2000 Summer Olympics closing ceremony

Last updated

2000 Summer Olympics
closing ceremony
Closing ceremony1.jpg
Date1 October 2000
Time19:00 to 22:01 AEST (UTC+11)
Venue Stadium Australia
Location Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Coordinates 33°50′50″S151°03′48″E / 33.84722°S 151.06333°E / -33.84722; 151.06333
Also known asLet's Party!
Filmed by SOBO
Participants114,714 in attendance
Footage Sydney 2000 Closing Ceremony - Full Length on YouTube

The 2000 Summer Olympics Closing Ceremony was held on 1 October 2000 in Stadium Australia. As with the opening ceremony, the closing ceremony was directed by Ric Birch as Director of Ceremonies while David Atkins was the Artistic Director and Producer. The Closing Ceremony was attended by 114,714 people, the largest attendance in modern Olympic Games history. The ceremony celebrated Australiana; Australian cultural celebrities, icons, media, and music, with floats designed in the style of Reg Mombassa. [1] Around 2.4 billion watched the telecast of the closing ceremony.

Contents

Then IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch declared in his concluding remarks (and his last remarks at an Olympic Games) that the 2000 Olympic games were the best Summer Olympics ever. [2]

Attending heads of state and heads of government

Host nation

Foreign dignitaries

Segments

Prelude

Compared to the Opening Ceremony, the stadium showed the track and field ground as is. The main stage was called the Geodome Stage and was in the center of the stadium. The Prelude segment was hosted by Roy and HG. [3]

Just before the closing ceremony, the Men's Marathon finished in Stadium Australia. Not long after, the medal ceremony was presented which for the first time wasn't presented during the closing ceremony. [4] Ethiopian runner Gezahegne Abera won the Gold, Kenya's Erick Wainaina took the silver, while Gezahegne's countryman Tesfaye Tola took bronze. [5] [6]

Welcome & Countdown

Just before the Countdown, a slapstick skit was performed just before the countdown showing what could have gone wrong in the opening ceremony. A groundskeeper loses control of his buggy and causes havoc over the stadium and the pomp and ceremony. In one scene, Birch appears on a bike with an inflatable kangaroo featured in the 1996 closing ceremony. [7] Finally his vehicle is dismantled in a comedic way.

A recording of the countdown composed by Richard Mills performed by Sydney Symphony Orchestra that was played before the beginning of the Opening Ceremony played again for the closing ceremony. The large screens counted down from 60 to 1. Starting at 23, footage from previous games appeared. On 0, footage of fireworks was shown followed by an image of a Ken Done drawing with the phrase "Let's Party!"

Protocol Section

My Island Home

After a brief fanfare composed by David Stanhope, Christine Anu performed with Torres Strait Island dancers her rendition of the Warumpi Band's song "My Island Home" written by Neil Murray. She performed on the Geodome Stage, with several Aboriginal dancers atop the stage, around which several hundred kids holding umbrellas and lampboxes created images of Aboriginal Dreamtime. The version performed was the recently released Earth Beat mix, which has lyrics altered so to evoke that the island sung about is Australia itself. [8] [9] Near the end of the song, Anu was hoisted on part of the stage, which was folded into a giant 8-sided octagonal figure called The Geode, which had the globe projected on it. Audience members were encouraged to wave their flashlights.

Entrance of the Athletes

Athletes arrive into the stadium 2000 Summer Olympics closing ceremony 1.JPEG
Athletes arrive into the stadium

The flags from all countries entered with their flag bearers before placing their flags on the Geode stage. Then, after the flags all entered, athletes ran in from all entrances onto the field, while the fanfare 'Olympic Fireworks' by David Stanhope and orchestral piece 'Journey of Angels' by Chong Lim played. Savage Garden performed their hit song 'Affirmation' on the Geode stage while wearing indigenous flag t-shirts. The Geode stage was projected different words relating to what people might affirm about their beliefs. One of the words included Sydney's famous graffiti, Eternity. [2]

The last time Australia hosted the Olympic Games in 1956, a young man from Melbourne, John Ian Wing, suggested that during the closing ceremony, instead of marching as separate teams, behind their national flags, the athletes mingled together as they paraded into and around the arena for a final appearance before the spectators. It was implemented then and has been an Olympic tradition that has been followed ever since. [10]

