Today we celebrate one of our unsung sports heroes, the late Peter Norman. Norman stood on the Olympic dias in Mexico 1968, as silver medallist in the 200 metres, in full support of black Americans Tommie Smith and John Carlos as they gave the black power salute to protest racism. Norman was ostracised by Australian athletics officials when he returned home, and spurned for the rest of his life but in the US October 9 is designated each year as ‘Peter Norman Day’.
