The Sydney 2000 Olympic Games

The Games of the XXVII Olympiad, branded Sydney 2000 and sometimes called the Games of the New Millennium, were held from 15 September to 1 October 2000. It was the second time the Summer Olympics had come to Australia, after Melbourne in 1956, and the first time an Australian Games was held entirely in the country, since Melbourne's equestrian events were held in Stockholm because of quarantine rules.

The road to Sydney

Sydney's selection in September 1993 came after a long period of Australian bids. The vote went to four rounds, with Sydney beating Beijing by 45 votes to 43 in the final round. Berlin, Istanbul and Manchester were eliminated earlier. Seven years of preparation followed, including the remediation of Homebush Bay and construction of new venues, transport and housing for athletes.

The opening ceremony

The opening ceremony at Stadium Australia on 15 September celebrated Australia's landscape, history and peoples, including a prominent role for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. Its closing moment, when Cathy Freeman lit the cauldron, rising from a pool of water, became one of the defining images of the Games. The cauldron was later moved to a park near the stadium, now named Cathy Freeman Park.

The sport

The Sydney program featured 28 sports. Triathlon made its Olympic debut, starting at the Sydney Opera House, and taekwondo joined as a full medal sport. Trampoline was added to gymnastics. Women's events were added in several sports, including weightlifting and the modern pentathlon.

Athletics

Athletics was held at Stadium Australia before huge crowds. Cathy Freeman's victory in the women's 400 metres, in front of a home crowd of more than 110,000, is the most remembered moment of the Games for many Australians. The marathon course started in North Sydney and crossed the Harbour Bridge.

Swimming

The swimming at the Sydney International Aquatic Centre was dominated by the United States and Australia. Australian swimmers, including teenager Ian Thorpe, won several gold medals, and the men's 4x100 metres freestyle relay win over the United States was a famous night for the home crowd.

Team sports

Football was the only sport played outside Sydney, with preliminary matches in Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra and Adelaide. The men's final was played at Stadium Australia and the women's final at the Sydney Football Stadium. Hockey, basketball, handball, water polo, volleyball, baseball and softball were played at venues across Sydney.

Around the city

Beach volleyball on Bondi Beach, rowing at Penrith, sailing on Sydney Harbour and road cycling through the eastern suburbs brought the Games to every part of the city.

The medal table

The United States topped the medal table, followed by Russia and China. Australia finished fourth, its best result at a Summer Games at that time. Several nations won their first gold medal, including Cameroon, Colombia, Latvia, Mozambique and Slovenia, while others won their first ever Olympic medal.

The volunteers

Tens of thousands of volunteers helped run the Games, from transport and venues to medical support and spectator services. Their friendliness was a recurring theme in international coverage. The volunteer program is often cited as one of the most lasting legacies of Sydney 2000, influencing how later events in Australia and overseas recruited and trained volunteers.

Getting around

Public transport was central to the Sydney plan. A new rail line and Olympic Park station carried huge crowds to the park, supported by buses and ferries. Event tickets included public transport. The old Gamesinfo site had a whole section on getting around, and our getting there guide explains how to reach the park today.

The closing ceremony

The Games closed at Stadium Australia on 1 October with a celebration of Australian popular culture. IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch, presiding over his last Summer Games, praised the organisation of the Games in his closing speech.

How the Games were judged

International media coverage was overwhelmingly positive. Commentators praised the organisation, transport, venues, volunteers and the enthusiasm of the Australian public. The London 2012 organisers later said they had studied Sydney closely when preparing their own Games.

Not everything was perfect. The Games cost billions of dollars, and some studies have pointed to cost overruns. The use of the Olympic Park after the Games took time to develop. But the long-term outcome, including the remediated land, parklands and venues still in use, is widely seen as positive.

The Paralympic Games

The Olympics were followed by the Paralympic Games from 18 to 29 October, using many of the same venues. Read our guide to the Paralympic Games.

Exploring the history

The State Library of New South Wales, the National Library of Australia and the Powerhouse Museum hold collections relating to the Games, including photographs, uniforms, torches and memorabilia. The National Film and Sound Archive holds broadcast material. These are good places to start if you are researching Sydney 2000.