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)
