18 Facts About Peter Norman

Peter George Norman was an Australian track athlete.

Peter Norman won the silver medal in the 200 metres at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, with a time of 20.06 seconds, which remained the Oceania 200 m record for more than 56 years.

Peter Norman knew the salute was to occur and wore a badge of the Olympic Project for Human Rights in support of fellow athletes John Carlos and Tommie Smith.

Peter Norman grew up in a devout Salvation Army family, living in Coburg, a suburb of Melbourne in Victoria.

Peter Norman won his quarter-final and was second in the semi-final.

Peter Norman finished second in a time of 20.06 s after passing US athlete John Carlos at the finish line.

Peter Norman represented Australia at the 1969 Pacific Conference Games in Tokyo, and the 1970 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh.

The Australian Olympic Committee maintains that Peter Norman was not selected for the 1972 Munich Olympics because he did not meet the selection standard of equalling or bettering the IOC qualifying standard and performing credibly at the 1972 Australian Athletics Championships at which he finished third behind Greg Lewis and Gary Eddy in a time of 21.6.

Peter Norman played 67 games for West Brunswick Australian rules football club from 1972 to 1977 before coaching an under-19 team in 1978.

In 1985, Peter Norman contracted gangrene after tearing his Achilles tendon during a charity race, which nearly led to his leg being amputated.

Peter Norman died of a heart attack on 3 October 2006 in Melbourne at the age of 64.

At the time of his death, Peter Norman was survived by his second wife, Jan, and their daughters Belinda and Emma.

Peter Norman wore a badge on the podium in support of the Olympic Project for Human Rights.

Peter Norman, who came from a Salvation Army background, said he believed strongly in God.

Various commentators say he was not selected for the Olympic Games in Munich in 1972 despite recording qualifying times, but the Australian Olympic Committee maintains that Peter Norman was not selected for the 1972 Olympics because he did not meet the selection standard of equalling or bettering the Olympic qualifying standard and performing creditably at the Australian Athletics Championships.

Contemporaneous reports show mixed opinion on whether Peter Norman should have been sent to the Munich Olympics.

The AOC did not believe that Peter Norman was owed an apology, citing the following:.

Later in life and posthumously, Peter Norman received a number of honours from Australian sport bodies, including:.