Raising the Greek and Australian Flags

Children from both the Millennium Children's Choir of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia and Sing 2001 Choir stepped and spread themselves on the Geode stage in white and cream attire. The Millennium Children's Choir performed "Hymn to Liberty", the National Anthem of Greece, conducted by George Ellis. [11] Two Greece flags were raised; one as protocol to recognise the birthplace of the Olympic Games, and one to recognise Athens as the next host city. Afterwards, with the raising of the Australian Flag the Sing 2001 Children's Choir performed "Advance Australia Fair", the national anthem of Australia, conducted by George Torbay.

Closing Addresses

President of the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (SOCOG), Michael Knight, made a closing address thanking the volunteers, the organising committee and the people of the City of Sydney. He stated: [12]

"All Australians are entitled to feel proud of our athletes, our country and themselves for what our nation has achieved during this period."

As he was introducing Juan Antonio Samaranch, he noted that this would be his last Olympics as President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and would be a special night for him, although his experience of the games came amid personal tragedy. [2]

Juan Antonio Samaranch gave a speech echoing Knight's thanks to all those who helped organised the games. He then declared: [13] [6]

"These are my last Games as President of the International Olympic Committee. They could not have been better. Therefore, I am proud and happy to proclaim that you have presented to the world, the best Olympic Games ever."

Subsequent Summer Olympics held in Athens, Beijing and London have been described by Samaranch's successor Jacques Rogge as "unforgettable, dream Games", "truly exceptional" and "happy and glorious games" respectively – the practice of declaring games the "best ever" having been retired after the 2000 Games.

Samaranch then awarded the on behalf of the IOC the Gold Olympic Order to both Michael Knight, as an expression of gratitude for a perfect organisation, and John Coates, president of the Australian Olympic Committee for fulfilling the promise of making these games the athletes games. In addition, he also gave on behalf of the IOC, the Olympic Cup to the people of Sydney for their enthusiastic and unpartisan support of athletes from all countries.

Samaranch then announced the newly elected members of the International Olympic Committee Athletes' Commission:

Welcome Home, Olympics: Athens 2004

A priestess performing a rite Closing ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympics.JPEG
A priestess performing a rite

This segment was conceptualized, crafted, produced and directed by world known Greek artist Vangelis. [14]

Given the importance of return the Games to their spiritual home, Vangelis decided to made an innovation, as the Antwerp Ceremony (the flag handover ceremony) turned for the first time a key feature during the next host city artistic presentation. Dimitris Avramopoulos, Mayor of Athens and Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, President of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games Committee (ATHOC) walked to the main stage. Then priestesses of Olympia,entered to enact a special rite during the Antwerp Ceremony. [15] After their entrance, the Lord Mayor of Sydney, Frank Sartor arrives with the Seoul Olympic flag to begin the ceremony. He hands it to Samaranch, who hands it over to Avramopoulos. After the handover of the flag, the priestesses look around the flag, take the flag off its pole, throw a laurel olive branches on top and carry the flag out of the Sydney Olympic Stadium and started their way to Athens. [2] The New York Times said that this was a moment of contrast between the approach the current host and future host to the Olympic Games. [15]

Samaranch then officially called the games to its close, calling upon the youth of the world in four years to assemble in Athens, Greece - "the birthplace of Olympism". He ended by saying thank you in 4 languages (English, French, Spanish and Catalan).

Olympic Flag and Hymn

As the Olympic Flag was lowered, on a small and separate stage near the flagpole, Australian soprano Yvonne Kenny performed a more soft version of Olympic Hymn in English, composed by Spyridon Samaras with lyrics by Kostis Palamas. Given it was sung in Greek in the Opening Ceremony, the Sydney Olympics was the first time the hymn was performed in both the IOC's preferred languages,since the hymn was adopted in 1958. [16]

Chong Lim's 'Journey of Angels' was then played. The final flag bearers were 8 young Australian sporting champions:

