The 2000 Summer Olympics (officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and colloquially known as Sydney 2000, the Millennium Olympic Games, or the Games of the New Millennium) were an international multi-sport event held in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, from 15 September to 1 October 2000. It was the first time that a city had hosted the event more than once. A total of 10,009 athletes from 204 countries participated in the games.
Sydney successfully bid for the 2000 Olympics after Toronto dropped out due to financial difficulties. The opening and closing ceremonies were held at the Sydney Opera House with Elizabeth Taylor acting as host for the evening performances. This made it the first Olympics ever opened by Queen Elizabeth II and closed by Prince Charles.
In August 1997, Sydney was chosen over other candidates Edmonton, Vancouver, and Indianapolis as the location for the 2000 Games. This decision was based on how well Sydney did financially during its campaign to become the host city; however, the Australian government refused to pay for any part of the games unless Toronto contributed money it owed to Sydney. In January 1998, Canada agreed to contribute $25 million toward the cost of holding the games in Sydney instead.
In addition to being the first Olympics to be held in Australia, they were also the first to be held in a non-Olympic year (1999).
The Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000 The Sydney 2000 Olympic Games were a sporting event that took place in Sydney from September 15 to October 1, 2000. The Sydney Games were the 24th modern Olympic Games to be held. Sydney was narrowly chosen over Beijing to host the Olympic Games in 2000. The vote was taken by an international assembly of sports officials at the conclusion of the 1995 World Championships in Athletics in Gothenburg, Sweden. The decision was made possible by the cancellation of the Beijing Olympics following the political turmoil in China after the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989.
Sydney was awarded the games by default after both Vancouver and Athens declined the invitation. The IOC's executive committee voted unanimously to award the games to Sydney during its meeting in Monaco on September 5, 1995. At the time of the announcement, Sydney had been bidding for the games for two years with the help of a private company, Sport Australia Ltd. The games were expected to cost about $1 billion.
In August 1998, it was announced that Sydney would also host the 2000 Summer Paralympics. This makes Sydney the first city to host both an Olympic and a Paralympic Games. The events will take place between April 25 and May 10, 2000. Australian athletes have won a record 111 medals at these games, more than any other country.
Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony/Location in Sydney in 2000.
The opening ceremony was held at the Sydney Opera House on September 15, 2000. The show was directed by Peter Darling and produced by Philip Leaver of Australia and John Bini of Germany. It was designed by English artist Richard Hamley. The soundtrack was composed by Danny Elfman.
In attendance as official guests were David Beckham and Victoria Beckham, Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, Paul Hogan and Linda Jackson, Sylvester Stallone and Jennifer Flackett, and Bruce Springsteen and Jessica Lange.
A total of 1,550 performers from 70 countries took part in the ceremony. They included athletes, artists, dancers, and musicians from all over the world. The opening ceremony featured elements from every continent except Antarctica.
The highlight of the show was a 20-minute segment called "One World", which invited children from around the world to write messages on pieces of paper and drop them into a large globe headfirst. As they did so, video clips from their home countries showed them reaching for the sky or underwater experiences unique to each culture.
The Olympic Games of 2000 were held in Sydney, Australia. There were 28 sports on the schedule, two more than at the previous Olympic Games. Taekwondo and triathlon have been added to the schedule. The gymnastics program now includes trampoline events. Water sports (Swimming, Diving, Synchronized Swimming and Water Polo) are included for the first time.
Sydney was chosen as the host city by a vote of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at its meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on September 13, 1997. The games were originally scheduled to be held from February 9-16, 2000, but they were postponed until August 16-21 because of concerns about the Olympics being held during the Australian summer season. Heavy rain caused problems for athletes and spectators at several venues including the swimming pool, tennis stadium, and golf course.
In total, there were 17 countries that competed in the 2000 Olympic Games: Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore, and the United States. China became the first country to win both gold and silver medals in the same sport when Liu Xiang won the men's 400 m individual race and Wang Zhiyong took silver. This is also the only time that this has happened in athletics. Japan also captured two bronze medals in wrestling: one for Keiji Tanaka and one for Kazuyuki Fujita.
The Summer Olympics were hosted for the second time in Australia and the Southern Hemisphere, the first being in Melbourne, Victoria, in 1956. In 1993, Sydney was chosen as the host city for the Olympic Games in 2000. These Games are expected to generate more than $A1 billion in economic activity and help up to 100,000 people find work.
In 2000, Sydney became the first city to be awarded both the Summer and Winter Olympics. The games were previously held in Melbourne and Rome. Sydney is also the only city to have hosted both a Summer and Winter Olympics.
London won the right to hold the 2012 Olympics after successfully campaigning for the position. The decision was made by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at its meeting in Singapore on September 7, 2005. The IOC voted unanimously to award the Games to London.
Host cities select an organizing committee to oversee the planning and execution of their respective Games. Canada's City of Toronto submitted a bid to host the 2008 Olympics, but it was not selected over Moscow, Russia. Moscow subsequently withdrew from consideration for the 2008 Games. The IOC selected Sydney as the host city for the 2000 Summer Olympics and Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Swimming competitions at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney were held at the Sydney International Aquatic Centre in Homebush Bay from September 16 to September 23, 2000. It comprised 32 events (16 male, 16 female) and 954 swimmers from 150 countries. The swimming program for the year 2000 has been enlarged.
The men's 100m freestyle race is usually a highlight of the Olympic Games. It showcases the sport's greatest sprinters competing for only two lengths of the pool. Sydney 2000 was no exception, with some of the sport's greatest stars contending for gold.
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