In a recent guest post on jamaipanese.com I discussed Tokyo’s contribution to the Olympic Movement when they played host in 1964 to the Games of the XVIII Olympiad. As an accompaniment to that article, this post explores Australia’s participation at the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games.

Australia sent a squad of 243 athletes to Tokyo securing 18 medals (6 gold, 2 silver and 10 bronze) finishing 8th overall. Fencer Ivan Lund was Australia’s flag bearer at the opening ceremony, however, a new tradition was added to the Games finale making champion swimmer Dawn Fraser the first person to carry the nation’s flag at a closing ceremony.

Dawn Fraser was unquestionably the star of the Australian team when she won gold in the 100m freestyle becoming the first swimmer to win a gold medal in the same event at three consecutive Olympic Games. She also set a world record with a time of 59.5 seconds that was not broken until 1972.

Fraser’s appearance at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics was, however, marred with controversy. Amongst a number of misdemeanours, the Australian Swimming Union basically ended her career when they suspended her for 10 years after she stole an Olympic flag from a flagpole outside Emperor Hirohito’s imperial palace. She was arrested but released without charge. The Emperor subsequently gave her the flag as a souvenir.

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The Fifth Leg - Darwin to Kununurra

This is the fifth instalment of the ‘Long Way Down Under’ – a brief chronicle as me, zoomz and Ash-kun trek our way around mainland Australia. On this leg we make tracks from Darwin in the Northern Territory through Litchfield National Park and then on to Kununurra in Western Australia. The previous instalments of the ‘Long Way Down Under’ can be found here:

• Long Way Down Under – Part 1
• Long Way Down Under – Part 2
• Long Way Down Under – Part 3
• Long Way Down Under – Part 4

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The Fourth Leg - Daly Waters to Darwin

This is the fourth instalment of the ‘Long Way Down Under’ – a brief chronicle as me, zoomz and Ash-kun trek our way around mainland Australia. On this leg we make tracks from Daly Waters in the Northern Territory through the Kakadu National Park and then on to Darwin. The previous instalments of the ‘Long Way Down Under’ can be found here:

• Long Way Down Under – Part 1
• Long Way Down Under – Part 2
• Long Way Down Under – Part 3

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