With a statement to Parliament from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the leader of the Opposition, 45 years after one of the most politically charged Olympics in history, Australia has formally recognised the 121 athletes and 53 officials who represented the nation at the 1980 Moscow Games.
Among them were 16 Australian rowers, a dedicated group who - in the face of political pressure and public scrutiny - chose to compete despite the Australian Government of the time joining a US-led boycott in response to the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan.
Ultimately, the Australian Olympic Federation voted 6-5 in favour of participation, a decision made while Australia’s rowing team was already in the air and en route to Europe for their final preparations.
“The pilot came over the intercom and said, ‘Well, I hope you rowers can speak Russian’. That was his way of letting us know we were going,” John Boultbee AM, then Team Manager for the Australian Rowing Team and a RA Life Member, said.
“There was rejoicing on the plane. We took our blazers out of our bags and walked proudly up and down the aisle. It was momentous.”
Boultbee was among several key figures, alongside Reinhold Batschi OAM ASM, the newly appointed Head Coach, and then Rowing Australia Secretary John Coates AC, who worked tirelessly to shield athletes from the external political chaos.
Training camps were moved to rural locations like Bundaberg, the Nepean River and Murray Bridge, while Olympic officials were invited to witness firsthand the dedication of the team.
“We weren’t sitting back and just accepting it,” Boultbee said. “We were taking active steps to protect the athletes and get the right decision made.”
While the Men’s Eight and Pair went on to race with distinction, it was the Women’s Coxed Four that made history when the regatta finally began.
For the first time ever, Australia had sent a women’s rowing crew to the Olympic Games. It was a milestone achievement in an era when women’s rowing was still fighting for equal footing within the sport.
“It wasn’t just about getting to Moscow,” Anne Chirnside said, who was in the bow seat of the Women’s Coxed Four.
“We had to prove, over several years, that we were good enough to be there. And in 1979, we came fifth at the World Championships.
“That performance forced the hand of selectors. Without it, there might not have been a women’s crew at all.”
The Women’s Coxed Four placed fifth in Moscow, making them the fastest Western crew in their event, behind only Eastern Bloc nations that would dominate the regatta.
Their performance set the foundation for Australia’s first Olympic medal in women's rowing just four years later in Los Angeles. Fittingly, it was the Women’s Coxed Four.
Rowing Australia CEO Sarah Cook OLY reflected on the lasting significance of that crew.
“Our 1980 Women’s Coxed Four blazed a trail, not just by rowing in Moscow but by opening the door for future generations of Australian women in the sport,” Cook said.
“Their courage, persistence and performance paved the way for what followed, including our first Olympic medal in the same event in 1984. We owe them immense gratitude.”
For those who did go to Moscow, the experience is remembered with immense pride, but also deep empathy for those who were denied the opportunity.
Dozens of Australian athletes were selected but barred from competing when their sporting federations chose not to attend.
“I think it’s for them that this recognition is most important,” Boultbee said. “We were the lucky ones. We got to race. Others didn’t.”
The legacy of 1980 extends far beyond results. The Games marked the beginning of a more professional era for Australian rowing, with objective selection criteria, centralised training camps and the early influence of the Australian Institute of Sport.
Today, many of the rowers from 1980 remain close friends, bonded by an experience that went far beyond sport.
“We know we did a good job,” Chirnside said. “The friendships and memories we share, that’s the true legacy.”
As Parliament rises on July 30 to deliver a long-overdue recognition, Rowing Australia joins the nation in honouring a 1980 team that rowed with pride and purpose and delivered a legacy that would endure well beyond the Closing Ceremony.
1980 Australian Olympic Rowing Team – Moscow
Men's Eight - Fifth
Bow: Bill Dankbaar (SA)Men's Coxless Pair - Tenth
Bow: John Bolt (SA)Women's Coxed Four - Fifth
Bow: Anne Chirnside (VIC)Head Coach: Reinhold Batschi OAM ASM (AIS)
Manager: John F Boultbee AM (NSW)
Doctor: Bob Tinning (NSW)
1980 Australian Olympic Rowing Team Selectors and Jury
Selectors: Jim Howden (VIC Chairman), Roger Moore (SA), Bruce Evans (NSW)
Umpire on the Jury: Reg McKay (VIC)