Luke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Hansard source

I had the privilege to attend the official welcome home ceremony for our Olympians in Sydney on Wednesday morning. It was certainly a very proud moment to watch the Qantas jumbo jet pull into the hangar in Mascot, painted with a giant boxing kangaroo. Australia's team at the London games has done our nation proud.

Two-hundred and four nations sent more than 10,000 athletes to the 30th Olympic Games in London. The Olympics are truly a global phenomenon. Because of this, the Olympics are the pinnacle of sporting success. Winning an Olympic medal is the ultimate career achievement for an athlete. I recently hosted a visit from the Leader of the Opposition in Coffs Harbour whilst the games were in progress. During his visit, we had the opportunity to speak with John Monckton of Nambucca Heads. John won a silver medal in the 100-metre backstroke at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. As he showed his silver medal to the opposition leader, it was very clear that John is still immensely proud of what he achieved as an Olympian in Melbourne all those decades ago.

Unfortunately, the nature of Olympic competition is such that not every athlete at the games can win a medal. But in my view, simply being selected for the Australian Olympic team is an extraordinary achievement and, indeed, ranks you as a champion. The founder of the modern Olympic movement, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, was not so much interested in results as he was in participation. His view of sport is expressed through the Olympic creed:

The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.

Australians know how much work and determination is required to reach the Olympics and to win a gold medal. As a result, gold medallists from past Olympics are still recognised and respected for their victories. Athletes like Marjorie Jackson, Dawn Fraser and the late Murray Rose were instantly turned into household names thanks to their Olympic gold medals.

Australian gold medallists from the London Olympics will be no different. A month ago, Tom Slingsby could have walked down the main street of any town without being recognised. Today, he is recognised as one of Australia's great performers from the London Olympics. His win in the sailing Laser class was dominant and consistent. His colleagues in the 49er class, Iain Jensen and Nathan Outteridge, were also dominant; so dominant in fact that they only needed to finish the final race in the series to win gold. And, of course, who could forget Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page in the 470 class, who held off the British team in the final race to claim gold. For Malcolm Page, it was his second successive gold medal in the 470 class. He retires at the age of 40 as a legend in Olympic sailing.

Australia's sailing team won three gold medals in London, our best performance at an Olympic regatta. Perhaps the most dramatic moment of the sailing campaign was provided by our silver medal-winning women's match-racing team in the Elliott 6 class. Sailors Olivia Price, Nina Curtis and Lucinda Whitty sailed an outstanding gold medal match, only to be denied the gold medal by a broach in heavy conditions, when Olivia was thrown out of the boat. Some say that watching sailing is like watching grass grow, but they clearly had not seen the performance of our sailors at the Olympics.

I would also like to mention the efforts of our swimmers, who were racing in the most fiercely contested competition in many years. The swimming competition in London produced medallists from North America, South America, Asia, Australia, Africa and Europe. The Australian women's 4 x 100 relay team were the standout performers in the Australian swim team. Alicia Coutts, who was a member of the relay team, was undoubtedly our foremost individual performer, arriving home with five medals.

At the velodrome, Australia's cycling team toiled against a very strong British opposition, finishing second on the medal count. Of course, the highlight of the track cycling campaign was Anna Meares's victory over arch rival, Victoria Pendleton, in the women's sprint.

Apart from the gold medals the Olympics are about memorable moments, and London delivered memorable moments by the dozen. James Magnusson's second-place finish in the 100-metre freestyle was as dramatic as any Hollywood movie, and scarcely more believable. The single hundredth of a second between Magnusson and victory illustrates how difficult it is to win Olympic gold.

Australians will remember for many years the agonising few seconds between the end of the 100-metres hurdles and the official confirmation that Sally Pearson had won the gold medal. (Quorum formed) It took an Olympic record, but Pearson has earned herself a place amongst the great Australian track and field athletes. Our other athletic medal winners also deserve a mention, with Michael Watt earning a silver in the long jump and Jarrod Tallent winning a silver in the gruelling 50-kilometre men's walk. Unfortunately, time does not permit me to mention every medallist or to highlight every personal best achieved at the Olympics.

Very briefly I would like to mention the people who did not appear in front of the camera. I am talking about the support staff, coaches, doctors, masseurs, physiotherapists and of course the parents and families who do so much to support our athletes and the volunteers who make the Olympic Games possible. Without these people no-one would succeed at the Olympics. In this group I would include Coffs Harbour vet, David Johnson, who travelled to London to look after the equestrian team's horses. David is a well-respected vet in Coffs Harbour, well-known for his skills, and I have no doubt he made a substantial contribution to the performance of our equestrian team.

I want to congratulate everyone involved in our Olympic efforts. Though not every athlete came home with the medals they fought for, as Pierre de Courbertin decreed, they did Australia proud; they fought well. I encourage all Australians to now get behind our Paralympians as they prepare to compete in just a few days time.

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