# List of Australian Olympic medallists in athletics

Australia has competed in athletics in all Summer Olympics. Edwin Flack won the Men's 800 m and 1500 m at the 1896 Summer Olympics. He won Australia's first athletics and Olympics medals and was that country’s first gold medallist. Athletics is the Australia's second most successful Olympic sport after swimming.

## Statistics 1896-2024

* Australia has won 83 medals: 22 gold, 29 silver, and 32 bronze medals.
* Australian women have won 45 medals: 14 gold, 15 silver, and 16 bronze medals
* Australia men have won 37 medals: 8 gold, 14 silver, and 15 bronze medals
* Number of female athletes winning medals: 34
* Number of male athletes winning medals: 39
* Sixteen athletes have won individual gold medals: Edwin Flack (dual), Nick Winter, John Winter, Marjorie Jackson (dual), Shirley Strickland de la Hunty (triple), Betty Cuthbert (four), Herb Elliott, Ralph Doubell, Maureen Caird, Glynis Nunn, Debbie Flintoff-King, Cathy Freeman, Steve Hooker, Sally Pearson, Jared Tallent and Nina Kennedy
* Two athletes have won relay gold medals: Norma Croker and Fleur Mellor
* Most medals: Shirley Strickland de la Hunty (7), 1948, 1952, 1956, including 3 gold, 1 silver, 3 bronze; Betty Cuthbert (4), 1956 & 1964, including 4 gold; Jared Tallent (4), 2008, 2012, 2016, including 1 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze;Raelene Boyle (3), 1968 & 1972, including 3 silver; Stan Rowley (3) 1900, including 3 bronze
* Multiple gold medallists: Betty Cuthbert (4); Shirley Strickland de la Hunty (3); Marjorie Jackson (2) and Edwin Flack (2)
* Medallists at more than one Games: Shirley Strickland de la Hunty and Jared Tallent (3 Games); Betty Cuthbert, Pam Kilborn, Raelene Boyle, Cathy Freeman, Sally Pearson and Nicola Olyslagers (2 Games)
* Relay medals: A total of 6 (including 1 gold medal and 1 silver medal for Women's 4 × 100 m, plus 1 gold medal for Men's 1 x 400 m, 2 silver medals for Men's 4 × 400 m and 1 bronze medal for the Marathon walk relay)

## Event Medal Summary 1896-2021

Summary of Olympics athletics medals won by Australian male and female athletes. Australian athletes have not won medals in the following events scheduled for the 2020 Summer Olympics: 5000 metres, 3000 m steeplechase and the hammer throw.
| Event | Gold Women | Silver Women | Bronze Women | Gold Men | Silver Men | Bronze Men | Gold Total | Silver Total | Bronze Total | Total |
| 60 m | na/a | n/a | n/a | - | - | 1 | | - | 1 | 1 |
| 100 m | 2 | 1 | 3 | - | - | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 8 |
| 200 m | 2 | 2 | 3 | - | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 9 |
| 400 m | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | - | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| 800 m | - | 1 | - | 2 | - | - | 2 | 1 | - | 3 |
| 1500 m | - | - | - | 2 | - | 1 | 2 | - | 1 | 3 |
| 3000 m | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | 1 |
| 10000m | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | - | - | 3 | 3 |
| Marathon | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | 1 |
| 80 /100m hurdles (Women) 110 m hurdles (Men) | 4 | 2 | 3 | - | - | - | 4 | 2 | 3 | 9 |
| 400m hurdles | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | 1 |
| 20 km walk | - | - | 1 | - | 1 | 3 | - | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| 50 km walk men only | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1 | 2 | - | 1 | 2 | - | 3 |
| 4 × 100 m | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | - | 2 |
| 4 × 400 m | - | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | 2 | - | 2 |
| Long jump | - | - | - | - | 4 | - | - | 4 | - | 4 |
| High jump | - | 2 | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| Triple jump | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Pole vault | - | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | 1 | 1 | - | 2 |
| Discus | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 |
| Javelin | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Shot put | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 |
| Heptathlon | 1 | - | - | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1 | - | - | 1 |
| Decathlon | n/a | n/a | n/a | - | - | 1 | - | - | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 13 | 13 | 14 | 8 | 14 | 14 | 21 | 27 | 28 | 76 |
- n/a - not a discipline for the gender

