Lyla Lindsey
Australia won 16 gold medals at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, finishing fourth in the medal table behind the United States, Russia, and China. The Australian team's success was not just in the medals but also in the spirit and camaraderie shown within the team and externally with spectators, volunteers, officials, and international competitors. The 2000 Games received universal acclaim, with the organisation, volunteers, sportsmanship, and Australian public being lauded in the international media.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of gold medals won by Australians at the 2000 Olympics | 16 |
| Total number of medals won by Australians at the 2000 Olympics | 58 |
| Australian gold medallists at the 2000 Olympics | Ian Thorpe, Susie O'Neill, Grant Hackett, Cathy Freeman, Phillip Dutton, Andrew Hoy, Matt Ryan, Stuart Tinney |
| Australian athlete who lit the Olympic torch at the Opening Ceremony | Cathy Freeman |
| Australian athlete who carried the Australian flag in the Closing Ceremony | Ian Thorpe |
| Australian athlete who won the first Olympic gold medal in archery | Simon Fairweather |
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What You'll Learn
Ian Thorpe: three golds, including 400m freestyle
Ian Thorpe AM, born on 13 October 1982 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, is one of the country's most celebrated athletes. He is the second-most decorated Australian Olympic athlete, with five gold medals, three of which were won at the 2000 Summer Olympics in his hometown.
Thorpe specialised in freestyle swimming, but also competed in backstroke and the individual medley. He began swimming competitively at age eight and, despite being uncoordinated in other sports, he excelled in the pool. At 13, he broke ten national age-group records in a single meet, and the following year, he became the youngest male swimmer to represent Australia.
At the 1998 Perth World Championships, Thorpe became the youngest-ever individual male World Champion with his victory in the 400-metre freestyle. He dominated this event, winning it at every Olympic, World, Commonwealth, and Pan Pacific Swimming Championships until he took a break after the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Thorpe won three gold medals, including in the 400-metre freestyle, where he broke his own world record. He also won gold in the 4x200-metre freestyle relay and the 4x100-metre freestyle relay, where he came from behind to beat the dominant Americans.
Thorpe's achievements in Sydney, where he was the most successful athlete, brought him widespread attention and earned him the title of "the greatest middle-distance swimmer of all time" from the US men's swimming team head coach, Bob Bowman.
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Cathy Freeman: won 400m, lit Olympic torch
The 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney saw Australia win 16 gold medals. One of the most memorable moments was created by Cathy Freeman, an Australian sprinter specialising in the 400-metre dash. Freeman lit the Olympic torch at the Opening Ceremony, symbolising the desire to reconcile with the Aboriginal populations of Australia.
Freeman was born in Mackay, Queensland, Australia, in 1973. She began competitive running on the advice of her stepfather and won a gold medal at the 1990 Commonwealth Games as part of the 4 × 100-metre relay team. She was just 16 years old at the time, making her one of the youngest gold medallists in the history of the Commonwealth Games. In 1992, Freeman became the first Australian Aboriginal person to compete in the Olympics.
Freeman's breakthrough season came in 1994, when she entered the world's elite for the first time. That year, she won gold in the 200 and 400-metre races at the Commonwealth Games in Canada, setting a national record in the 200 metres at 22.2 seconds. She also won a silver medal as a member of the 4 × 100-metre relay team. In 1996, Freeman finished second in the 400-metre race at the Olympic Games in Atlanta, taking the silver medal behind France's Marie-José Pérec.
In the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Freeman was chosen to light the Olympic flame during the opening ceremony, an act regarded as a move toward Aboriginal reconciliation. Ten days later, she won the gold medal in the women's 400-metre race, achieving her greatest goal and becoming the first Australian Aboriginal person to win an individual Olympic gold medal. During her victory lap, she carried both the Australian national flag and the native Aboriginal flag.
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Susie O'Neill: gold in 200m freestyle
Susie O'Neill, nicknamed "Madame Butterfly", is an Australian former competitive swimmer from Brisbane, Queensland. She achieved eight Olympic Games medals during her swimming career, including two gold medals.
