AUSTRALIA's two special guests at yesterday's opening ceremony were the nation's oldest living female Olympian, Edith Payne (nee Robinson) and Charles Mance, the country's oldest living war veteran.

Robinson, now aged 95, was the first woman to compete for Australia in the athletics event at the Olympics when she ran in the 100 metres and the 800 metres at the 1928 Amsterdam Games, which was the first time women's athletics events were held. Mance, who turns 100 on December 3rd, was just 16 when he lied about his age and enlisted in World War One in 1917 and was sent to the Western Front.

FOR round-the-clock coverage on all the weekend Olympic results, along with reports and analysis from Sydney see the Irish Times website at www.ireland.com/sports/olympics.