FIREWORKS IGNITE STADIUM AUSTRALIA

While, for reasons related to the social context of the time, no women participated in the Games of the I Olympiad in Athens in 1896, they did make an albeit timid first appearance at the Games of the II Olympiad in 1900 in Paris. Nineteen women from four different countries participated in the tennis, golf and sailing competitions. One hundred years after the first women participated in the Games, much progress has been made. 4069 female athletes (more than 38% of the total number of athletes) participated in the Sydney Games.

Since the beginning of his term of office, President Samaranch has become the advocate of women in the Olympic Movement, and in 2000, Susie O'Neill became the 17th woman IOC member. The percentage of women IOC members increased from 0% to 15% between 1981 and 2000.

On 15 September 2000, in Sydney, athletes from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and from the Republic of Korea marched together hand in hand for the first time at the Opening Ceremony, behind the flag of the Peninsula, a symbol of Korean unity.

The Olympic Games programme expanded from 21 sports and 203 events in Moscow in 1980 to 28 sports and 300 events in Sydney in 2000. 28 International Olympic Summer Sports Federations were present in the year 2000, compared to only 20 in 1980.

SEPT 15
OPENING CEREMONY - Cathy Freeman, 400-m track world champion, was the final torchbearer of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, revealed to a 110,000-strong crowd in Stadium Australia. She lit the giant cauldron which will burn throughout competition. North and South Korea marched together carrying a flag of a unified nation and for the first time, East Timor was represented. The opening ceremonies and the lighting of the Olympic cauldron kicked off 16 days of competition and celebrations. About 11,000 athletes from 199 countries will compete in 37 sporting events chasing 300 gold medals.

 

SEPT 16
13 Gold Medals = 2 in Cycling (Track), 1 in Fencing, 2 in Judo, 2 in Shooting, 4 in Swimming, 1 in Triathlon, 1 in Weightlifting

SEPT 17
14 Gold Medals = 2 in Cycling (Track), 1 in Fencing, 2 in Judo, 2 in Shooting, 4 in Swimming, 1 in Triathlon, 2 in Weightlifting. 18 nations share 27 gold medals to date. USA - 4, AUS - 3.

SEPT 18
15 Gold Medals = 2 in Canoe/Kayak (Slalom), 1 in Cycling (Track), 1 in Fencing, 1 in Gymnastics (Artistic), 2 in Judo, 2 in Shooting, 4 in Swimming, 2 in Weightlifting. 23 nations share 42 gold medals to date. USA - 6, FRA/CHN - 4 each. CZE/ESP/LTU/MEX/ROM win first golds.

SEPT 19
15 Gold Medals = 1 in Archery, 1 in Cycling (Track), 1 in Equestrian, 1 in Fencing, 1 in Gymnastics (Artistic), 2 in Judo, 2 in Shooting, 4 in Swimming, 2 in Weightlifting. 25 nations share 57 gold medals to date. USA 18 medals (7 gold) vs. AUS 17 medals (6 gold). SWE/KOR win first golds in shooting and archery.

SEPT 20
18 Gold Medals = 1 in Archery, 2 in Canoe/Kayak (Slalom), 3 in Cycling (Track), 1 in Fencing, 1 in Gymnastics (Artistic), 2 in Judo, 2 in Shooting, 4 in Swimming , 2 in Weightlifting. 28 nations share 75 gold medals to date. POL/COL/SVK win first golds. USA 10-7-6 vs. AUS 7-8-7.

SEPT 21
18 Gold Medals = 1 in Archery, 2 in Badminton, 3 in Cycling (Track), 2 in Fencing, 1 in Gymnastics (Artistic), 2 in Judo, 3 in Shooting, 4 in Swimming. 30 nations share 93 gold medals to date. AZE/INA win first golds. USA pulls away with 12-9-8 vs. AUS 8-9-8. To date, 3 Bulgarian weightlifters have been stripped of their medals because of drug cheats incl. the women's first weightlifting gold medallist.

SEPT 22
18 Gold Medals = 1 in Archery, 2 in Athletics, 1 in Badminton, 1 in Equestrian, 1 in Fencing, 1 in Gymnastics (Trampoline), 2 in Judo, 2 in Shooting, 4 in Swimming, 1 in Table Tennis, 2 in Weightlifting. 31 countries share 111 gold medals to date. FIN win first gold of the Games. USA 16-10-14 vs. CHN 14-7-9. China romps home with 6 golds today (BD, JU, TT, WLx2, SH).

