Aussie Olympic campaign focus to shift

Wednesday, 1 August 2018:

Australian sport is to dramatically shift its Olympic campaigns focus beyond "just winning".

The federal government's national sports plan - Sports 2030 - released on Wednesday, wants to reset targets for major competitions.

Sport Australia, the newly-rebranded Australian Sports Commission, is looking for success to be measured not just on the medal table but also improving the impact athletes have away from sport.

Sports 2030 concedes Australia's international sporting performance has dropped away since the Sydney Olympics and a change in tact is needed.

"The Australian Government, Sport Australia and the AIS has reconsidered our collective ambitions and targets, as well as how success is defined," it states.

"Sport Australia has defined high performance Olympic and Paralympic success more broadly than just winning.

"Success at elite international level remains important to our nation and fundamental to the AIS but the measurement of success must now also include the impact of athletes as role models, their engagement with the community and delivering a respected system."

A different focus will come as relief to some athletes who have felt the enormous weight of pressure when entering major events.

Swimming legend Ian Thorpe called for an end to medal targets in June, believing athletes are suffering under the burden of feeling like not winning is unacceptable.

Fellow swimmer Cate Campbell said she had the "greatest choke in history" after finishing sixth in the 100m freestyle final at the Rio Olympics when starting as hot favourite.

The report comes on the back of the AIS launching their Athlete Wellbeing and Engagement division this year, which Thorpe is playing a key role in by representing athletes' views.

"The AIS will focus on extending the success of our athletes by creating an environment that recognises their changing needs throughout their career both physically and mentally," the report states.

"At the most basic level, athletes should be better off from representing our country at the elite level."






AAP






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