Sydney 2000

An Olympics in the name of brotherhood between races and nations. Afghanistan was missing, whose Olympic Committee was suspended by the IOC for violation of the Olympic Charter on Human Rights; the Olympic Flame was lit by Cathy Freeman, Australian sprinter twice world athletics champion and who would go on to win gold in the 400 metres, a symbol of the renewed Australian national spirit due to her aboriginal origins. The programme included 300 events and the number of athletes taking part exceeded 10,500 for the first time. The German, Birgit Fischer set an individual record of victories: in the Kayak Canoe winning two gold medals (K4 500 and K2 500) 20 years after her first success in Moscow in 1980. But she was not the only one to show an attachment to the podium: the Japanese judoka Ryoko Tani also won gold in the 48 kg after the silvers obtained in Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996. But the most constant of all was the English rower Steven Redgrave who won his fifth consecutive Olympic gold (1984-2000). Swimming was the big revelation for Italian athletes. Domenico Fioravanti won two gold medals (100 and 200 breaststroke), the first ever in swimming for Italy, to which were added the three medals of Massimiliano Rosolino (gold in the 200m medley, silver in the 400m freestyle and bronze in the 200m freestyle). Davide Rummolo also joined the line up of Italians on the swimming podium with bronze in the 200m breaststroke. Antonella Bellutti brought home her second gold after Atlanta in the cycling points race, while standing on top of the podium was also Alessandra Sensini in the Mistral class sailing race. Jury Chechi was forced to miss this event once again due to injury, just like in Barcelona, but he would not give up his dream. Valentina Vezzali improved her Olympic CV, winning gold after silver at the previous Games and leading the foil team to victory. Other gold medals in the name of continuity come from Paola Pezzo in mountain biking, the pair Bonomi - Rossi and Josefa Idem in Kayak.