The strong, treacherous head winds which swept down the course, forced a six-hour delay before Katrin Borchert struggled through the choppy conditions after a slow start to be placed third in the women’s K1 500m final.

Afterwards she said, “I would never go out training in those conditions. My biggest fear was falling out of the boat.”

Daniel Collins and Andrew Trim enjoyed a silver lining to their Games when runner-up to Hungary in the men’s K2 500m final.

“That really wasn’t a kayak race. That was as far removed from a kayak race as you can get. It was bloody horrible, but that’s what we had to race in,” said Trim.

Collins said; “We were drifting onto our lane buoys. The wind was kicking the arse of the boat down and pointing the nose up, so I thought we might have drifted out of our lane. I’ve never had conditions like that to race in.”

Borchert backed up later in the program to contest the women’s K2 500m final with Anna Wood but were placed sixth.

“I’m really upset,” said Borchert. “Anna is the person who really deserved the medal. 

“We worked so hard for it for four years. After all the sacrifices she made, it seems unfair that I get a medal in the singles and she gets nothing. I just want to go home, sit in a corner and cry. And I might take Anna to cry with me,” she added.

There was also disappointment for the men’s basketball team when their first ever Olympic medal hopes were dashed when they were downed 89-71 in the bronze medal match against Lithuania, just as they did four years earlier at the Atlanta Olympics.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t play to our potential over the last two games against France and Lithuania, but I believe the difference between the top eight teams is miniscule,” said captain Andrew Gaze.

The match drew the Olympic curtain down on the careers of the decorated foursome of Gaze, Luc Longley, Mark Bradtke and Andrew Vlahov.

Another great Australian athlete to announce his retirement was Steve Moneghetti after finishing 10th in the men’s marathon.

Closing Ceremony

As the Australian Team, to be led by flag bearer Ian Thorpe, prepared for the Closing Ceremony, the Team’s final medal tally was a best-ever 58 medals comprising 16 gold, 25 silver and 17 bronze. The team finished fourth on the medal table and earned medals across a record number of 20 sports.

The Closing Ceremony concluded a Games which were declared by IOC President, Juan Antonio Samaranch as "the best Games ever”.

The Closing Ceremony was another unforgettable joyful celebration featuring Jimmy Barnes, INXS, Midnight Oil, Kylie Minogue, Slim Dusty, Men at Work, Nikki Webster, John Paul Young, Vanessa Amorosi, Tommy Emmanuel, Savage Garden, Christine Anu and Yvonne Kenny.

As fireworks lit up the skies of the Olympic Stadium and Sydney Harbour, a low-flying supersonic F-111 aircraft performed a spectacular dump and burn manoeuvre as the Olympic flame was extinguished, symbolically picking up the flame to take it back to Athens in preparation for the 2004 Olympics.

The Sydney Olympics promised to be the athletes’ Games and that promise was totally fulfilled.

Besides 17 days of thrilling and gripping competition which saw performances forever etched into the minds of the millions who watched the Games live at venue or on television, the Games were also remembered for the unflagging and happy enthusiasm of the ubiquitous 46,967-strong army of volunteers.

Their happy smiling faces left an indelible mark on athletes, officials and fans and set a lofty benchmark for all future Games to follow.

Perhaps it is best for three non-Australian independent journalists to review the Games.

Bill Bryson from The Times (London) said: “These Games will go down as being one of the most successful events on the world stage… Congratulations, Australia. You did it. From start to finish, it’s been wonderful…The Games would never be – simply couldn’t be – as good again …. Personally, I don’t think we will ever see another social and sporting spectacle to match it.” 

Jack Todd on the Montreal Gazette wrote: “Sydney was both exceptional and the best. Perhaps the IOC should quit while it’s ahead. Admit there can never be a better Olympic Games and be done with it.” 

John Powers of the Boston Globe commented: “These were the Olympics nobody wanted to have end…They bought a record 91% of the tickets, and 46,000 Mick and Sheila Dundees volunteered to drive buses, monitor metal detectors and say a cheery G’day….The Aussie fans were models of decorum and sportsmanship, …These Olympics were a model for the new millennium and the new Olympic century. Sydney had vowed that its Games would be for the athletes and they were all of that.”

#MySydney2000