SEPT 23
26 Gold Medals = 3 in Athletics, 2 in Badminton, 1 in Cycling (Mountain Bike), 2 in Diving, 1 in Gymnastics (Trampoline), 1 in Fencing, 7 in Rowing, 2 in Shooting, 4 in Swimming, 1 in Table Tennis, 1 in Water Polo (W), 1 in Weightlifting. 35 countries share 137 gold medals to date. SLO/BLR/NZL win first golds in Rowing. SLO wins 2nd gold later in Shooting. 1st GRE gold in WL. USA 20-12-18 vs. CHN 17-11-11. AUS/FRA have 10 golds each.

SEPT 24
25 Gold Medals = 5 in Athletics, 1 in Cycling (Mountain Bike), 1 in Diving, 1 in Fencing, 5 in Gymnastics (Artistic), 7 in Rowing, 3 in Sailing, 1 in Table Tennis, 1 in Weightlifting. 37 countries share 162 gold medals to date. AUT win first 2 golds in Sailing. LAT win 1st gold in Gymnastics. USA 21-12-19 vs. CHN 18-14-12. FRA/RUS have 12 golds each, ITA 11, AUS 10. 54 countries have won medals so far.

SEPT 25
18 Gold Medals = 9 in Athletics, 5 in Gymnastics (Artistic), 1 in Sailing, 1 in Table Tennis, 1 in Volleyball (Beach - W), 1 in Weightlifting. 40 countries share 180 gold medals to date. IRI win 1st gold in WL, ETH/MOZ in Athletics. 69 countries have medals. USA 23-14-21 vs. CHN 21-14-13. RUS 14, AUS/FRA 12.

SEPT 26
10 Gold Medals = 1 in Cycling (Road), 1 in Diving, 1 in Softball, 1 in Synchronized Swimming, 1 in Volleyball (Beach - M), 1 in Weightlifting, 4 in Wrestling. 40 countries share 190 gold medals to date. USA 25-15-23 vs. CHN 22-14-14. RUS 17, AUS/FRA 12.

"Olly" a Kookaburra (Air) "Syd" a Platypus (Water) "Millie" an Echidna (Earth)

SEPT 27
18 (-2) Gold Medals = 5 in Athletics, 1 in Baseball, 1 in Cycling (Road), 1 in Equestrian, 2 in Sailing (postponed to SEP 28), 2 in Taekwondo, 2 in Tennis, 4 in Wrestling. 41 countries share 206 gold medals to date. 1st KAZ gold in Athletics. USA 29-15-25 vs. CHN 22-14-15. RUS 18, AUS 13.

SEPT 28
17 Gold Medals = 6 in Athletics, 3 in Diving, 1 in Equestrian, 1 in Football (W), 2 in Sailing, 2 in Taekwondo, 2 in Tennis. 43 countries share 224 gold medals. EST wins 1st gold of the Games in Decathlon. NOR wins 1st gold in Football. A stunning 75 countries have medalled. USA 32-18-26 vs. CHN 26-15-15. RUS 19, AUS 15. Australia surpasses previous best ever medal haul of 13 golds.

SEPT 29
12 Gold Medals = 6 in Athletics, 1 in Hockey (W), 2 in Sailing, 1 in Synchronized Swimming, 2 in Taekwondo. 44 countries share 236 gold medals. KEN wins 1st gold in Athletics. USA 33-19-27 vs. CHN 26-15-15. RUS 20, AUS 16.

SEPT 30
41 Gold Medals = 9 in Athletics, 1 in Basketball, 6 in Boxing, 6 in Canoe/Kayak (Sprint), 2 in Cycling (Road), 1 in Diving, 1 in Equestrian, 1 in Football (M), 1 in Gymnastics (Rhythmic), 1 in Handball (M), 1 in Hockey (M), 1 Modern Pentathlon (M), 3 in Sailing, 2 in Taekwondo, 1 in Volleyball (Indoor - W), 4 in Wrestling. 48 countries share 277 gold medals. CMR wins 1st gold in Football. ALG, BAH wins 1st gold in Athletics. DEN wins 1st gold in Sailing. 77 countries have medalled. USA 38-22-30 vs. RUS 28-24-25 and CHN 28-16-15. AUS 16, GER 13.

