Boyle, Raelene Ann (1951 - )

Raelene Boyle represented Australia at four Olympic games as a sprinter. She was appointed a Member of the British Empire on 15 June 1974 for services to athletics, and was named ABC Sportsperson of the Year in 1974. Named by the National Trust as one of '100 Living Treasures in 1998', Raelene Boyle was an Olympic torchbearer at the Opening Ceremony of the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000.

At the Montreal Games in 1976, Raelene Boyle was the first Australian woman to be given the honour of carrying the Australian flag into the opening ceremony. She finished fourth in the 100 metre final after a slow start and was disqualified for a false start in the 200 metre semi-final. Raelene Boyle had been favourite to win the gold medal in her favourite event. The electronic starting device registered a clean start, but the starter, Jack Fisher, recalled the athletes. He claimed Boyle had jumped the gun. Film of the incident later showed she hadn't - even though she did move her shoulders.

Raelene Boyle completed in the Edinburgh (1970), Christchurch (1974), Edmonton (1978) and at Brisbane (1982) Commonwealth Games. After retiring from competitive athletics, she completed a horticulture course at the Victorian College of Agriculture and Horticulture (Burnley) and worked as a landscape gardener for the then Prahran Council. She has also been involved with coaching and television commentary.

Raelene Boyle was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996 and has since assisted in raising awareness of the disease, becoming a founding member of Sporting Chance Cancer Foundation in 1997.

Chronology

1968	Silver Medalist at the Mexico City Olympic Games - Athletics - 200m Sprint Event
1970	Gold Medalist at Edinburgh Commonwealth Games - Athletics - 100 and 200 meters, 4 x 100m relay
1972	Silver Medalist at the Munich Olympic Games - Athletics - 100m and 200m sprint events
1974	Gold Medalist at Christchurch Commonwealth Games - Athletics - 100 and 200 meters, 4 x 100m relay
1976	Participated at the Montreal Olympic Games
1982	Gold Medalist at Brisbane Commonwealth Games - Athletics - 400 meters
2007	Order of Australia Medal

Newspaper Articles

• Reed, Ron, 'On the Boyle', Herald Sun, Weekend, 29 March 2003, pp. 6-9. [ Details... ]

Online Resources

• 'Raelene Boyle', in Community Ambassadors, http://www.national.com.au/Community/0,,2173,00.html. [ Details... ]
• Australian Olympic Committee, Australia at the Games, 50 of our finest, with Gordon, Harry, Australian Olympic Committee, 2006, http://www.olympics.com.au/index.cfm?p=25. [ Details... ]

See also

• Andrews, Malcolm, Australia at the Olympics, ABC Books, Sydney, 2000. [ Details... ]
• Arnold, John and Morris, Deirdre (eds), Monash Biographical Dictionary of 20th Century Australia, Reed Reference Publishing, Port Melbourne (Vic.), 1994, 568 pp. [ Details... ]
• Herd, Margaret (ed.), Who's who in Australia 2002, 38 edn, Crown Content, Melbourne, 2002, 2020 pp. [ Details... ]
• Shepherd, Jim, Encyclopedia of Australia Sport, Rigby Publishers, 1980, 471 pp. [ Details... ]