Speaker 1: The Tokyo Olympics is drawing to a close. It's October
Speaker 1: in nineteen sixty four and everyone's in party mode. The
Speaker 1: Aussies gather at a hotel bar where the celebrations stretch
Speaker 1: into the early hours of the morning. But one Olympic
Speaker 1: champion isn't having the best night. Instead of enjoying the party,
Speaker 1: she's being questioned by police. It's gold medalist Dawn Fraser.
Speaker 1: Dawn is due to the Australia's flag bearer and the
Speaker 1: closing ceremony, but first she'll have to avoid jail time. Hey,
Speaker 1: I'm Tony Armstrong. Welcome to the poolroom, where we celebrate
Speaker 1: the winners, losers and the weird stuff between. How did
Speaker 1: Dawn Fraser, one of Australia's most successful athletes, run into
Speaker 1: trouble with the law. Well, it turns out Dawn has
Speaker 1: a bit of a rebellious streak that goes back to
Speaker 1: her childhood. Dawn Fraser grew up as the youngest of
Speaker 1: eight children in a working class family. Her older siblings
Speaker 1: would boss her around a bit and her parents were
Speaker 1: very strict. When she had just started competing in the
Speaker 1: pool at twelve years old, an official said she would
Speaker 1: never swim for Australia. Dawn hit back immediately, Yes I will,
Speaker 1: she said. From then on, Dawn Fraser had a reputation
Speaker 1: for pushing back against authority, and it didn't always gel
Speaker 1: with her swimming career. At thirteen, Dawn was suspended from
Speaker 1: swimming for eighteen months after winning an amateur champianship event.
Speaker 1: Why Well, officials suspected that Dawn had been paid for
Speaker 1: competing in a professional youth swimming league, making her ineligible
Speaker 1: for amateur competitions. When the band was handed down, Dawn
Speaker 1: thought her swimming ambitions were over. At fifteen years old,
Speaker 1: she quit school, got a job in a factory, and
Speaker 1: took up smoking. When she was finally allowed to swim again,
Speaker 1: Dawn had a decision to make. Did she settle for
Speaker 1: her new life or dust off that old dream to
Speaker 1: be an Olympic champion. Her coach thought this was a
Speaker 1: no brainer, so they agreed to train her for free
Speaker 1: for an entire year. Dawn was back in the sport.
Speaker 1: By nine peen fifty six, Dawn was nineteen, had turned
Speaker 1: professional and was winning races left, right and center. The
Speaker 1: one hundred meter freestyle was her specialty. Dawn was ready
Speaker 1: to test herself against the world's best in the Melbourne Olympics.
Speaker 1: She went on to win her first gold medal at
Speaker 1: the Games, but Dawn didn't exactly leave her rebellious teenage
Speaker 1: ways behind. Four years later, during the nineteen to sixty
Speaker 1: Olympics in Rome, Dawn won gold again, but refused to
Speaker 1: swim butterfly in the relay event, her excuse she'd just
Speaker 1: eaten lunch. It's fair to say Dawn's teammates were not impressed.
Speaker 1: In nineteen sixty four, Dawn was set to represent Australia
Speaker 1: once again at the Olympics in Tokyo, but she was
Speaker 1: in trouble once more, this time before the Games had
Speaker 1: even started. Because her events were taking place over the
Speaker 1: first few days. Dawn wasn't allowed to march in the
Speaker 1: opening ceremony so that she was well rested for her race,
Speaker 1: but in her typical way, Dawn wasn't having it. She
Speaker 1: walked out with the Australian team anyway, marching proudly in
Speaker 1: the front row. When it came time for her qualifying events,
Speaker 1: Dawn then defied Olympic officials. She chose to wear a swimsuit,
Speaker 1: which wasn't a prove for competition. This time, her excuse
Speaker 1: was a bit more reasonable. She said the correct swimsuit
Speaker 1: didn't fit, but that didn't matter to the officials, and
Speaker 1: this time Dawn's actions would have real consequences in the pool.
Speaker 1: At least, Dawn was practically flawless. Tokyo nineteen sixty four
Speaker 1: was another huge success. Dawn picked up her fourth Olympic
Speaker 1: gold and silver medals, and as the games were winding up,
Speaker 1: Dawn would have the honor of carrying the Australian flag
Speaker 1: at the closing ceremony. But like the lark and she is,
Speaker 1: Dawn couldn't resist having some fun first. It was a Friday,
Speaker 1: the night before the closing ceremony. All the events had
Speaker 1: come to an end and the athletes were ready to
Speaker 1: let their hair down. Normally they have to remain in
Speaker 1: the Olympic village, but the Australians had been given an exemption.
