The energy in the stands at Sydney Olympic Stadium is fizzing with electricity. The air is thick with anticipation, hope and serious competitive spirit. Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, oi, oi, oi! It’s our first Olympics in 44 years and this is the moment we’ve all been waiting for: the women’s 400-metre final. All eyes are one person: Cathy Freeman. She’s jogging on the spot at the starting line, wearing a futuristic, aerodynamic, green-and-gold Nike suit and a face full of determination. Four words are running through her mind on repeat. “Do what I know,” she tells herself. “Do what I know.”
As the athletes take their places in their lanes, the American commentators set the scene: “Cathy has been waiting for this moment since ’96, Australia has waited for this moment since ’64, the Aboriginal people have waited forever.”
On your mark. Get set. Go! When the starting gun fires, the stadium erupts with flashes of lightning. Except it isn’t lightning, it’s the flashes of thousands of cameras wanting to capture this moment. And what a moment it is. In 49.11 seconds, Freeman makes sporting history in lane six. She strides ahead of her competitors and takes first place in a blaze of glory. She’s done it. She’s won. And she’s become the first Aboriginal athlete to win an individual Olympic gold for Australia.
At the finish line, when Freeman breaks down in tears, Australia cries alongside her. When she does a victory lap, flying both the Australian and Aboriginal flags, we cheer her on, “our Cathy,” our golden girl.
Denne historien er fra March 2023-utgaven av Marie Claire Australia.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra March 2023-utgaven av Marie Claire Australia.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
SHANNEN DOHERTY
The rebellious actor died in July after a nine-year battle with cancer. Zara Wong looks back at the legacy of a woman who always lived on her own terms
IN THE WILDS OF ALASKA
Nature served up a spectacular array of delights, while cruising the majestic waters of the far north.
Back to EARTH
In its earliest days, the farm bred draught horses for export. Now Tasmania's 1840 cottage Leighton House has been restored as a glorious getaway
ODE to LIGHT
Created by master perfumer Francis Kurkdjian in 2011, Elie Saab's Le Parfum has since gained a cult following and become an industry icon. Here, Sally Hunwick uncovers the origins of the stunning chypre floral scent
JEN ATKIN
The Ouai beauty guru is regularly called on by the Kardashians and a host of other A-listers. Here, she talks about hair, her beauty cupboard and how she keeps up her energy levels
A NEW DIRECTION
When she was 16, Jordan Lambropoulos told her surgeon she'd rather die than wake up with a colostomy bag. Today - 10 years, countless operations and 14,000 Instagram followers later - she's proof that a colostomy bag is not the end. In fact, it can be the beginning of a whole new life
LADY LUCK
Rosalía takes her accessories as seriously as she takes her art. The Spanish musician spent three years working on her much-lauded album Motomami, finessing the details and perfecting the finishing touches. And when it comes to her outfits, she's no less specific
Wait... superhero movies are cool now?
Who had Emma Corrin and Juno Temple as supervillians on their 2024 bingo card?
CURTAIN CALLING
Brisbane-born star Vidya Makan steps into the shoes of America's founding mother in the long-awaited return of Hamilton
LEIGH-ANNE
The English singer on colourism, freedom and reuniting Little Mix
