Sport plays an important part in Australian culture, assisted by a climate that favours outdoor activities; 23.5% Australians over the age of 15 regularly participate in organised sporting activities.At an international level, Australia has strong teams in cricket, field hockey, netball, rugby league, rugby union, and international rules football, and it performs well in cycling, rowing, and swimming. Some of Australia's most well known sportspersons include swimmers Dawn Fraser and Ian Thorpe, sprinter Cathy Freeman, tennis players Ken Rosewall and Lleyton Hewitt, and cricketer Donald Bradman, whose test batting average has been claimed to be statistically the greatest achievement in any major sport.
Nationally, other popular sports include Australian rules football, horse racing, soccer, and motor racing. Australia has participated in every summer Olympic Games of the modern era, and every Commonwealth Games. Australia hosted the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne and the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, and has ranked among the top six medal-takers since 2000; a significant feat given the country's comparatively small population.Australia has also hosted the 1938, 1962, 1982, and 2006 Commonwealth Games. Other major international events held in Australia include the Grand Slam Australian Open tennis tournament, international cricket matches, and the Formula One Australian Grand Prix. Viewing televised sport is popular: the highest-rating television programs include the summer Olympic Games, State of Origin, and the grand finals of the National Rugby League and Australian Football League
