Catherine Astrid Salome Freeman, OAM (known as Cathy Freeman) (born 16 February 1973) is an Australian sprinter who is particularly associated with the 400 metres race. She became the Olympic champion for 400 m in the 2000 Sydney games, at which she lit the Olympic Flame. Freeman was born in Slade Point, Mackay, Queensland, where the local athletics track is named after her.
Freeman began athletics at a young age. Her first coach was her stepfath...
more
Catherine Astrid Salome Freeman, OAM (known as Cathy Freeman) (born 16 February 1973) is an Australian sprinter who is particularly associated with the 400 metres race. She became the Olympic champion for 400 m in the 2000 Sydney games, at which she lit the Olympic Flame. Freeman was born in Slade Point, Mackay, Queensland, where the local athletics track is named after her.
Freeman began athletics at a young age. Her first coach was her stepfather, Bruce Barber. By her early teens she had a collection of regional and national titles, with Cathy competing in the 100 metres, 200 metres and high jump. In 1990, Freeman was chosen as a member of Australia's 4×100 m relay team for the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand. The team won the gold medal, making Freeman the first ever Aboriginal Commonwealth Games gold medallist, as well as one of the youngest, at 16 years old. She was then selected to represent Australia at the 1990 World Junior Championships in Athletics in...
less
