Австрия / Austria

Three Austrians took part in the first Olympic Games of the modern era as part of a team from the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

The first Austrian to win an Olympic title was swimmer Paul NEUMANN, who won the men's 500m freestyle in Athens.

Julius LENHART won two gymnastics titles at the St Louis 1904 Olympic Games, but was only recognised as an Austrian Olympic champion 10 years after his death (athletes did not compete for their nations at early Olympic Games as they do now, and Lenhart was representing his Philadelphia-based gymnastics club).

With the exception of the Antwerp 1920 Olympic Games, Austria have appeared at every Olympic Games.

Ellen PREIS was the first woman to win a gold medal for Austria, in the foil at the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Canoeist Gregor HRADETZKY won gold in the men's kayak singles and in the long distance 10km race at the Berlin 1936 Olympic Games. Austria also took the men's kayak doubles in their most successful regatta to date.

The last time London staged the Olympic Games, in 1948, Herma BAUMA won gold for Austria in the women's javelin.

Even though Austria is a landlocked country, sailors Roman HAGARA and Hans Peter STEINACHER won gold in the men's tornado at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, and defended their title four years later in Athens.

Windsurfer Christoph SIEBER also picked up gold in the men's mistral in Sydney.

Judoka Peter SEISENBACHER won the men's middleweight gold at Los Angeles 1984 and Seoul 1988. Australian-born Kate ALLEN won triathlon gold representing Austria in Athens 2004, overhauling Australia's Loretta HARROP in the final 150m of the race.

Sailor Hubert RAUDASCHL competed in nine consecutive Olympic Games from 1964 to 1996. He collected silver in the finn class in 1968 and a further silver in the star class in 1980. Austria have excelled at winter sports and Innsbruck hosted the 1964 Winter Olympic Games.

Only 12 years later, they staged the Winter Games again after the withdrawal of Denver as host city.

Their greatest stars have been from the sport of skiing. Toni SAILER, who won all three alpine skiing titles at the 1956 Winter Olympic Games in Cortina D'Ampezzo, is still considered one of the greatest of all Olympians. Franz KLAMMER won the 1976 men's downhill on home snow in Innsbruck to occupy a special place in Austrian Olympic folklore.