Some went to war for Australia, others went to the Olympic Games, and a very select few did both.
On the centenary of the Anzacs landing at Gallipoli, the Australian Olympic Committee has released a list of the 40 Australian Olympians who enlisted in World War I.
Three members of the Stockholm 1912 team who gave their lives in the Great War.
Cecil Healy, known as a brave surf lifesaver at Manly Beach in Sydney, won gold and silver medals in swimming in Sweden. He was killed aged 36 at Mont St Quentin on the Somme, 74 days before the end of the war.
Tasmanian rower Keith Heritage is credited as the first Australian to volunteer for WWI. He served in New Guinea, Gallipoli and France, where he received a Military Cross a month before he was killed at Pozieres in July 1916.
Claude Ross, a member of the athletics team, also enlisted early and served at Gallipoli. He transferred to the Royal Flying Corps and in August 1917 lost his life over France.
Among the survivors, swimmer Sir Frank Beaurepaire won dual medals at London 1908, Antwerp 1920 and Paris 1924. He returned home and became Lord Mayor of Melbourne before building a tyre business empire.
Wilfrid Kent Hughes, who competed in athletics at Antwerp 1920, was awarded the Military Cross in WW1 and mentioned in despatches (MID) four times. He returned to become chairman of the Organising Committee for the Melbourne 1956 Olympic Games.
At the end of the war Sydney Middleton, a gold medallist in rugby at London 1908 and rower at Stockholm 1912, organised sporting activities for soldiers waiting return to Australia from England.
Research continues to determine if there are other Olympians who served during wartime.
AUSTRALIAN OLYMPIANS ENLISTED IN WORLD WAR I
* Claude Angelo - wrestling, Paris 1924
* Frank Beaurepaire - swimming, London 1908 (1 silver, 1 bronze), Antwerp 1920 (1 silver, 1 bronze), Paris 1924 (1 silver, 1 bronze)
* Malcolm Boyd - athletics, Paris 1924
* Edwin `Slip' Carr - athletics, Paris 1924
* Daniel `Danny' Carroll - rugby, London 1908 (gold), Antwerp 1920 (gold, in US team) - served and decorated with US Army during WWI
* Frank Cummings - rowing, Paris 1924
* Simon Fraser - rowing, Stockholm 1912
* Harold Hardwick - swimming, Stockholm 1912 (1 gold, 2 bronze)
* Henry `Harry' Hauenstein - rowing, Stockholm 1912; awarded a Military Medal in WW I)
* Harry Hay - swimming, Antwerp 1920 (1 silver)
* Cecil Healy - swimming, Stockholm 1912 (1 gold, 1 silver); only Australian Olympic medallist to die in WWI.
* Keith Heritage - rowing, Stockholm 1912; awarded a Military Cross a month before being killed at Pozieres in July 1916.
* Stinton Hewitt - athletics, Antwerp 1920
* John `Darb' Hickey - rugby, London 1908 (gold)
* Ernest Hutcheon - athletics, London 1908
* Walter `Wally' Jarvis - rowing, Paris 1924
* Wilfrid Kent Hughes - athletics, Antwerp 1920; awarded Military Cross in WW1 and mentioned in despatches (MID) four times. Served in WWII, was chairman of the Organising Committee for Melbourne 1956 Olympic Games.
* William `Billy' Longworth - swimming, Stockholm 1912
* Joseph Lynch - athletics, London 1908
* Malcolm McArthur - rugby, London 1908 (gold); awarded a Distinguished Conduct Medal in WW I
* Charles McMurtrie - rugby, London 1908 (gold)
* Cecil McVilly - rowing, Stockholm 1912; awarded a Military Cross in WW I
* Sydney Middleton - rugby, London 1908 (gold); rowing, Stockholm 1912; awarded Distinguished Service Order, once MID, and appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
* William Murray - athletics, Stockholm 1912
* Thomas `Tom' Richards - rugby, London 1908 (gold); at original Gallipoli landing and awarded a Military Cross on the Western Front.
* Claude Ross - athletics, Stockholm 1912
* Harry Ross-Soden - rowing, Stockholm 1912
* John `Jack' Ryrie - rowing, Stockholm 1912
* Frank Schryver - swimming, Stockholm 1912; awarded Distinguished Conduct Medal and Military Medal in WWI.
* Arthur Scott - rowing, Paris 1924
* Harvey Sutton - athletics, London 1908; twice MID and appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for military service in the Middle East.
* Ivan Stedman - swimming, Antwerp 1920 (1 silver), Paris 1924
* W. Allan Stewart -athletics, Stockholm 1912*
* Theodore `Theo' Tartakover - swimming, London 1908, Stockholm 1912
* ED `Ted' Thomas - rowing, Paris 1924
* Ronald `Ron' Thomas - tennis, Antwerp 1920
* Robert Waley - rowing, Stockholm 1912
* Hugh Ward - rowing, Stockholm 1912; awarded Military Cross and 2 Bars in WWI.
* Anthony James `Jim' Willard - tennis, Paris 1924; awarded Military Medal and Bar in WW I.
* Nick Winter - athletics, Paris 1924 (gold), Amsterdam 192
(Source: AOC)