Speaker 1: The men's field hockey team had just won their first
Speaker 1: ever bronze medal and were invited to a hotel in
Speaker 1: the city to celebrate. They were joined by Dawn and
Speaker 1: a couple of her friends. A few hours and several
Speaker 1: drinks later, the team. Doctor comes up with an idea
Speaker 1: and puts it to Dawn. He says, hey, Fraser, are
Speaker 1: you interested in getting a flag? He means one of
Speaker 1: the many Olympic flags being flown around the city. Of course,
Speaker 1: I am, Dawn replies, So Dawn to Doctor and one
Speaker 1: of the hockey players set off to snag themselves a souvenir.
Speaker 1: By now, it's about one am in the morning. The
Speaker 1: streets are deserted and quiet. The Aussie trio make their
Speaker 1: way up a long avenue leading towards the Imperial Palace,
Speaker 1: a historical fortress surrounded by stone walls, a moat, and
Speaker 1: public gardens. It's off limits, of course, but right outside
Speaker 1: stands several tall poles with Olympic flags flapping invitingly in
Speaker 1: the early morning breeze. But how to get the flags down? Luckily,
Speaker 1: Dawn is quite tall, so she and the doctor hoist
Speaker 1: the hockey player on their shoulders. He just manages to
Speaker 1: reach the rope and pull down two flags. Then suddenly,
Speaker 1: loud whistles rang out across the silent street. It's the police.
Speaker 1: They've been spotted. The trio make a run for it,
Speaker 1: hiding in some bushes, but the police managed to snuff
Speaker 1: them out. They've got no choice but to split up.
Speaker 1: In her effort to escape, Dawn hurts her ankle and
Speaker 1: decides to rest on a park bench for a moment.
Speaker 1: It's all quiet until two police officers finally catch up
Speaker 1: with her. They ask Dawn what she's up to, and
Speaker 1: at first she plays dumb. She tells them she's waiting
Speaker 1: for some friends, but the police don't buy it. As
Speaker 1: Dawn stands up, one of the stolen flags falls out
Speaker 1: of her jacket pocket. The officer sees the flag and
Speaker 1: arrest Dawn. She's taken to the police station. At the station,
Speaker 1: an interpreter informs Dawn that she's being charged with stealing
Speaker 1: the flag, not only that she could face jail time
Speaker 1: for the offense. She explains that she's Dawn Fraser, the
Speaker 1: famous Olympic swimmer, but the police don't believe her, so
Speaker 1: Dawn calls her friends at the hotel, asking them to
Speaker 1: bring her id and Olympic medals down to the station.
Speaker 1: Fortunately for Dawn, the plan works and she's allowed to
Speaker 1: walk free. The police couldn't quite believe that Dawn would
Speaker 1: do something like steal a flag, but they didn't know
Speaker 1: the real Dawn Fraser. The next day, Dawn is getting
Speaker 1: her ankle strapped so she can march in the closing
Speaker 1: ceremony when there's a knock on her hotel room door.
Speaker 1: It's the police lieutenant and two officers. Dawn invites them
Speaker 1: in cautiously. A horrible thought crosses her mind. Is she
Speaker 1: really in trouble? After all? The lieutenant is carrying a
Speaker 1: large box, which he hands to Dawn. When she opens
Speaker 1: it up, it's full of flowers and the stolen Olympic flag.
Speaker 1: What good sports? But not everyone saw the humor in
Speaker 1: Dawn's antics. Following the nineteen sixty four Olympics, Dawn Fraser
Speaker 1: was banned from swimming for ten years for wearing the
Speaker 1: wrong swimsuit and defying team rules by marching in the
Speaker 1: opening ceremony. While the band was lifted four years later,
Speaker 1: it didn't matter to Dawn. She retired soon after the
Speaker 1: Tokyo Games, and her one hundred meter freestyle record stood
Speaker 1: for a further eight years. She remains one of Australia's
Speaker 1: greatest Olympians. You've been listening to the poolroom with me,
Speaker 1: Tony Armstrong. Thanks for stopping by. Catch you next time.