Australia at the 1982 FESPIC Games
The Australian team of 157 was the largest at the 1982 FESPIC Games in Hong Kong. Australia led the medal winners, with 169 gold, 91 silver and 55 bronze – a total of 315 medals.
In 1982, Australian teams were still divided into ‘sub’teams’ according to disability. The paraplegic and quadriplegic team was most successful, taking out the gold in basketball, and heading the swimming, track and field, rifle shooting and weightlifting tallies. The amputee team came first overall in their category while the blind team was first in swimming and lawn bowls and second in track and field.
The Federal Minister for Sport at the time, Tom McVeigh, praised the achievements of three Australian athletes. The Minister said the efforts of Julie Dowling, from Tasmania, who broke a world record for javelin throwing, Prue-Anne Reynalds, from Western Australia, who won four gold medals and an award as the outstanding novice at the Games, and Vernon Ezzy, from Queensland, who broke FESPIC records in the 100 and 400 metres track events and helped the 4×100 metres relay team to a world record, were evidence that Australia could expect continuing success at FESPIC Games.
Other outstanding results by Australian athletes included: Vision impaired swimmer Carolyn Connors, with 4 golds, wheelchair track athlete Richard Cordukes, amputee swimmer Anne Currie, amputee swimmer Rosemary Elliott (née Eames), who won four gold medals and broke four world records, swimmer Robert “Bob” Staddon, who won two gold medals and a silver medal, and Jeff Wiseman, wheelchair athlete and team captain.
The Australian team of 157 was the largest at the 1982 FESPIC Games in Hong Kong. Australia led the medal winners, with 169 gold, 91 silver and 55 bronze – a total of 315 medals.
Date: October 1982
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