ITF

123 I remember having to listen to the American national anthem and wishing that it was the Australian national anthem. That really did get to me. That is really how I was thinking. I was wishing that it was our anthem that was being played because even though you won a bronze medal, they don't play the national anthem of a bronze medallist. Everything was so different because even though you are playing singles and playing doubles you were all part of the Australian Olympic team. To be able to call yourself an Olympian was fantastic. Growing up, tennis players of my age, my generation, we never ever expected to play in an Olympics. We probably never expected to even go to an Olympics, so when tennis was added to the Olympics and became a medal-winning sport in '88 it probably kept me playing on the circuit a year or two longer because that was definitely one of my goals once tennis was added to the Olympics. I was lucky enough to do that and win a medal. It is one of the greatest things you can do, to be an Olympian, to represent your country and to win a medal. And if anyone says that it is not a thrill, then they are lying. I never thought I would ever go to an Olympics, let alone play. I played in Seoul, I was the women's coach in Barcelona and I went to the Atlanta Olympics as an observer, and it was great. There is nothing else like it. The Olympics is like a Grand Slam event but unlike when you are playing at Wimbledon or the US Open and Australians are following you and are proud of what you accomplish, when you win a medal at the Olympics, it is Australia who is winning the medal really. You have won it, but it is an Australian medal. I do remember that with tennis being a new sport in the Olympics, they [teammates from other sports] didn't know how to view us. I think they were expecting the tennis players to be a little stuck up because we were pro athletes and high profile, and word got back to us that everybody loved us because we were so in awe of all the other athletes. They didn't know how much we were in awe of them. Chris Evert played at the Olympics and didn't win a medal and when she got married and had children her kids would come over. One time (when) her eldest one was about four, Chrissie said to him, "Oh, you're looking at Rabbit's medals, which one do you want of Rabbit's trophies, which one do you like best?" and he went over to the Olympic medal and said, "I like this one," and she said, "Oh yes, the only one that I don't have." SEOUL 1988 WOMEN'S DOUBLES BRONZE It is one of the greatest things you can do, to be an Olympian, to represent your country and to win a medal. Wendy Turnbull Wendy Turnbull

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