O'Neill was born on 2 August 1973 in Mackay, Queensland, to Trish and John O'Neill. She has two siblings, a brother and a sister. Her family moved to Brisbane, and she was educated at Lourdes Hill College (LHC) in Hawthorne. While at LHC, O'Neill excelled in sports, setting school records in 50m and 100m butterfly, freestyle, and backstroke. She was also the LHC cross-country champion and set records for the 13 years 800m in 1986 and the 15 years 400m in 1988 for athletics. All these records still stood as of 2011.
At the 2000 Olympic Games Trials, she broke the 19-year-old 200m world record of Mary T. Meagher, who was known as "swimming's first Madame Butterfly". However, she was beaten at the 2000 Olympic Games by American Misty Hyman.
At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, O'Neill won gold in the 200m freestyle race and three silver medals. This was her second Olympic gold medal, the first being for the 200m butterfly at the 1996 Summer Olympics. O'Neill's victory in the 200m freestyle was considered a surprise, as she was known to be more comfortable in the butterfly. In fact, she was unbeaten in the butterfly event for six years and was the world number one in the 200m freestyle through 1999-2000.
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Grant Hackett: gold in 1500m freestyle
The 2000 Summer Olympics, hosted by Australia in Sydney, saw the country win 58 medals, including 16 golds. One of the gold medallists was Grant Hackett, who won the men's 1500m freestyle race.
Grant Hackett, an Australian swimmer, was born in 1980 in Southport on the Gold Coast of Queensland. He started competing in the pool at the age of 12, and his talent was quickly recognised. At 17, he won triple gold at the 1997 Pan Pacific Championships in the 1500m, 800m, and 400m freestyle finals. This was also the first of his many victories over his fellow Australian and competitor, Ian Thorpe.
Hackett continued his winning streak, taking gold again in the 1500m freestyle at the 1998 World Championships. In the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Hackett was the favourite to win the 1500m freestyle. Despite facing immense pressure and recovering from a recent illness, he claimed gold with a time of 14:48.33, five seconds ahead of the second-place swimmer, Kieren Perkins. This victory also earned him a gold medal in the 4x200m freestyle relay.
Hackett's success in the 1500m freestyle continued beyond the 2000 Olympics. He went on to win gold in the same event at the 2001 World Championships in Fukuoka, setting a new world record. He successfully retained his Olympic 1500m freestyle title at the 2004 Athens Olympics, beating his previous Olympic record. With consecutive Olympic golds in his favourite event, Hackett solidified his reputation as one of the greatest distance swimmers in history.
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Equestrian team: Phillip Dutton, Andrew Hoy, Matt Ryan, Stuart Tinney
Equestrian sports are a test of the skill of both rider and horse, as well as the relationship between the two. Equestrian events can take the form of dressage, cross country, or show jumping. One such event is the three-day event, which consists of all three of these disciplines.
At the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, the Australian Equestrian Team of Phillip Dutton, Andrew Hoy, Matt Ryan, and Stuart Tinney won gold in the three-day event. This was the second time Australia had won gold in this event, the first being at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, where Andrew Hoy, Gillian Rolton, and Matt Ryan were joined by Phillip Dutton and Wendy Schaeffer.
Andrew Hoy's success in Sydney made him the first Australian, other than Dawn Fraser, to win three gold medals in a row. Hoy also won a silver medal in the individual event.
Matt Ryan had previously won an individual gold medal in the three-day event at the 1992 Barcelona Games, where he also won gold in the team event with Andrew Hoy and Gillian Rolton.
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Frequently asked questions
Australia won 16 gold medals at the 2000 Olympics.
Australia came fourth overall.
The gold medallists for Australia at the 2000 Olympics included Ian Thorpe, Susie O'Neill, Grant Hackett, Phillip Dutton, Andrew Hoy, Matt Ryan, Stuart Tinney, and Cathy Freeman.
Australia won gold medals in swimming, equestrian, and archery.
The 2000 Olympics were held in Sydney, Australia.