OCT 1
24 in Gold Medals = 1 in Athletics/Marathon, 1 in Basketball, 6 in Boxing, 6 in Canoe/Kayak (Sprint), 1 in Equestrian, 1 in Gymnastics (Rhythmic), 1 in Handball (W), 1 in Modern Pentathlon (W), 1 in Volleyball (Indoor - M), 1 in Water Polo (M), 4 in Wrestling. 51 countries share 301 gold medals. THA/UZB/YUG win 1st gold. A record 80 countries shared 301-299-328. Final medal tally. USA 39-25-33 vs. RUS 32-28-28.

Stunning and extravagant to the end ... Sydney exploded in a firestorm to mark the last gasp the 2000 Games

CLOSING CEREMONY - OCT 1, 2000
The Sydney 2000 Games - Games of the new Millennium - came to a spectacular end just as it had started off; with a bang. An F-111 fighter bomber flew 300m above Stadium Australia trailing a 30m ribbon of flame and set the night sky ablaze with a plume of flame and a spectacular cascade of fireworks lit up the majestic Sydney Harbour Bridge. Over 1.5 million people packed the harborside for what was hailed as one of the biggest pyrotechnic extravaganzas the world has ever seen; a 23-minute A$3mn display launched from four giant barges, 10 smaller boats, and the rooftops of city skyscrapers. The two parties at Olympic Park and by the harbor were linked by a 8.5mi "river of lightning" as 24 "lightning shells" explode like giant flashbulbs illuminating the Parramatta River to downtown Sydney. It was a breathtaking five-hour extravaganza climax in the mother of all stadiums - the 110,000 seat Stadium Australia, largest Olympic arena in history - for a fun-loving city that has reveled in the most successful Olympics ever staged. The Sydney Games was a  place where the largest number of people enjoyed the biggest Games in the most cheerful circumstances possible.

"I am proud and happy to proclaim that you have presented to the world the best Olympic Games ever", Olympic chief Juan Antonio Samaranch, presiding over his last Games in 20 years at the helm, declared to 115 IOC members, 11,000 competitors, 110,000 spectators at the Stadium Australia finale, 19 million sports-mad Australians fiercely proud of what they had achieved and 3.7 billion television viewers worldwide. Sydney will be a hard act to follow after unprecedented ticket sales (SOCOG sold 87% of all tickets generating A$780mn vs. Atlanta's 82%), television broadcast to a record 220 countries and a glitch-free Games that unfolded as smoothly as organizers had ever dared to dream. This Olympics was virtually flawless in its organization and truly captured the Olympic spirit with its ambiance. It was truly a night to party.

The city was full of Olympicality. The rings beamed on Harbor Bridge and the torch, that bravura illusory contraption of glass and water, shone over everything until the Sydney Games began to seem like a separate existence. The sky was bluer somehow, and the water a mysterious green, and at night the Olympic Park skyline shone as bright as the Olympic spirit in this, the most beautiful city ever to host the Olympics - on par with Barcelona and its dramatic Gaudi skyline and Mediterranean backdrop - and light-years ahead of the crass commercialism of Atlanta. Sydney, framed with its magnificent harbour and flanked by the glorious Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, provided the grand entrance and finale into the Olympic Games' new millennium. "And the winner is Sydney. Aussie! Aussie! Aussie!". Farewell Sydney. See you in Athens 2004!

STADIUM AUSTRALIA - THE OLYMPIC STADIUM

SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE & THE HARBOUR BRIDGE

The Olympic Village:
The Olympic Village has 800 permanent houses, 350 apartments, and some 5000 modular houses, which will be sold after they are vacated. The village willl operate for 33 days in all. As part of the 'Green Games' initiative, each house has a dual water supply. Drinking water is supplied through the mains pipeline, while 'grey water' is used for toilet flushing and irrigation. The games village dining hall can seat 5000 people and served approximately 60 000 meals a day - almost 2 million in total. It has a staff of 2000, including 450 chefs.