## Medallists 1896-2024

List of individual and relay Australian medallists.
| Athlete | Olympics | Sex | Event | Medal |
| Edwin Flack | 1896 Athens | Men | 800 m | Gold |
| Edwin Flack | 1896 Athens | Men | 1500 m | Gold |
| Stan Rowley | 1900 Paris | Men | 60 m | Bronze |
| Stan Rowley | 1900 Paris | Men | 100 m | Bronze |
| Stan Rowley | 1900 Paris | Men | 200 m | Bronze |
| George Parker | 1920 Antwerp | Men | 3000 m | Silver |
| Nick Winter | 1924 Paris | Men | Triple jump | Gold |
| Jack Metcalfe | 1936 Berlin | Men | Triple jump | Bronze |
| John Winter | 1948 London | Men | High jump | Gold |
| Theo Bruce | 1948 London | Men | Long jump | Silver |
| George Avery | 1948 London | Men | Triple jump | Silver |
| Shirley Strickland | 1948 London | Women | 100 m | Bronze |
| Shirley Strickland | 1948 London | Women | 80 m hurdles | Bronze |
| Shirley Strickland | 1948 London | Women | 4 × 100 m relay | Silver |
| Joyce King | 1948 London | Women | 4 × 100 m relay | Silver |
| June Maston | 1948 London | Women | 4 × 100 m relay | Silver |
| Betty McKinnon | 1948 London | Women | 4 × 100 m relay | Silver |
| Shirley Strickland | 1952 Helsinki | Women | 80 m hurdles | Gold |
| Shirley Strickland | 1952 Helsinki | Women | 100 m | Bronze |
| Marjorie Jackson | 1952 Helsinki | Women | 100 m | Gold |
| Marjorie Jackson | 1952 Helsinki | Women | 200 m | Gold |
| Betty Cuthbert | 1956 Melbourne | Women | 100 m | Gold |
| Betty Cuthbert | 1956 Melbourne | Women | 200 m | Gold |
| Shirley Strickland | 1956 Melbourne | Women | 80 m hurdles | Gold |
| Shirley Strickland | 1956 Melbourne | Women | 4 × 100 m relay | Gold |
| Norma Croker | 1956 Melbourne | Women | 4 × 100 m relay | Gold |
| Betty Cuthbert | 1956 Melbourne | Women | 4 × 100 m relay | Gold |
| Fleur Mellor | 1956 Melbourne | Women | 4 × 100 m relay | Gold |
| Chilla Porter | 1956 Melbourne | Men | High jump | Silver |
| Graham Gipson | 1956 Melbourne | Men | 4 × 400 m relay | Silver |
| Kevan Gosper | 1956 Melbourne | Men | 4 × 400 m relay | Silver |
| Leon Gregory | 1956 Melbourne | Men | 4 × 400 m relay | Silver |
| David Lean | 1956 Melbourne | Men | 4 × 400 m relay | Silver |
| Hector Hogan | 1956 Melbourne | Men | 100 m | Bronze |
| John Landy | 1956 Melbourne | Men | 1500 m | Bronze |
| Allan Lawrence | 1956 Melbourne | Men | 10000 m | Bronze |
| Norma Thrower | 1956 Melbourne | Women | 80 m hurdles | Bronze |
| Marlene Mathews | 1956 Melbourne | Women | 100 m | Bronze |
| Marlene Mathews | 1956 Melbourne | Women | 200 m | Bronze |
| Herb Elliott | 1960 Rome | Men | 1500 m | Gold |
| Noel Freeman | 1960 Rome | Men | 20 km walk | Silver |
| Brenda Jones | 1960 Rome | Women | 800 m | Silver |
| David Power | 1960 Rome | Men | 10000 m | Bronze |
| Betty Cuthbert | 1964 Tokyo | Women | 400 m | Gold |
| Michele Brown | 1964 Tokyo | Women | High jump | Silver |
| Pam Kilborn | 1964 Tokyo | Women | 80 m hurdles | Bronze |
| Judy Pollock | 1964 Tokyo | Women | 400 m | Bronze |
