Anna Meares inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame

Anna Meares OAM was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2021 as an Athlete Member for her contribution to the sport of cycling.

Anna Meares celebrates after winning the women's keirin race at the Track Cycling World Championships in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, outside Paris, France (AAP) Source: AAP

Anna Meares is widely regarded as one of the greatest track cyclists that Australia has ever produced after having won 11 world championships and six Olympic medals including two gold over a 14-year cycling career.

Meares’ four Olympic appearances saw her complete a set of Olympic medals with a total medal tally of two gold, one silver and three bronzes and became the first Australian athlete to win a medal at each games she competed in. 

She was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame today, alongside a star-studded group including Jana Pittman (athletics), Mark Viduka (football), Jamie Dwyer (hockey), Steve Moneghetti (athletics), Libby Kosmala (shooting), Karen Rolton (cricket) and Tom Hoad (water polo).

In the lead-up to Meares’ final Olympic Games, she took out gold in the keirin, her eleventh world championship title at the 2015 World Championships in Yvelines. This win made her, at the time, the most decorated female track cyclist of all time. Meares also took home a silver in the 500m time trial and bronze in the team sprint at the World Championships before seeing her last World Championship competition in 2016 out with a silver medal in the keirin.

At the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Meares’ last, she was the Australian Flag Bearer for the opening ceremony and served as the Australian team captain. Meares competed in the sprint, team sprint and the keirin where she won bronze. This podium finish made Meares the first Australian athlete from any sport to win an individual medal at four consecutive Olympic Games. Anna announced her retirement from elite cycling later that year.

Honours and Achievements:

2004 to 2012: Named Cycling Australia’s Elite Female Track Cyclist of the Year seven times

2005: Awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for service to sport as a Gold Medallist at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games

2007 and 2011: Named Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) Athlete of the Year

2008 and 2012: won the Oppy Award for the Australian Cyclist of the Year

2011: Inducted into the AIS Best of the Best