Parliament’s salute to ‘ Golden Girl’

THE nation’s leaders have taken a few moments to recall a running race from 60 years ago in paying tribute to the athlete dubbed Australia’s ‘ Golden Girl’. Betty Cuthbert won tributes from Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten in Parliament yesterday.

Cuthbert died on Sunday, aged 79, after a long battle with multiple sclerosis. Her feat of winning Olympic gold in the 100m, 200m and 400m remains unmatched. Mr Shorten watched replays of Cuthbert’s gold- medal races during the 1956 Melbourne’s Games and echoed the call during his par- liamentary tribute. “Farewell, Betty Cuthbert, forever a golden girl,” he said.

Mr Turnbull described Cuthbert as “pragmatic, fiercely independent and strong in faith” who saw the “tragic misfortune” of her illness as an opportunity to raise awareness about multiple sclerosis.