The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 (Dharug: Gadi 2000), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was the second time that the Summer Olympics were held in the Southern Hemisphere, the first one being in Melbourne in 1956.
Sydney was selected as the host city for the 2000 games in 1993. Teams from 199 countries participated. The Games’ cost was estimated to be A$6.6 billion. The Games received universal acclaim, with the organisation, volunteers, sportsmanship and Australian public being lauded in the international media. Bill Bryson from The Times called the Sydney Games "one of the most successful events on the world stage", saying that they "couldn't be better".
James Mossop of the Electronic Telegraph called the Games "such a success that any city considering bidding for future Olympics must be wondering how it can reach the standards set by Sydney", while Jack Todd in the Montreal Gazette suggested that the "IOC should quit while it's ahead. Admit there can never be a better Olympic Games, and be done with it," as "Sydney was both exceptional and the best".
In preparing for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, Lord Coe declared the Sydney Games the "benchmark for the spirit of the Games, unquestionably" and admitting that the London organising committee "attempted in a number of ways to emulate what the Sydney Organising Committee did." These were the final Olympic Games under the IOC presidency of Juan Antonio Samaranch. These were also the second Olympic Games to be held in spring and is to date the most recent games not to be held in its more traditional July or August summer slot.
The final medal tally was led by the United States, followed by Russia and China with host Australia at fourth place overall.
Cameroon, Colombia, Latvia, Mozambique and Slovenia won a gold medal for the first time in their Olympic histories, while Barbados, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam won their first ever Olympic medals.
Australia will host the Summer Olympics again in 2032 at Brisbane, Queensland making it the first Oceanian country to host the Olympics three times.
Venues[]
| Venue | Location | Events |
|---|---|---|
| Stadium Australia | Sydney | Opening and Closing Ceremonies, Athletics, Football (finals) |
| Sydney International Aquatic Centre | Diving, Modern Pentathlon (swimming), Swimming, Synchronized Swimming, Water Polo (medal events) | |
| State Sports Centre | Table Tennis, Taekwondo | |
| NSW Tennis Centre | Tennis | |
| State Hockey Centre | Field Hockey | |
| The Dome and Exhibition Complex | Badminton, Basketball, Gymnastics (rhythmic), Handball (final), Modern Pentathlon (fencing, shooting), Volleyball (indoor) | |
| Sydney SuperDome | Gymnastics (artistic, trampoline), Basketball (final) | |
| Sydney Baseball Stadium | Baseball, Modern Pentathlon (riding, running) | |
| Sydney International Archery Park | Archery | |
| Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre | Boxing, Fencing, Judo, Weightlifting, Wrestling | |
| Sydney Entertainment Centre | Volleyball (indoor final) | |
| Dunc Gray Velodrome | Cycling (track) | |
| Sydney International Shooting Centre | Shooting | |
| Sydney International Equestrian Centre | Equestrian | |
| Sydney International Regatta Centre | Rowing, Canoeing (sprint) | |
| Blacktwon Olympic Centre | Baseball, Softball | |
| Western Sydney Parklands | Cycling (mountain biking) | |
| Ryde Aquatic Leisure Centre | Water Polo | |
| Penrith Whitewater Stadium | Canoeing (slalom) | |
| Bondi Beach | Volleyball (beach) | |
| Sydney Football Stadium | Football | |
| Olympic Sailing Shore Base | Sailing | |
| Centenial Parklands | Cycling (road) | |
| Marathon course | Athletics (Marathon) | |
| North Sydney | Athletics (marathon start) | |
| Sydney Opera House | Triathlon | |
| Bruce Stadium | Canberra, Australian Capital Territory | Football |
| Hindmarsh Stadium | Adelaide, South Australia | |
| Melbourne Cricket Ground | Melbourne, Victoria | |
| Brisbane Cricket Ground | Brisbane, Queensland |
Medal table[]
| Rank | National Olympic Committee | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | 37 | 24 | 32 | 93 |
| 2 | Russia | 32 | 28 | 29 | 89 |
| 3 | China | 28 | 16 | 15 | 59 |
| 4 | Australia (host) | 16 | 25 | 17 | 58 |
| 5 | Germany | 13 | 17 | 26 | 56 |
| 6 | France | 13 | 14 | 11 | 38 |
| 7 | Italy | 13 | 8 | 13 | 34 |
| 8 | Netherlands | 12 | 9 | 4 | 25 |
| 9 | Cuba | 11 | 11 | 7 | 29 |
| 10 | Great Britain | 11 | 10 | 7 | 28 |
Broadcasters[]
| Country | Broadcaster(s) |
|---|---|
| Australia | Seven Network |
| Brazil | Rede Globo, Rede Bandeirantes, SporTV, ESPN Brasil |
| Canada | CBC, TSN |
| Colombia | Señal Colombia |
| France | France Télévisions, Canal+ |
| Germany | ARD, ZDF |
| Hong Kong | ATV, TVB |
| Indonesia | TVRI, RCTI |
| Ireland | RTÉ |
| Italy | RAI |
| Japan | NHK |
| Mexico | Televisa, TV Azteca |
| New Zealand | TVNZ |
| Philippines | PTV |
| Portugal | RTP |
| South Korea | KBS |
| Spain | RTVE |
| Sweden | SVT |
| Ukraine | NTU |
| United Kingdom | BBC |
| United States | NBC |
| Venezuela | Venezolana de Televisión |
| Vietnam | VTV |