Right about now, Australia should be flooded by ’em: strapping young things destined for Olympic glory.
They should be everywhere: 20-somethings whose journey to sporting greatness was inspired by watching the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
So where the bloody hell are they?
Australia’s sporting participation rates since the Sydney Games are relatively static – no big post-Olympic bounce.
In 1999-2000, some 54.7 per cent of Australians aged 18 or over took part in sport or physical activities. That figure in 2013-14 for Australians aged 15 or above was 60 per cent.
And Australia’s performances at subsequent Olympics are on a downward curve, the nation’s overall medal haul dipping from 58 medals in Sydney to 50 in Athens in 2004, 46 in Beijing in 2008 and 35 in London three years ago.
So is it pure romance to think hosting an Olympics will inspire the next generation of super-athletes?
“It’s a lot more complicated than that,” says Dr Stephen Frawley, the director of the Australian Centre for Olympic Studies.
Dr Frawley and fellow researchers have explored the legacy of the Sydney Olympics.
They found what other researchers worldwide had discovered: there’s no real lasting sporting legacy from hosting an Olympics, particularly in terms of boosting sports participation rates.
“The data we collected basically showed there wasn’t a significant increase,” Dr Frawley said.
“There were some bright spots but overall … not much change.
“We have shown very little evidence to suggest there is a trickle down effect.”
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