Cathy Freeman is destined to provide one of the biggest stories of the Sydney Olympics.

The 27-year-old 400m runner is Australia's best hope for track gold after already winning back-to-back world titles and a silver medal at the Atlanta Games.

But a victory for Freeman would be more than just another Olympic gold. The 27-year-old carries the weighty expectations of the Australian nation and the Aboriginal people on her shoulders as she aims to become the first Aboriginal athlete to win Olympic gold.

If Freeman completes this historic achievement then expect her to carry the red, yellow and black Aboriginal flag on her lap of honour.

Freeman did exactly that after winning Commonwealth 400m gold in Canada in 1994.

A gesture that earned her a very public and harsh rebuke from team chief Arthur Tunstall.

Freeman replied by winning the 200m final and celebrating the same way.

Afterwards she said: ``I just wanted to show people I am proud of who I am and where I come from.''

Freeman's revolt against bureaucracy quickly turned her into a figurehead for the Aboriginal people.

It is a role that she has never shirked from and made her a popular figure across the whole of the country, winning the Australian of the Year title in 1998.

``If I can help Aborigines feel good about themselves, I'll do whatever it takes,'' she said.

Whether it's acting as an Aboriginal ambassador or storming to another 400m win, she is rarely out of the spotlight.

During her Olympic preparations, Freeman sacked her former boyfriend Nick Bideau as her coach. He retaliated by taking her to court.

She has since sought refuge in London to prepare for the Games away from the intense media glare in her native country.

It is now 10 years since Freeman first burst onto the scene as a 16-year-old at the Commonwealth Games, winning gold as part of the 4x100m team.

Two years later, she became the first aboriginal athlete to compete for Australia in the Olympics, finishing seventh in Barcelona.

In 1995, she narrowly missed out on a medal in the world championships with a fourth-placed finish in the 400m.

But by the time the Olympic circus rolled into Atlanta, Freeman arrived as one of the favourites for the one-lap race.

She ran the race of her life, finishing in 48.63 secs, the sixth fastest-ever time for a female.

Unfortunately, it wasn't good enough and she found her path to gold blocked by Frenchwoman Marie Jose-Perec.

Freeman went one better a year later in the 1997 world championships, producing a gutsy display to beat Jamaica's Sandie Richards by just 0.02 secs.

Last year, she retained her world crown in Seville, striding home for her fifth major championship gold.

Freeman now goes to Sydney as the hot favourite and the night of the final on Monday September 25 is the hottest ticket in town.

And, if she wins, then there will be no better night to be in the stadium than when Cathy comes home, with a gold medal around her neck and the Aboriginal flag draped across her shoulders.