Date: 15 September - 01 October 2000
NOCs (Nations): 200
Athletes: 10,651 (4,069 women, 6,582 men)
Sports: 28
Events: 300
Volunteers: 46,967
Media: 16,033 (5,298 written press, 10,735 broadcasters)
The Sydney 2000 Games were the largest yet, with 10,651 athletes
competing in 300 events. Despite their size, they were well
organised, renewing faith in the Olympic Movement. Birgit Fischer
earned two gold medals in Kayak to become the first woman in any
sport to win medals 20 years apart. Judoka Ryoko Tamura lost in the
final in both Barcelona and Atlanta, but came back to win the gold
medal in Sydney. Steven Redgrave became the first rower to win gold
medals at five consecutive Olympics. The US softball team won in
stirring fashion, losing three games in a row and then coming back
to defeat each of the teams they had lost to.
From 15th, Sep. 2000 to 1st, Oct. 2000, over 11,000 athletes
from 200 delegations from countries world-wide participated in the
competition in 300 events of 28 sports at the 27th Olympic Games -
the last Olympic Games in the 20th century - held in Sydney,
Australia. A total of 34 world records were set, in addition to 77
Olympic records, and three Olympic best results.
A change has come about to the competitive structure of these
Olympics. Besides delegations from the USA and Russia, remaining in
the First Group, strong and powerful as ever, China ranked third,
both in totality of its gold medal tally and in the overall medal
achievement for excellent performance. China was awarded 28 gold,
16 silver and 15 bronze medals. This was indeed a historical
breakthrough! That three Chinese athletes set eight world records,
12 times, and a further six athletes set 11 Olympic records,
underlines the great improvement for China over the four previous
Olympics, and outstripped the total number of both gold medals and
other medals won in the all past Olympics.
Seven athletes continued to hold the titles in nine events.
Twenty-nine athletes won gold medals for the first time in 18
events. Attainments in competitions such as fencing, cycling and
the like, reached a higher level.
Tao Luna, making her debut in the Olympics, obtained the first
gold medal for China.
?
The veterans, Xiong Ni and Fu Mingxia, reached the peak of their
career again gaining honours for China, they retired only to
resurface again! Fu Mingxia, moreover, became one of the athletes
to obtain four gold medals in diving.
The men's gymnastics team realized their gold medal dream after
47 years of untiring effort.
The Chinese women's hockey team, giving their first performance
in the Olympics, finished fifth by beating the former world
champions Holland and the former world runners-up Germany.
The Chinese women's soccer team, though not through to the four
strongest world teams as hoped, still won the spectators' and
overall respect for their fight-it-out spirit.
September 22 has been named China Day because of the six gold,
three silver and one bronze medals which were won during the Sydney
Olympics.
(COC Website?? July 8, 2004)