Now sheepshearers plan to be the next heroes of Australian athletics

From beach volleyball to BMX racing, a host of obscure activities have acquired the glamour of being adopted as Olympic sports. Pity then the fate of Australia's sheepshearers, who are still waiting to be taken seriously in their own country after 118 years of competitive shearing.

The Australian Sports Commission is to be lobbied for official recognition, a move that would allow shearers to apply for training grants and help attract corporate sponsorship. While some people might wonder if the idea is merely a reaction to Australia's disappointing medal tally in Beijing, Peter Artridge of Sports Shear Australia, one of the industry's governing bodies, is deadly serious.



'Shearers should be up there with other Australian sporting champions,' he said. 'Some of these guys train for months to be at their physical best. They're going to the gym and doing yoga and following special diets. They're outstanding athletes.'

He says competitive shearing meets all the criteria of a modern-day sport because there are clear winners and losers and participants take part in a physically strenuous activity that requires elements of skill and chance. It is also enjoyable to watch. 'We think shearing has as much right to be called a sport as any Commonwealth or national games event,' he said.