As part of a NSW Government initiative to celebrate Australia’s greatest female athletes, the public was invited to nominate a female sporting hero deserving of a grandstand named in her honour.
Freeman’s victory in front of a home crowd of 112,524 spectators, saw her become the first Aboriginal Australian to win an individual Olympic gold medal.
“Deeply honoured and humbled by the recognition,” Freeman said that the “stadium and Sydney Olympic Park hold a truly special place in my heart and that will never change”.
“I hope that my story continues to inspire generations of girls and boys to chase their own dreams in sport and life.
“Like the rest of Australia, I cheered on the Matildas during the FIFA Women’s World Cup and I can’t wait to see future generations of Australian female athletes make their mark.”
The newly renamed Cathy Freeman Stand is the main public seating area of Accor Stadium and seats nearly 30,000 spectators.
Premier Chris Minns, said it was about time we named a grandstand in NSW after a woman, “and I can’t think of a better athlete than Cathy Freeman”.
“I want the next generation of young girls to watch sport at this stadium, looking up at the Cathy Freeman Stand, thinking about their own sporting dreams,” he said.
