Australia, the previous host of the 2000 Olympics at Sydney, competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece from 13 to 29 August 2004. Australian athletes have competed in every Summer Olympic Games of the modern era. The Australian Olympic Committee sent a total of 470 athletes (268 men and 202 women) to the Games to compete in 29 sports.
Australia finished the Athens Games having won a total of 50 medals, including 17 gold, the most gold medals to date although this was equalled in Tokyo 2020 and surpassed its total in Paris 2024 with 18 gold medals. Its strongest sports were swimming, cycling, diving, and rowing.
Australia sent a team of eight badminton players to Athens. None of them surpassed the first round of elimination.
Australia advanced into the final game after defeating a Japanese team made up of professional players in Semifinal 1âÂÂ0. Lost to Cuba in Final 2âÂÂ6.
Manager: 24 - Jon Deeble.
Coaches: 2 - Tony Harris, 33 - Paul Elliott, 34 - Philip Dale.
15 August
August 16
August 17
August 18
August 20
August 21
August 22
24 August
25 August
Australia has qualified both men's and women's teams.
Australia has qualified nine boxers for the Olympics based on their performances from the Oceanian Qualification Tournament.
<small>Qualification Legend: Q = Qualify to final; q = Qualify to semifinal</small>
<small>"#" indicates that the score of this rider does not count in the team competition, since only the best three results of a team are counted.</small>
Australia qualified a men's and a women's team. Each team had 16 athletes with two reserves.
Australia qualified a women's team and an individual man.
<small><nowiki>*</nowiki> Monette Russo supposedly qualified for the all-around final, but later withdrew because of injury.</small>
Australia has qualified a total of twelve judoka (seven men and five women) for the Games.
Based on the results from the 2003 Asian/Oceanian Championships, 1996 Olympic champion Alexander Parygin and Eszter Hortobagyi have qualified for modern pentathlon events in Athens. Parygin also previously competed for Kazakhstan.
<small>Qualification Legend: FA=Final A (medal); FB=Final B (non-medal); FC=Final C (non-medal); FD=Final D (non-medal); FE=Final E (non-medal); FF=Final F (non-medal); SA/B=Semifinals A/B; SC/D=Semifinals C/D; SE/F=Semifinals E/F; R=Repechage</small>
<small>M = Medal race; OCS = On course side of the starting line; DSQ = Disqualified; DNF = Did not finish; DNS= Did not start; RDG = Redress given</small>
Australian swimmers earned qualifying standards in the following events (up to a maximum of 2 swimmers in each event at the A-standard time, and 1 at the B-standard time):
<small><nowiki>*</nowiki> Swimmers who participated in the heats only and received medals.</small>
<small><nowiki>*</nowiki> Swimmers who participated in the heats only and received medals.</small>
Australia has qualified four taekwondo practitioners in their respective divisions.
Australian men's team qualified after finishing second at the FIVB World Olympic Qualification Tournament in Tokyo.