Sydney 2000 Olympic Games

Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, athletic festival held in Sydney that took place September 15–October 1, 2000. The Sydney Games were the 24th occurrence of the modern Olympic Games.

Sydney was narrowly chosen over Beijing as host city of the 2000 Olympics. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) was attracted to the city’s long history of enthusiasm for sports, its promise to use recovered toxic wastelands as sites for sporting venues, and its plan to involve the smaller countries of Oceania in hosting activities. Despite some cost overruns and a ticket scandal, the preparations and the Games themselves went smoothly. The opening ceremonies celebrated the history of Australia, especially the unique cultures and contributions of the Aboriginal peoples of the continent. The high point of the opening ceremonies came when Aboriginal runner Cathy Freeman lit the Olympic flame. She later won the gold medal in the 400-metre event. The accomplishments and recognition of Freeman were an important milestone for Australian Aboriginal peoples, who were still struggling for their place in Australian society (see Sidebar: Cathy Freeman: The Heart of a Nation).

Nearly 11,000 athletes representing 199 IOC member countries (including 3 athletes from the United Nations dependency of East Timor) participated in the Games, which featured a record 928 medals awarded in 300 events. Several events were contested at the Olympics for the first time in 2000, including men’s and women’s tae kwon do, trampoline, triathlon, and synchronized diving. Other new women’s events included weightlifting, modern pentathlon, and pole vault. The track-and-field competition starred American sprinter Marion Jones, who won three gold and two bronze medals. Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe, nicknamed the “Thorpedo,” collected three gold medals and a silver, and Dutch swimmers Pieter van den Hoogeband and Inge de Bruijn each won two gold medals. British rower Steven Redgrave won his fifth consecutive gold medal, an unmatched feat in his sport. Heavyweight boxer Felix Savon of Cuba equaled the feat of his countryman Teófilo Stevenson by winning his third consecutive gold medal.