George's Story
At Antwerp 1920, George Parker was Australia's first walker at an Olympic Games. He competed in two walking events, the 3000 metres where he won the silver medal, and the 10,000 metres where he was unable to finish in the final.
At the opening ceremony, where the Australian team led the procession of 26 nations, per alphabetical order, Parker was the flagbearer.
It was to be another 40 years before Noel Freeman won Australia's next Olympic walking medal, a silver in the 20 kilometres at Rome 1960. It was a further 44 years before Nathan Deakes and Jane Saville won the next Olympic walking medals, both bronzes, at Athens 2004.
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