Australia confident of matching medals target

Sydney: With their athletes riding a tidal wave of national pride, Australian officials believe early successes in swimming and shooting events have put them on target to match an ambitious target of 20 gold medals at the Sydney Olympics.

The Australian Olympic Committee set a record total of 60 medals as the team's goal before the Games started.

"I would like to think we are very much on target," Australian assistant chef de mission John Devitt, himself a swimming gold medallist in 1956 and 1960, told a media conference on Sunday.

"We'll drop a couple of medals we expect to win, but we'll pick up a couple of smokies (unexpected ones), too."

"I wouldn't think we could look too much above 20 golds but there will always be golds you don't expect. The first day was magic and I'm sure the medal count will take care of itself."

Australia won a record 41 medals four years ago in Atlanta, including nine golds, and 35, including 13 golds, when the Games were last held in Australia in Melbourne in 1956.

Devitt said Australian team morale was sky high after gold medals and world records to 400 metres freestyler Ian Thorpe and the Australian 4x100 metres swim relay team on the opening evening.

There was also a triathlon silver for Michellie Jones and on Sunday a shooting gold to Michael Diamond in the men's trap event.

"The atmosphere yesterday was magic and we'll all remember the first day of the Games for some time to come," he said.

Ashley Callus, a member of the Australian sprint relay squad that won gold and set a world record, said competing on home territory was proving a huge advantage for the Aussies.

"The noise of the crowd picks you up, energises you and lifts you to the next level," Callus said. "The crowd was certainly instrumental in our performance."

Buzzed

"Before the race, it was like being buzzed by a cattle prod. It picked you up and you were ready to perform."

Callus said he hoped the opening day efforts of the swimmers would spark the entire Australian team.

"For years the US hadn't been beaten in the relay," he said. "You could say they were invincible. After the relay their heads were down, their spirits were down. That win gave us confidence that we can go on and put it to the rest of the world."

Jones said she, too, had been lifted by crowd noise during her event. "In Australia we are very patriotic and love our sports," she said. "The sound when I was competing was deafening and that was a spur. In Australia we are very proud of who we are."



(c) Reuters Limited.