Flagging spirits

There were more feelings of discontentment floating around the Olympic city this week

There were more feelings of discontentment floating around the Olympic city this week. Australia's swimming legend Dawn Fraser (above, in her heyday) finds it "absolutely disgusting" that Sydney's Organising Committee are buying all the flags for next September's Games, even the Australian one, in the US. "These are supposed to be Australia's Olympics and we can't even make our own flag to fly when we win medals," said the now 63-year-old swimmer who has eight Olympic medals in total. "The Games were supposed to provide jobs and opportunities for Australians, but all we are doing is selling it off. It's all about money."

According to Sport Intern, the inside-the-Olympics newsletter, the US company Doublet submitted the most favourable offer, with the flag bill for the Olympics estimated at around Aus$1 million dollars. But Australia's largest flag manufacturer Carroll and Richardson were not even asked to submit an offer because they are currently in a legal clinch with the Australian Olympic Committee over the copyright of the so-called "Boxing Kangaroo Flag" made famous by Alan Bond's successful America's Cup in 1983.