Peter Norman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Peter Norman

Personal information
Born	(1942-06-15)15 June 1942 Coburg, Victoria, Australia
Died	3 October 2006(2006-10-03) (aged 64) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Height	1.78 m
Weight	73 kg
Sport
Country	Australia
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	Sprint
Club	East Melbourne Harriers
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	20.06 s (200 m, 1968)
Medal record Men's athletics Representing  Australia Olympic Games Silver 1968 Mexico City 200 metres British Empire and Commonwealth Games Bronze 1966 Kingston 4×110 yards relay

Peter George Norman (born 15 June 1942 – died 3 October 2006) was an Australian track athlete. He is famous for winning a silver medal in the 200 metres race at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. His time of 20.06 seconds is still an Oceanian record today. He was also a national champion five times in the 200-metre event.

Peter Norman is perhaps best known for being in a famous photograph from the 1968 Olympics. This picture shows him with two American athletes, John Carlos and Tommie Smith, during the medal ceremony. Norman wore a special badge to show his support for human rights. This act of solidarity made him an important part of Olympic history.

Life and Sports Career

Early Life and Training

Peter Norman grew up in Coburg, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. His family was part of the Salvation Army, a Christian church known for its charity work. Peter first worked as a butcher's helper. Later, he became a teacher. Towards the end of his life, he worked for the Victorian Department of Sport and Recreation.

During his time as an athlete, Peter Norman was coached by Neville Sillitoe.

The 1968 Summer Olympics

The 200-metre race at the 1968 Summer Olympics took place over two days, 15 and 16 October. Peter Norman ran very well. He won his first race (heat) in 20.17 seconds. This time was briefly an Olympic record. He also won his quarter-final race and came second in the semi-final.

On 16 October, the final race for the 200 metres was held. American athlete Tommie Smith won the gold medal with a new world record time of 19.83 seconds. Peter Norman finished second, winning the silver medal, with a time of 20.06 seconds. He passed another US athlete, John Carlos, right at the finish line. Carlos finished third. Norman's time was his fastest ever and remains the Oceanian record for the 200 metres.

After the Olympics

After the 1968 Olympics, Peter Norman continued to represent Australia. He competed in the 1969 Pacific Conference Games in Tokyo. He also participated in the 1970 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh.

Norman stopped competing in athletics after he did not make the team for the 1972 Summer Olympics. Before the 1968 Olympics, he also trained for an Australian rules football club called West Brunswick. This helped him stay fit during the off-season for athletics. He played 67 games for the club from 1972 to 1977.

Later in his life, Peter Norman worked as a sports administrator for Athletics Australia. He continued this work until 2006.

His Passing

Peter Norman passed away from a heart attack on 3 October 2006, in Melbourne. He was 64 years old. The US Track and Field Federation honored him by declaring 9 October 2006, the day of his funeral, as Peter Norman Day.

Thirty-eight years after their famous moment at the Olympics, Tommie Smith and John Carlos both spoke at Norman's funeral. They also helped carry his coffin. Peter Norman was survived by his second wife, Jan, and their daughters, Belinda and Emma. He was also survived by his first wife, Ruth, and their children, Gary, Sandra, and Janita, along with four grandchildren.

The Black Power Salute

The Medal Ceremony Moment

The Black Power salute by Tommie Smith (center) and John Carlos. Norman (left) wears an OPHR badge in solidarity with them.

After the 200 metres final, Peter Norman, Tommie Smith, and John Carlos went to the podium to receive their medals. While the American national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner", was playing, Smith and Carlos raised their gloved fists in a powerful gesture. This act became known as the 1968 Olympics Black Power salute. Tommie Smith later explained that it was a human rights salute, not just a Black Power salute.

Peter Norman stood with them, wearing a badge from the Olympic Project for Human Rights (OPHR). Before the ceremony, Carlos and Smith told Norman about their plan. Norman, who believed strongly in human rights and came from a Salvation Army background, told them, "I'll stand with you." John Carlos later said he expected to see fear in Norman's eyes but instead saw "love."

On their way to the ceremony, Norman saw an OPHR badge on a white American rower, Paul Hoffman. He asked if he could wear it. It was also Norman who suggested that Smith and Carlos share the black gloves they planned to use. This is why Smith raised his right fist and Carlos raised his left.

After the Salute

After the protest, some people felt that Peter Norman was treated unfairly. A 2012 news report mentioned that he returned to Australia and was not always welcomed. He never competed in the Olympics again after 1968. John Carlos later said that if he and Smith were facing difficulties, Peter was facing challenges from his entire country.

The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) has a different view. They say Norman was not chosen for the 1972 Munich Olympics because he did not meet the strict selection standards. Athletes needed to achieve a certain qualifying time and perform well at the Australian Athletics Championships. Norman did run good times between 1969 and 1971. However, he finished third in the 1972 Australian Athletics Championships, which meant he did not automatically qualify.

Newspaper reports from that time showed mixed opinions. Some thought Norman should still go to Munich, especially since he was injured. Others believed he needed to win the trials to be selected.

Remembering Peter Norman

Peter Norman's brave support for human rights has been remembered in many ways.

• A mural showing the three athletes on the podium was painted in Newtown, Sydney, in 2000. Peter Norman visited the mural and was very happy to see it.
• In 2003, San José State University in the US unveiled a statue honoring the 1968 Olympic protest. Peter Norman chose not to be included in the statue itself. He wanted his spot to be empty so that anyone viewing the statue could "take a stand" against racism. He gave a speech at the ceremony.
• Peter Norman's nephew, Matt Norman, made a documentary film called Salute (2008). This film is about Peter and his role in the 1968 protest. The film shows that Norman stood with the other athletes because he believed strongly in equality for everyone.
• In 2016, a statue of Norman with Smith and Carlos was unveiled at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.
• In 2019, a bronze statue of Peter Norman was unveiled in Melbourne, Australia. This statue honors his legacy as both an athlete and a supporter of human rights. Athletics Australia also announced that 9 October would be known as Peter Norman Day within their organization.

A Later Apology

In 2012, the Australian House of Representatives discussed giving a formal apology to Peter Norman after his death. The apology recognized the "wrong done by Australia" in how he was treated.

However, the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) disagreed with some claims. They stated that Norman was warned but not punished by the AOC. They also maintained he was not selected for the 1972 Olympics because he did not meet the selection standards. The AOC also pointed out that Norman was involved in many Olympic events in Melbourne before the 2000 Summer Olympics. He was recognized as an Olympian.

In 2018, the AOC awarded Peter Norman the Order of Merit. This award recognized his important role in the 1968 protest. The AOC President, John Coates, said they had been "negligent in not recognising the role he played back then."

Competitive Record

International Competitions

National Championships

Honours and Awards

Later in his life, Peter Norman received several awards from Australian sports organizations:

• 1999 – Inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame
• 2000 – Awarded the Australian Sports Medal
• 2010 – Inducted into the Athletics Australia Hall of Fame
• 2018 – Received the Order of Merit from the Australian Olympic Committee
• 2022 – Awarded The Dawn Award

See also

In Spanish: Peter Norman para niños

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