Individual road raceMichael WilsonKevin BradshawRemo SansonettiGraham SeersTeam time trialKevin BradshawRemo SansonettiDavid ScarfeMichael WilsonSprintKenrick Tucker1000m time trialKenrick TuckerIndividual pursuitKelvin PooleTeam pursuitColin FitzgeraldKevin NicholsKelvin PooleGary SuttonMen's Springboard
Steve FoleyPreliminary Round — 521.82 points (→ 11th place, did not advance)Men's Platform
Steve FoleyPreliminary Round — 427.44 points (→ 16th place, did not advance)Three fencers, one man and two women, represented Australia in 1980.
Men's foilGreg BenkoMen's épéeGreg BenkoWomen's foilMitzi FergusonHelen SmithOne male pentathlete represented Australia in 1980.
Men's individual competition:
Robert Barrie — 4696 pts, 37th placeMen's 100m Freestyle
Neil BrooksQualifying Heat — 51,11 (2nd)Semi-Finals — 52,70 (→ did not advance)Graeme BrewerQualifying Heat — 52,59 (4th)Semi-Finals — 51,91 (3rd)Final — 52,22 (→ 8th place)Mark TonelliQualifying Heat — 52,04 (3rd)Semi-Finals — 52,17 (5th, did not advance)Men's 200m Freestyle
Graeme BrewerQualifying Heat — 1.51,92 (2nd)Final — 1.51,60 (→ Bronze Medal)Ron McKeonQualifying Heat — 1.52,66Final — 1.52,60 (→ 5th place)Men's 400m Freestyle
Graeme BrewerQualifying Heat — 3.57,19 (→ did not advance)Max MetzkerQualifying Heat — 3.54,79 (2nd)Final — 3.56,87 (→ 7th place)Ron McKeonQualifying Heat — 3.56,77 (2nd)Final — 3.57,00 (→ 8th place)Men's 1.500m Freestyle
Max MetzkerQualifying Heat — 15.21,63 (3rd)Final — 15.14,49 (→ Bronze Medal)Men's 200m Butterfly
Paul MoorfootQualifying Heat — 2.05,69 (5th, did not advance)Men's 100m Breaststroke
Peter EvansQualifying Heat — 1.04,55 (2nd)Final — 1.03,96 (→ Bronze Medal)Lindsay SpencerQualifying Heat — 1.04,78 (3rd)Final — 1.05,04 (→ 6th place)Men's 200m Breaststroke
Lindsay SpencerQualifying Heat — 2.21,08 (2nd)Final — 2.19,68 (→ 5th place)Peter EvansQualifying Heat — 2.26,62 (4th, did not advance)Men's 100m Backstroke
Mark TonelliQualifying Heat — 58,66 (1st)Semi Final — 57,89 (2nd)Final — 57,98 (→ 7th place)Mark KerryQualifying Heat — 58,08 (3rd)Semi Final — 58,07 (3rd, did not advance)Glenn PatchingQualifying Heat — 58,30 (1st)Semi Final — 1.00,31 (8th, did not advance)Men's 200m Backstroke
Mark KerryQualifying Heat — 3.03,60 (1st)Final — 2.03,14 (→ Bronze Medal)Mark TonelliQualifying Heat — 2.07,04 (3rd, did not advance)Paul MoorfootQualifying Heat — 2.04,87 (1st)Final — 2.06,15 (→ 8th place)Men's 400m Individual Medley
Paul MoorfootQualifying Heat — 4.34,28 (5th, did not advance)Men's 4 × 200 m Freestyle Relay
Graeme Brewer, Mark Tonelli, Mark Kerry, and Ron McKeonQualifying Heat — 7.34,06 (3rd)Final — 7.30,82 (→ 7th place)Men's 4 × 100 m Medley Relay
Mark Kerry, Peter Evans, Mark Tonelli, and Neil BrooksQualifying Heat — 3.48,94 (2nd)Final — 3.45,70 (→ Gold Medal)
Women's 100m Freestyle
Michelle PearsonQualifying Heat — 58,90 (4th, did not advance)Women's 200m Freestyle
Karen RamsayQualifying Heat — 2.06,06 (3rd, did not advance)Women's 400m Freestyle
Michelle FordQualifying Heat — 4.13,90 (1st)Final — 4.11,65 (→ 4th place)Rosemary FydlerQualifying Heat — 4.21,36 (6th, did not advance)Women's 800m Freestyle
Michelle FordQualifying Heat — 8.42,36 (2nd)Final — 8.28,90 (→ Gold Medal)Rosemary FydlerQualifying Heat — 8.49,47 (4th, did not advance)Women's 100m Butterfly
Lisa CurryQualifying Heat — 1.02,92 (3rd)Final — 1.02,40 (→ 5th place)Women's 200m Butterfly
Michelle FordQualifying Heat — 2.12,72 (1st)Final — 2.11,66 (→ Bronze Medal)Karen RamsayQualifying Heat — 2.17,82 (4th, did not advance)Women's 200m Breaststroke
Lisa CurryQualifying Heat — 2.39,42 (→ 5th place, did not advance)Women's 200m Butterfly
Michelle FordFinal — 2.11,66 (→ Bronze Medal)Women's 100m Backstroke
Lisa ForrestQualifying Heat — 1.04,55 (3rd, did not advance)Georgina ParkesQualifying Heat — 1.05,06 (3rd, did not advance)Women's 200m Backstroke
Lisa ForrestQualifying Heat — 2.15,40 (1st)Final — 2.16,75 (→ 7th place)Georgina ParkesQualifying Heat — 2.17,78 (3rd, did not advance)Women's 400m Individual Medley
Lisa CurryQualifying Heat — 5.01,58 (→ 5th place, did not advance)Women's 4 × 100 m Freestyle Relay
Lisa Curry, Karen Ramsay, Rosemary Brown, and Michele PearsonQualifying Heat — 3.56,24 (2nd)Final — 3.54,16 (→ 5th place)Women's 4 × 100 m Medley Relay
Lisa Forrest, Lisa Curry, Karen Ramsay, and Rosemary BrownQualifying Heat — 4.23,33 (2nd)Final — 4.19,90 (→ 6th place)Men's Team CompetitionPreliminary Round (Group C)Defeated Bulgaria (9-5)Lost to Cuba (4-6)Lost to Yugoslavia (2-9)Final Round (Group B)Defeated Bulgaria (8-5)Drew with Romania (4-4)Defeated Greece (4-2)Defeated Sweden (9-4)Defeated Italy (5-4) → 7th placeTeam RosterMichael TurnerDavid NeeshamRobert BryantPeter MontgomeryJulian MusprattAndrew KerrAnthony FalsonCharles TurnerMartin CallaghanRandall GoffAndrew StewardHead Coach: Tom HoadNorman 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", has become one of the most famous calls in the history of Australian sport.
