Dawn Fraser suspended, but keeps the flag

March 1 1965: The Australian Swimming Union (ASU) suspends triple Olympic champion Dawn Fraser for 10 years for “misconduct” at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. 1) By marching in the opening ceremony against the ASU’s wishes. 2) By not wearing the swimsuit supplied by the sponsors. And … 3) for attempting to “souvenir” an Olympic flag from a flagpole outside Emperor Hirohito’s palace. Fraser, 27, won the 100m freestyle on October 13 in an Olympic record 59.5 — the first swimmer to win the same event at three successive Games. Her reaction to her “misconduct”: 1) The opening ceremony was 72 hours before her heats and she wanted the share in the honour of the team march. 2) She wore an older costume because the sponsored one was not as comfortable. 3) In her book “Below the Surface — Confessions of an Olympic Champion”, she describes how she, an official and a hockey player left the athletes’ party at about 2.30am on October 24. One of the men climbed on the other’s shoulders and nabbed the flag.

They were chased, caught and taken to a police station. Once they realised who she was, the police captain agreed that she should be freed to carry the Australian flag at the closing ceremony 10 hours later. At the ceremony, the captain handed her guarantor, Lee Robinson, a package for Miss Fraser, “with the compliments of the Police.” It was the “liberated” Olympic flag! The ASU relents on her 10-year suspension a few months before the 1968 Olympics, but it is too late for her to prepare.