Athletics Australia – News – Congratulations to Australia\’s \’Golden Girl\‘ Betty Cuthbert

The athletics world descends on Barcelona (ESP) for the IAAF Centenary Gala this weekend, with one of Australia’s best ever athletes Betty Cuthbert AM MBE to be honoured as an inaugural member of the IAAF Hall of Fame on Saturday evening. 

One of 24 athletes to be recognised by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) in their first round of inductions, Cuthbert will join some of track and field’s most reputable names including Jesse Owens (USA), Emil Zatopek (TCH), Fanny Blackers-Koen (NED) and Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) on the honour roll.

Dallas O’Brien, Athletics Australia Chief Executive, said: “Betty Cuthbert is a name that has been synonymous with track and field in Australia. So many people remember how she thrilled packed grandstands at the MCG in 1956 to win three gold medals.

“Athletics Australia, and I’m sure the athletics community as a whole, couldn’t think of a more worthy candidate for such an accolade. I commend the Australian Olympic Committee and Qantas for working with us to ensure Betty can enjoy the occasion alongside so many greats of the sport in Spain.

“Betty’s involvement in the flame lighting ceremony in Sydney introduced her to a new generation of sports fans that were too young to appreciate her outstanding talent as an athlete. I hope this induction to the IAAF Hall of Fame will ensure that she continues to be introduced as a star of the past for many years to come.

“It is going to be a big weekend for the IAAF, with so many fantastic events planned to celebrate 100 years of the organisation. Our President Rob Fildes is representing Athletics Australia at the festivities, as is Sally Pearson as a guest of the IAAF, and we wish them only success for what is planned.

“The IAAF have been long time supporters of athletics in Australia, perhaps most obviously represented by their endorsement of the annual Melbourne instalment of the Australian Athletics Tour as an IAAF World Challenge meet, and we couldn’t be happier in sharing this milestone with them.”

Born in Sydney in 1938, Cuthbert was educated at the Parramatta Home Science School where she met her coach June Ferguson (Maston), with a national junior record across 100 yards in 1953 the first success the duo enjoyed.

Cuthbert set the first of her nine world records across 200m just weeks prior to the commencement of the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne. It was here that she would be dubbed Australia’s ‘Golden Girl’ thanks to her victory in the sprint double and a stunning performance to anchor the women’s 4x100m relay team to a gold medal and new world record.

Adding a further four world records to her extensive resume in early 1958, Cuthbert enjoyed a friendly rivalry with developing New South Wales sprinter Marlene Matthews. Both were selected to compete at the Commonwealth Games that same year, with Cuthbert winning silver in the 220 yards and as part of the women’s 4×110 yards relay team.

Cuthbert went on to compete for Australia at the 1960 and 1964 Olympics Games in Rome (ITA) and Tokyo (JPN) respectively, with triumph across 400m in Tokyo in a time of 52.01 her best result. It was the first time the event had appeared on the Olympic program. At the 1962 Commonwealth Games, Cuthbert once again brought home the women’s 4×100 yards relay to cross first.

Retiring from athletics to work in the family nursery, Cuthbert in 1969 was tragically diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a disease that she has been courageously fighting to this day.

Her stunning athletics career and contribution to sport in Australia has seen Cuthbert made a Member of the Order of Australia and the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE). 

Cuthbert famously joined Raelene Boyle, Dawn Fraser, Shirley Strickland, Shane Gould, Debbie Flintoff-King and Catherine Freeman to light the cauldron at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, with the leading ladies of Australian sport combining to celebrate 100 years of women’s participation in the Olympic Games.

For more information on the IAAF Centenary Gala, including an itinerary of events, please follow this link.

Please click here to read a fantastic citation about Betty Cuthbert written by Australian Olympic Committee historian Harry Gordon.

 

Athletics Australia – News