Kevan Gosper, a Noosa resident who has been described as one of the true giants of the Olympic movement not only in Australia but globally, was honored with a memorial service arranged by the Australian Olympic Committee at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Tuesday September 17.
Kevan (90) died in Noosa on July 19 after a short illness. Speaking at the memorial service AOC President Ian Chesterman said,
“Kevan’s impact in Australia was enormous, as a former President of the AOC and a lifetime servant to sport in this country. But internationally his contribution was equally significant.
“He rose to the heights of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as an administrator having performed with distinction in his sport of Athletics, a two-time Olympian who won a silver medal at the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games.
“Kevan’s record of service is remarkable, having become an IOC member in 1977 he twice served as IOC Vice President and was also twice elected as a member of the IOC Executive. He was involved in some of the biggest decisions of his time.”
He and wife Judy had planned to travel together to the Paris Olympic Games. Judy went alone and later she described how welcome and comforted she was made by so many of the Olympic family.
I first met Kevan in 1959 when I began studying Physical Education at Melbourne University; Kevan was training on the university track for the 1960 Rome Olympic Games. Kevan was already an Olympic medalist, winning Silver in the 4 x 400 m Relay at the 1956 Melbourne Games.
It was when he served as president of the Australian Olympic movement in the 1980s that I came to appreciate Kevan’s vision and passion for Olympic education. He was a great supporter of the Olympic Movement, and it was through his leadership that in 1985 an Education Commission was established with Kevan appointing me as chairman.
Kevan also focused on the significance of the vast Oceania region, later becoming President of the Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC) for twenty years.
With Kevan’s assistance, the inaugural session of the Oceania Olympic Academy in Australia was held over five days at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra. Participants under the age of 35, which was consistent with sessions of the International Olympic Academy (IOA) in Olympia, Greece, came from all states and territories in Australia and several countries in the Oceania region. Kevan officially opened that first session in December 1985.
Several other Oceania and Australia-wide sessions of ‘Olympic Academies’ were held under his leadership.
In conclusion, it can be stated that Kevan Gosper initiated and facilitated the beginnings of Olympic academy sessions in Australia. Vale Kevan.
[Dr Ian Jobling was the Founding Director of the Centre of Olympic Studies at the University of Queensland, and is now Honorary Patron of the Queensland Centre for Olympic Paralympic Studies at UQ]
