Sydney Sports: 2000 Summer Olympics

Australian-hosted international multi-sport event which was held between 15 September and 1 October 2000. It was the second time that the Summer Olympics were held in Australia, and also the Southern Hemisphere, the first being in Melbourne, Victoria, 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. 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.

The final medal tally was led by the United States, followed by Russia and China with host Australia at fourth place overall. Several World and Olympic records were broken during the games. With little or no controversies, the games were deemed generally successful with the rising standard of competition amongst nations across the world.

Australian Indigenous sprinter, Cathy Freeman, became the Olympic champion for the women's 400 metres, and had the honour of lighting the Olympic Flame.

Australian swimmer, Ian Thorpe, won five Olympic gold medals, the most won by any Australian, and with three gold and two silver medals, was the most successful athlete at these Olympics.

Marion Jones, an American track and field athlete, won three gold medals and two bronze medals at these Olympics, but was later stripped of the titles after admitting to steroid use.