Dane Bird-Smith (athletics) won the gold
medal in the 20km Walk at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. Nicknamed
‘The Bird Man’, Dane won Olympic bronze in the 20km event at the Rio 2016
Olympic Games. He made his debut for Australia as a junior at the 2009 World
Youth Championships and finished 5th in the 10000m track walk at the 2010 World
Junior Championships. Bird-Smith won the gold medal at the 2015 World University Games
in the 20km event and has competed at the 2013, ’15, ’17 and ’19 world
championships. His father and coach Dave Smith competed in the walk at the 1980
and 1984 Olympic Games. Dane serves on the Commonwealth Games Australia Athlete
Advisory Group.