“Olympics is the pinnacle of every sport”
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It was the evening of 25 September 2000, the night that Cathy Freeman would win the 400m final at the Sydney Games, cementing herself as an Olympic champion, athletics icon – and hero to millions of Australians – especially those who shared her Indigenous heritage.
One of whom was watching about 1,000 kilometres away in the small Queensland town of Ipswich. A young girl, Ashleigh Barty, not yet five years old, stared at the green, gold and gray glow of Freeman’s tracksuit through her TV and witnessed Freeman’s triumph along with the rest of the world.
“I remember her outfit… and, not really knowing a lot [else] of what was happening being such a youngster,” Barty told Olympics.com in a recent exclusive interview.
“But I remember that outfit. And I think every time you see that outfit now in Australia it’s iconic and everyone knows exactly the purpose of it. It’s a really, really special memory to be etched in my brain.” – Ashleigh Barty on Cathy Freeman
Freeman-pace fast-forward to June 2019 and it was Barty’s turn to make history, now a professional tennis player, and champion at the French Open at age 23. The Australian, now with 11 career singles titles, is the current world No.1 in women’s tennis, and will make her Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020 this month.
Barty plays in Saturday’s (10 July) Wimbledon final against Karolina Pliskova, and could become Australia’s first female champ at the famed event since her mentor, fellow Indigenous great, Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1980. Barty’s on-court attire this year pays homage to Goolagong Cawley.
As for the Olympics? She has golden dreams of her own.
Exclusive: With memories of Cathy Freeman’s golden moment, Ashleigh Barty eyes her own in Olympic debut
Barty: An affinity for the Games
From Freeman and athletics to a deep swimming tradition to successes in cycling, rowing and sailing, Australia has nearly 500 Summer Olympic medals in the history of the Games. The country has a unique affinity for the Olympics.
“I think so many Aussies feel connected to the Olympics because it’s a way to connect to the athletes,” Barty explained. “The Australian team is always a team of unity [and] togetherness. And I think that every single Australian in the public, everyone feels a part of that team. [It] brings people together to enjoy the experiences and live through the special moments – and the heartbreak as well – with the athletes.”
Australia has won five medals in tennis – most recently Alicia Molik’s bronze in women’s singles at Athens 2004. The prolific doubles team of Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde – the Woodies – are the lone gold for Australia in the Games, capturing the title at Atlanta 1996.
While tennis is an individual sport played on the WTA and ATP Tours and at the Grand Slams year-round, Barty has been known to excel in team formats, in particular, and helped the Australians to the Billie Jean King Cup team event final in 2019.
“The green…
Read More: “Olympics is the pinnacle of every sport” 2023-06-27 07:00:00