Kevan Gosper: Aussie Olympic medal winner who played a huge role in the Sydney Games dies after an incredible career
- Won a silver medal as a 400m runner
- Has had a long and brilliant career in sports
Australian Olympic powerhouse and medallist Kevan Gosper has died at the age of 90, after a career that made him a giant of Australian sport.
Gosper won a silver medal with the Australian 4x400m relay team at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics and subsequently became known as one of the country’s top sports administrators.
Gosper was a long-standing member of the International Olympic Committee and was also the first president of the Australian Institute of Sport from 1980.
Gosper was President of the Australian Olympic Federation and played a key role in the organisation of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, when he was Vice-Chairman of the Organising Committee.
The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) confirmed that Gosper died on Friday after a short illness.
Gosper served on the AOC board of directors for decades and was also an influential corporate executive.
He is the former Chairman and CEO of Shell Australia and subsequently led the company’s operations in the Asia Pacific region while based in London.
Kevan Gosper (pictured) has died at the age of 90 after a short illness
The renowned sports administrator (pictured with Australian Games star Nova Peris in 2000) was a driving force behind the huge success of the Sydney Olympics
Before taking up roles as director of the Australian Institute of Sport, Gosper (pictured centre at the 1958 Empire Games) was a top runner
Gosper also served as a director of companies such as Crown Resorts and Lion Nathan, but throughout his business life he remained passionate about the Olympic cause.
His work at the Sydney Olympics played a major role in the Games being declared ‘the best Games ever’ by then IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch at the 2000 closing ceremony.
Gosper was appointed Officer of the Order of Australia in 1986 for services to sport and was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame three years later.
According to his Hall of Fame inscription, he was once “one of the world’s best 400m runners.” He won gold at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games and captained the Australian track and field team in Melbourne in 1956 and at the 1960 Rome Olympics.