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Aussie-some! Ten of Australia's best chances at a gold medal
By Jon Cooper, Special to CNNSI.com 1. Emma George -- Pole Vault: The first woman ever to clear the 15-foot plateau (4.57 meters), the 26-year-old from Beechworth hopes to bring home the first gold medal awarded in womenšs pole vaulting. George holds 17 Australian records and 11 world records (although not the current one) and is looking to bounce back from a back injury that was a major reason for her 14th-place finish at the 1999 World Championships. 2. Cathy Freeman-- 400m, 4 x 400 Relay: At the 1992 Barcelona Games, Cathy Freeman became the first Aboriginal to represent Australia. At the upcoming 2000 Games, she is one of Australia's best hopes for a gold medal. After winning silver at the '96 Atlanta Games, the 27-year-old Freeman put together a 22-race win streak in 400 finals races between 1996 and 1998 (which included a gold medal in the '97 World Championships). Last year, she became the first woman in history to win successive World Championships in the 400 meters. 3. Michele Timms -- Basketball: The short-cropped blonde hair and fiery eyes -- not to mention a world-class game -- has made the 5-foot-7, 132-pound ballhawking point guard the most recognizable woman player ever to come out of Australia. Currently one of the WNBA's top point guards, the 35-year-old Timms is the heart of the Australian team. At the 1996 Atlanta Games, she led her country to a bronze medal -- the first Olympic basketball medal for either men or women. 4. Julien Prosser and Lee Zahner -- Beach Volleyball: At the '96 Atlanta Games the team of Prosser and Zahner was the youngest in the inaugural Olympic beach volleyball competition (Prosser was 24, Zahner 22). They finished ninth. Four years later, playing on their home turf, Prosser (6-4, 222) and Zahner (6-6, 187) believe the time is right for their first championship. This year, they have three top-five finishes, following up on last yearšs fifth-place finish at the 1999 World Championships. 5. Gillian Rolton -- Equestrian: Anyone who wishes to question the toughness of athletes involved in equestrian should address Rolton. At the '96 Atlanta Games, she broke her collarbone, fractured two ribs and chipped an elbow in a fall, then not only remounted but also helped lead Australia to its second consecutive equestrian gold medal. The 44-year-old schoolteacher became the first Australian woman to win gold in equestrian, as a last-minute replacement at the '92 Barcelona Games. 6. Alyson Annan -- Hockey: A superb ball-handler and attacker, the 27-year-old Annan is playing in her 10th year on the international circuit and getting better with age. The International Hockey Federation voted her the best player in the world after she led the 1999 Champions Trophy tournament in scoring. That followed her being named the Player of the Tournament at the previous year's World Cup. She's played close to 200 matches and helped Australia win four Champions Trophies, two World Cups, the 1998 Commonwealth Games gold medal and the 1996 Olympic gold medal. In Atlanta, she even scored two goals in the 3-1 gold medal-game victory over South Korea. 7. Michael Klim -- Swimming: While in India -- one of three countries he lived in growing up -- Michael Klim took up swimming. He did it just to stay cool. Now that he lives in Australia, you canšt get the 23-year-old Poland-born Klim out of the pool. In the past, hešs raced in as many as seven events and twice in 1998 -- at the World Championships and the Commonwealth Games -- he medaled in all seven at one meet (winning four golds both times)! Hešs especially dangerous in the 100-meter freestyle and 100-meter butterfly. 8. Susie O'Neill -- Swimming: Susie OšNeill has a golden opportunity to add to a cache of honors that already includes an Australian-record 34 national titles and 10 Commonwealth Games gold medals -- the most of any athlete in any sport. Her best event is the 200-meter butterfly. She won a bronze at the '92 Barcelona Games, then struck gold at the '96 Atlanta Games, upsetting favored Michelle Smith de Bruin of Ireland and teammate Petria Thomas. She hasn't pulled any upsets since then, as OšNeill has dominated the event. She won gold at the '98 World Championships and followed that at the Australian Olympic Selection Trials by breaking the world record, which had stood for 19 years. 9. Kieren Perkins -- Swimming: The 27-year-old Brisbane native is already a legend amongst Australian swimmers. In Sydney, he will attempt to make Olympic history. By qualifying for the 1500-meter freestyle, Perkins seeks to become the first swimmer to win gold in the same event in three consecutive Olympics. His biggest obstacle may be his own teammate, nemesis Grant Hackett. 10. Ian Thorpe -- Swimming: Opponents have likened swimming next to the 17-year-old freestyle sensation, known as the "Thorpedo," and his size 17 feet to being trapped in a washing machine. In Sydney, Thorpe's preparing to take his opponents in the 200 and 400 freestyle to the cleaners. Until July, he had swum the five fastest times ever in the 200-meter freestyle and three fastest in the 400. He'll be going for gold in those events as well as the 100 freestyle.
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