Olympic gold medallist Cathy Freeman has been named Australia's most admired sporting figure, leading a DemosAU poll of more than 5000 people. The sprinter and Indigenous champion was chosen by 10 per cent of respondents, with Ash Barty and Sam Kerr each close behind on nine per cent.
Women dominate the top spots
The results, published Thursday, highlight how Australia has embraced women's sport in recent decades, said DemosAU Head of Research George Hasanakos. "It really shows Australians will revere sporting heroes regardless of their gender," he said.
Hasanakos noted that the three women likely stood out because each had featured in national moments of unity, where the country rallied behind them. "Nothing brings Australians together like major sporting occasions," he added. "Millions of us watched Cathy Freeman's Olympic gold medal, Ash Barty's Australian Open win and the Matildas 2023 World Cup campaign."
State-by-state favourites
Broken down by state, other sporting heroes emerged. In NSW, NRL superstar Nathan Cleary was the second most admired. In Victoria, AFL great Neale Daniher, who died in May after a long battle with motor neurone disease, was number two. Daniher received a state funeral in Melbourne in June, attended by more than 5000 people.
Queenslanders included rugby league heroes Johnathan Thurston and Reece Walsh in their top five. In South Australia, veteran Adelaide Crows champion Taylor Walker bucked the trend, taking out the honours as the most admired sports person in that state.
The online poll ran over three weeks from late May to mid June, with 5361 people aged over 18 participating.
