Freeman
still female favourite a year later
AP
3 October 2001 – Melbourne, Australia -
More than a year after lighting the
Olympic flame and winning the 400-meter
gold medal at the Sydney Games, Cathy
Freeman remains Australia’s most popular
female athlete.
A telephone poll of 898 Australians conducted last month by Roy Morgan International gave Freeman, who hasn’t run a competitive race since the Sydney Games after taking a yearlong sabbatical, 19 percent of the votes.
Swimmer Susie O’Neill, who retired after the Sydney Games and is a member of the International Olympic Committee, was second and golfer Karrie Webb third.
Swimmer Ian Thorpe, holder of three world records, overtook tennis player Pat Rafter as Australia’s most popular male athlete. Rafter was second and fellow tennis player Lleyton Hewitt, the U.S. Open champion, was third.
The oldest person on either list was swimmer Dawn Fraser, 64, who won her third successive Olympic 100-meter freestyle title at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Greg Norman, 46, was the veteran on the men’s list at No.7.