Peter Norman

• Born: June 15, 1942
• Place of Birth: Coburg, Victoria, Australia
• Died: October 3, 2006
• Place of Death: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Athlete and activist

Place of birth: Coburg, Victoria

Place of death: Melbourne, Victoria

Education: The Southport School, Southport, Queensland, Australia

Significance:Peter Norman was a world-class runner who followed his convictions even when they were not the politically correct thing to do.

Background

Peter Norman was born in the Melbourne suburb of Coburg, Victoria on 15 June 1942. His family were strong contributors to the Salvation Army, and this faith inspired Norman as well. He was an apprentice butcher and later served as a teacher for most of his professional life.

He was a runner from his early days, first with Collingwood Harriers and then with Melbourne Harriers, with whom he won his first major title, the 200 metres in 1960. He was national champion at that distance for five years in a row and became known for a strong finish. In the off-season Norman worked as a trainer for the local Australian rules football club.

Life’s Work

At the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, on 16 October, Norman participated in one of the most famous political protests in the history of sport. Norman was his country’s best runner at the 200-metre and had set a new world record in the qualifying heats. The favourite to win was Tommie Smith of the United States. Another American runner, John Carlos, was nearly as fast as Smith, and the American team had hopes for a 1–2 finish, if not a podium sweep. Smith won the race. Carlos finished not second but third, because Norman blew by him in the closing. Norman crossed the line in 20.06 seconds, four-tenths of a second ahead of Carlos.

The protest took place at the medal ceremony. Smith, the gold medallist, stood on the top step of the podium. To his right stood Norman, and on the bottom step stood Carlos. When the American national anthem played, Smith and Carlos, both African American, each held up one fist, gloved in black, and bowed their heads. What they were doing in that moment was called a Black Power salute, which had multiple intents. One was to show African-American solidarity; another was to urge a less nonviolent revolution than the famed civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. had been advocating. When Smith and Carlos raised their fists, on an international stage, during the playing of their nation’s anthem, it gave hope to many people and gave rise to anger in many others.

All three athletes wore badges with the logo of the Olympic Project for Human Rights, an American organisation dedicated to protesting racism in America, apartheid in South Africa, and racial discrimination in other countries, and against racism in sport as a whole. The Black Power salutes received instant attention, but other people later noticed that Norman had also been wearing the badge. Norman told reporters ‘I believe in human rights. Every man is born equal and should be treated that way.’

Smith and Carlos were banned from the U.S. Olympic team and sent home. Norman was given a mild reprimand, but criticism at home was widespread and isolating. He continued to race, earning a gold medal in the 200 metres at the Pacific Games in Tokyo in 1969. However, he did not represent Australia the 1972 Olympics. Norman had the fifth-fastest time in the world but finished third at the national qualifying event and so was not selected. Some condemned the decision to exclude Norman as retribution.

Norman retired from racing. He had a few honorary roles through the years and was a commentator for some large-scale sporting events. In 1985 a serious football injury that became infected nearly led to amputation of his leg. He became depressed and addicted to painkillers and alcohol. He later found work with the Victorian Department of Sport and Recreation.

Norman was not part of the Australian Olympic alumni team that marched at the 2000 Olympic Games, which took place in Sydney. He died of a heart attack in 2006. Two of the men who carried the coffin at his funeral were Tommie Smith and John Carlos.

Impact

Norman’s nephew, Matt Norman, directed a film, Salute (2018), that told the story of Norman’s actions and the wider story as well. Matt Norman’s biography, The Peter Norman Story, also came out in 2018. At America’s National Museum of African American History and Culture is a bronze re-creation of the Mexico City podium protest. The statue depicts all three athletes. In 2012, Australia’s Parliament issued an official apology to Norman. In part, the resolution said that Parliament ‘belatedly recognises the powerful role that Peter Norman played in furthering racial equality.’

Personal Life

Norman was married twice. He was survived by both of his wives, five children, and four grandchildren.

Bibliography

Frost, Caroline. “The Other Man on the Podium.” BBC News, 17 Oct. 2008, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7674157.stm. Accessed 11 June 2024.

Gates, Zachary. "Australian Peter Norman Honoured with Special Award 54 Years after Olympic Black Power Protest That Shook the World." Wide World of Sports, 8 Dec. 2022, https://www.nine.com.au/sport/olympics/sport-australia-hall-of-fame-heroes-and-legends-the-dawn-award-peter-norman-1968-mexico-city-olympics-protest-20221209-p5j2re.html. Accessed 11 June 2024.

Leigh, Andrew. “Parliament Apologises to Peter Norman.” Andrew Leigh, MP, 11 Oct. 2012, http://www.andrewleigh.com/3389. Accessed 11 June 2024.

“Peter Norman.” Australian Olympic Committee, http://olympics.com.au/athlete/peter-norman. Accessed 11 June 2024.

“Peter Norman, Australian Track Athlete, Winner of the Silver Medal.” Learning History, 7 Mar. 2025,

https://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/the-civil-rights-movement-in-america-1945-to-1968/peter-norman/. Accessed 11 June 2024.