| Marilyn Black | 1964 Tokyo | Women | 200 m | Bronze |
| Ron Clarke | 1964 Tokyo | Men | 10000 m | Bronze |
| Maureen Caird | 1968 Mexico | Women | 80 m hurdles | Gold |
| Ralph Doubell | 1968 Mexico | Men | 800 m | Gold |
| Pam Kilborn | 1968 Mexico | Women | 80 m hurdles | Silver |
| Peter Norman | 1968 Mexico | Men | 200 m | Silver |
| Raelene Boyle | 1968 Mexico | Women | 200 m | Silver |
| Jenny Lamy | 1968 Mexico | Women | 200 m | Bronze |
| Raelene Boyle | 1972 Munich | Women | 100 m | Silver |
| Raelene Boyle | 1972 Munich | Women | 200 m | Silver |
| Rick Mitchell | 1980 Moscow | Men | 400 m | Silver |
| Glynis Nunn | 1984 Los Angeles | Women | Heptathlon | Gold |
| Gary Honey | 1984 Los Angeles | Men | Long jump | Silver |
| Gael Martin | 1984 Los Angeles | Women | Shot put | Bronze |
| Debbie Flintoff-King | 1988 Seoul | Women | 400 m hurdles | Gold |
| Lisa Martin | 1988 Seoul | Women | Marathon | Silver |
| Daniela Costian | 1992 BarcelonaWomen | Women | Discus | Bronze |
| Tim Forsyth | 1992 Baracelona | Men | High jump | Bronze |
| Cathy Freeman | 1996 Atlanta | Women | 400 m | Silver |
| Louise McPaul | 1996 Atlanta | Women | Javelin | Silver |
| Cathy Freeman | 2000 Sydney | Women | 400 m | Gold |
| Tatiana Grigorieva | 2000 Sydney | Women | Pole vault | Silver |
| Jai Taurima | 2000 Sydney | Men | Long jump | Silver |
| Patrick Dwyer | 2004 Athens | Men | 4 × 400 m relay | Silver |
| John Steffensen | 2004 Athens | Men | 4 × 400 m relay | Silver |
| Mark Ormond | 2004 Athens | Men | 4 × 400 m relay | Silver |
| Clinton Hill | 2004 Athens | Men | 4 × 400 m relay | Silver |
| Nathan Deakes | 2004 Athens | Men | 20 km walk | Bronze |
| Jane Saville | 2004 Athens | Women | 20 km walk | Bronze |
| Steven Hooker | 2008 Beijing | Men | Pole vault | Gold |
| Sally McLennan | 2008 Beijing | Women | 100 m hurdles | Silver |
| Jared Tallent | 2008 Beijing | Men | 50 km walk | Silver |
| Jared Tallent | 2008 Beijing | Men | 20 km walk | Bronze |
| Jared Tallent | 2012 London | Men | 50 km walk | Gold |
| Sally Pearson | 2012 London | Women | 100 m hurdles | Gold |
| Mitchell Watt | 2012 London | Men | Long jump | Silver |
| Dane Bird-Smith | 2016 Rio | Men | 20 km walk | Bronze |
| Jared Tallent | 2016 Rio | Men | 50 km walk | Silver |
| Kelsey-Lee Barber | 2020 Tokyo | Women | Javelin | Bronze |
| Ashley Moloney | 2020 Tokyo | Men | Decathlon | Bronze |
| Nicola McDermott | 2020 Tokyo | Women | High jump | Silver |
| Nina Kennedy | 2024 Paris | Women | Pole vault | Gold |
| Jessica Hull | 2024 Paris | Women | 1500 metres | Silver |
| Nicola Olyslagers | 2024 Paris | Women | High jump | Silver |
| Eleanor Patterson | 2024 Paris | Women | High jump | Bronze |
| Jemima Montag | 2024 Paris | Women | 20 kilometres walk | Bronze |
| Jemima Montag | 2024 Paris | Mixed | Marathon walk relay | Bronze |
| Rhydian Cowley | 2024 Paris | Mixed | Marathon walk relay | Bronze |
| Matthew Denny | 2024 Paris | Men | Discus throw | Bronze |