Memories of the Sydney Olympic Games

[RB]

A few more photos
CBD Building with running medal tally

 

[Bindibuys]

Add me to the list of pax that did not score a single ticket. Think we applied for about 2k worth, but got nothing.
So took off to Tasmania with my daughter & father for the final racing pigeon race of the year out of Launceston. Wet weather kept the birds in the truck for a few days, so hired a car and did a lap of the island.
I remember the opening ceremony being televised whilst on Spirit of Tasmania on the way over, and my husband called to say we had settled that day on our first investment property.
So, memorable for me, but not via the Olympics.
Now have Rod McGeogh as a client.

 

[pks]

I was working in Seattle at the time and had negotiated time off to come back to Sydney for the Olympics. On my flight home we had many of the Canadian team and a lot of very excited Aussies all heading home for the big event. No tickets for the first week, but had tickets for most nights of the Athletics and had a great time taking friends to some of the events as my wife tired of the trip to Homebush and queueing for trains home (+she had to work as well whereas I was on holidays!)

Also, watched the Boxing finals with my next door neighbour who was an ex-coach and knew many of the VIPs which provided a different perspective to the fights.

All in all a great time to be in Sydney which I wasn't going to miss and fortunately my contract in Seattle was extended to December that year so I could pay for my tickets!

 

[tgh]

Whatever pics I took in sidderney (mostly of nags... ) are on film, and buried away in a box in the storeroom.
All a bit sad to have a fair chunk of my life there…..

 

[Pushka]

Whatever pics I took in sidderney (mostly of nags... ) are on film, and buried away in a box in the storeroom.
All a bit sad to have a fair chunk of my life there…..

I scanned all my photos so they are all digital. Took me a very long time.

 

[SuePa]

I wasn't the least bit interested in the Olympics and since they extended the school holidays by a week and I had a significant birthday that year, I used the time to visit South America.
I had a fantastic time and with very little contact with the outside world, I didn't even have to listen to the endless medal tally.

 

[kookaburra75]

We applied for some of the tickets - being in Canberra we went for a mix of the women's soccer games, as well as the European Handball and Basketball games in Sydney. We managed to snag a few for us and the two kids. The events in Canberra were good games to watch, with teams such as Australia, USA, Brazil and Germany. We watched the Opening and Closing Ceremonies on the tv, and I thought they came over really well, with that Aussie touch. I did like that at the Closing Ceremony, Midnight Oil performed with 'Sorry' written on their outfits - PM John Howard didn't seem to get it though. Maybe also a bit of life imitating art with "The Games" with John Clark being on.

We went up to Sydney for the day, catching the train from Campbelltown to make the drive a bit shorter. I remembered walking down the Olympic Boulevard, pretty amazed as I never thought I would get to an Olympics in my life time. The Hand Ball and Basketball games were great, and we managed to get tickets to the archery to see Simon Fairweather shooting.

I have some prints stashed away somewhere, that I'll have to dig out and scan for the collection.

 

[kookaburra75]

I have some prints stashed away somewhere, that I'll have to dig out and scan for the collection.

Found them...

 

[RooFlyer]

Gymnastics. I was surprised to find them boring. I skipped one of the sessions I had tickets for.



Marion Jones won one of the 100m sprint heats. She won 3 golds, but lost them later due to steroi_ use.



Women's beach volleyball. Remember the huge hoo-ha about building the temporary stadium on the beach? Destruction, the end of the world etc ... Nah, it recovered perfectly in a month or so.



Brazilian supporters at the beach volleyball!!

 

[Kolo]

Watched the opening ceremony again when ch 7 aired it recently. An amazing piece of theatre (almost) flawlessly performed. The marching bands, as good as they are, were a bt of an anomaly. Delivery of the torch inspired. I don't think I've seen an opening ceremony as good before or since. But what struck me most was how proud and happy Sydneysiders, and Australians more widely, were. We delivered a brilliant and happy ceremony. A year later 9/11happened and we've not been the same since.

 

[kpc]

I have a photo of me touching (?holding) the gold spiked running shoe of Maurice Greene who had just won the men's 100m sprint final...if I can find photo, will need to scan it before I can post it here

 

[Pushka]

Sad that John Fahey has passed away during this period.

 

[Pushka]

I have a photo of us in the Athletes Village with two sons having a coke with Peter Brock who was an atlete ambassador on the porch of the Aus athletes social center. I think it is younger son's most prized photo. We were watching a group of Aussie athletes playing a random game of backyard cricket at the time.

 

[cove]

We were there for the whole period. Rented a car and an apartment out west and near a bus stop to the stadium. Missed handball but saw everything else. It was a real blast for the four of us.

 

[RooFlyer]

The Closing Ceremony. My main memory is that I 'under dressed' and was freezing the whole time. May account for my lack of pics (or maybe my film ran out

Watching progress of the Marathon:





And the Marathon winner:



Down came the flag

 

[RooFlyer]

Full opening ceremony - 20 years ago today

 

[Lynda2475]

Being a Sydney local and not having the best internet at the time to allow effective WFH, fearing gridlock i chose to avail myself of one of the many cheap international airfares and went to the USA for 4 or 5 weeks. When i came back everyone was exclaiming how well transport worked during that month.

I was in NYC on the day of the opening ceremony and only caught a few snippets. In the USA the free to air coverage on NBC (i think) was appalling, the time difference meant they only showed a couple of hours a day of highlights and then only events where USA was a winner! The coverage decreased over the fortnight from what was originally advertised too.

My sister tapped danced on stage in the opening (or was it closing) ceremony with the Tap Dogs, and also worked as both an Olympic Mascot (the kookaburra) and Paralympic Mascot (Lizzie) at several parades and official events.

 

[Katie]

I remember a bunch of guests at Mr Katie's 30th birthday BBQ are our house spending the night glued to the TV, watching swimming.
Not sure at what stage of the event it was, I was busy trying to stop one of my aunts cooking all the steaks we'd bought.

 

[RooFlyer]

Jeez, anyone else watching the ABC's "Best Games Ever"? For one of the most wonderful events in Australia's history, the show is cheap, flat and boring . Interviews with Coates (taking time out from some event around him), Gosper (on what seemed like a 56 kBps internet line) and a 'panel' of 3 former and current athletes. Hashed it.

 

[Bundy Bear]

Wonderful experience to attend an Olympic Games, I was lucky that a work-colleague had a friend in Sydney and his flat mate decided to go to overseas for the Olympiad which gave us a place to stay.
Work colleague was happy to go to some events as long as I got the tickets.
Mountain biking, sailing, baseball, basketball and I think fencing.

opening Ceremony 20 years ago today.

the feeling was very positive

Still use a tea towel from that I purchased at the Olympics.

flew to Sydney on Impulse Airlines on a 717 and back on Virgin Blue.

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