Australia

Australia, whose National Olympic Committee was formed and recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1895, has competed at every Summer Olympic Games. In 1908 and 1912 it competed as Australasia in a combined team with New Zealand. Australia has also competed at the Olympic Winter Games – those of 1936 and continuously since 1952. Australia has been successful in many sports, but particularly so in swimming and track & field. Through 2016, Australia has won 516 medals, including twelve at the Olympic Winter Games, of which 151 were gold medals, five at the Winter Olympics. Australia has also hosted the Games of the XVIth Olympiad in 1956 in Melbourne, and more recently the sublime Games of the XXVIIth Olympiad in 2000 in Sydney. Swimmer Ian Thorpe is the only Australian to won five gold medals and together with another swimmer Leisel Jones he leads Australia’s Olympic medal list, with nine each, followed by three female swimmers with eight Olympic medals: Dawn Fraser, Petria Thomas, and Susie O’Neill.

In 1957 the Olympic Committee of Australia was awarded with the Count Alberto Bonacossa Trophy.