The Melbourne Cricket Club, as Ground managers of the MCG, were proud to welcome back 1956 Olympian and MCC member, Bob Joyce to the scene of the Melbourne Olympic Games.
Mr Joyce competed in the Men’s 110 metres Hurdles sprint event, the event’s Final that correspondingly takes place on Thursday at The National Stadium in Japan, for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics.The 84-year-old returned to the MCG and also to visit 1956 Olympics artefacts in the Australian Sports Museum, to reminisce on competing at the Games not only in his event, but also his involvement during the Opening and Closing Ceremony.
He reminisced on tackling the Athletics track’s ‘straight’ that straddled what is now known as Northern Stand wing, in front of the Olympic Stand and the Members Reserve.
The 110m Hurdles event at the 1956 Olympics was, at the time, one of only 12 athletics events to have been held at every Summer Olympics.
Mr Joyce was one of three Australians in the mix for the 110m Hurdles, alongside Kenneth Doubleday and John Chittick. Running in Heat 3, Joyce ran a 14.7 second race that placed him sixth in his Heat.
It would unfortunately mean he would miss out on qualifying for the Semi Finals, as the format of the Games during 1956 only granted the top three place-getters from Heats through to the next round. This is despite the fact that Joyce’s time was actually quicker than the 12th-placed qualifier, Jean-Claude Bernard of France.
The 110m Hurdles of 1956 continued the USA’s dominance of the event with Lee Calhoun, Jack Davis and Joel Shankle ensured it was a third of four consecutive American podium sweeps, and the seventh overall sweep by the United States in the event.
The Colac born and now-based Mr Joyce was happy to share his memories of the first Summer Olympic Games held in the Southern Hemisphere.
“I didn’t go as well as I would have liked it. I would have to like have won the race.
“But I still have fond memories.”
And as he watches on the current crop of athletes doing Australia proud at Tokyo 2020, he says the philosophy for athletes has never changed from 65 years ago.
“I would say to them that you run your race to come first, never to come last,” he said.
“Once you’re an Olympian, you’re always an Olympian. You’ve always got that to hold onto.”
Mr Joyce’s visit was made possible by Mercy Health, who operate 35 aged care homes – including Mercy Place Colac – in additional to the two hospitals under their banner.
The Mercy Health Foundation’s Imagine Fund aims to bring to life some ‘bucket list’ items for their aged care residents, as well as raising funds that are funnelled into research in the area of perinatal (pregnancy and birthing challenges) and new infrastructure, again for areas such as NICU (neonatal intensive care).
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