Sydney 2000
Games of the XXVII Olympiad
The Sydney 2000 Games were the largest yet, with 10,651 athletes competing in 300 events. Despite their size, they were well organized, 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.
Participating Nations: 199 NOCs (Nations) and 4 individual athletes (IOA)
Participants: 10,651 athletes (4,069 women, 6,582 men)
Events: 300
Winner
The top three winners were: United States of America, Russian Federation and People’s Republic of China