Olympics chief John Coates has urged Australian athletes to give their British rivals “a real touch-up” at the London Games.
Talking up the so-called “Battle of Britain” between the motherland and its former colony, Coates acknowledged the close ties between Australia and Britain.
“But don’t let that stop you,” he said in a televised message to an Olympic fundraising dinner in Sydney on Wednesday.
“I want you to get over there and give them a real touch-up.
“Let’s rain on their parade,” said the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) President, who is attending a sports law conference in Istanbul.
Returning the friendly fire, London Games boss Sebastian Coe said he might not make it to the opening ceremony on July 27 once the British media found out he was helping to raise funds for an Australian team.
“It is really important that Australia do well – within reason,” he said in a televised message from London.
“As long as you are not higher up the medal table than fifth place. I think fifth would do quite well,” said the former gold medallist.
Latest AOC projections indicate Britain will win more medals overall than Australia, but the same number of gold medals, which could leave them in a close battle for fourth spot.
Praising the “lovely, healthy” rivalry between the two nations, Lord Coe said one of the great moments of the London Games could be an Australia-Britain hockey grand final.
IOC President Jacques Rogge said in another message Australian athletes had helped to write Olympic history.
“Each time I am in Australia, or each time I speak about Australia, I realise how important sport is in your history and how much Australia contributes to the success of the Games,” he said.
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