  • Lori Munz (swimming)
  • Melissa Rippon (water polo;bronze medalist in Beijing 2008 and London 2012)
  • Anna Mcllwaine (diving)
  • Mathew Belcher (sailing;Olympic champion in London 2012 and Tokyo 2020;silver medalist in Rio 2016)
  • Neil Dennis (rowing)
  • Stefan Szscurowski (rowing)
  • Kerrie Meares (cycling;Anna Meares older sister)
  • Mark Renshaw (cycling)

Extinguishing the Olympic Flame - We'll Be One

We'll Be One’ was performed by Nikki Webster and the Sing 2001 Choir where she performed the song on a high platform underneath the Olympic Cauldron. The song is about all of humanity coming together and becoming one. The Olympic Flame was then captured by a F-111 Jet and flew out from Olympic Park representing the start of its long journey back to Athens. (the F-111 actually performed a dump-and-burn). [17]

Let's Party!

The Ceremony ended with an hour long party and dance mix, featuring well known culture of Australia icons.

Vanessa Amorosi arrived to perform an extended remix of her song Absolutely Everybody while dancers performed in sci-fi europop attire. Then ballroom dancers appears while Love Is in the Air was performed by John Paul Young. This was a reference to the Baz Luhrmann film Strictly Ballroom . Both performed on the Geode stage.

Heroes Medley

This medley was a collection of Australian rock songs, performed on two custom stages on the left and right of the stadium, as well as the Geode stage. The stages were designed and influenced by the work of Reg Mombassa, a key Mambo artist.

Midnight Oil's performance of Beds Are Burning was a second choice for organisers, as the slot was first given to The Seekers to perform The Carnival is Over. However, lead vocalist Judith Durham broke her hip some weeks before and was unable to perform. The Seekers performed the song as the last act of the 2000 Paralympics closing ceremony a few weeks after, with Durham performing from a wheelchair. [18]

Parade of Icons

This section of the dance mix began with a callback to the beginning of the opening ceremony, where the hero girl (Nikki Webster) took a day off at the beach. A large number of Surf Life Savers arrive with Kylie Minogue, dressed as a much older hero girl on a thong (Australian slang for a flip-flop) before singing the ABBA song "Dancing Queen" on the Geodome stage.

Then, surrounding athletes, the parade of icons began, showing celebrities of Australiana. Each celebrity arrived on a float with performers surrounding them. The celebrities were Greg Norman, the characters of Bananas in Pyjamas, Elle Macpherson, Paul Hogan as Crocodile Dundee, and Drag Queens from The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert . [2]

The remix track during the parade included samples from:

Finally, Minogue performed from the Geodome stage her recently released single "On a Night Like This".

Bye from Oz, see ya in Athens

The show ended with the whole cast performing on the Geodome Stage with Men at Work the Australian classic, "Down Under". Finally, Slim Dusty with guitar in hand performed an acoustic version of "Waltzing Matilda" as a singalong with the cast, athletes, and crowd. [19] The Geode had projected two lines, Bye from Oz, and see ya in Athens.

Closing Night Harbour Spectacular

The spirit of the flame begins the Harbour Spectacular Sydney Harbour Bridge during closing ceremonies of the 2000 Olympics games in Sydney.JPEG
The spirit of the flame begins the Harbour Spectacular
Olympic colours on the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Fireworks, Sydney Harbour Bridge, 2000 Summer Olympics closing ceremony.jpg
Olympic colours on the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

The 'Closing Night Harbour Spectacular' marked the end of the ceremony, with a 25-minute fireworks display starting at Homebush Bay following the Parramatta River eastward, before reaching the Sydney Harbour Bridge. After the spirit of the flame (a F-111 from earlier with the Olympic flame) flew over the Harbour Bridge, the harbour erupts with fireworks. [17] It was the largest fireworks display staged in the world at that time, and required the work of five different pyrotechnic companies, headed by Foti Pyrotechnics.

Soundtrack:

Legacy

A major political undertone of the Sydney Olympic ceremonies was of reconciliation between Australia and the Australian Indigenous nations. [20] In the years leading up to the Olympics, Indigenous reconciliation was becoming a central social and political issue after the release of the Bringing Them Home report. These themes were most evident by having both Torres Strait islander and Indigenous performers for both Anu's performance of My Island Home and Yothu Yindi's performance of Treaty, Savage Garden wearing the Australian Aboriginal flag on their shirts while they performed, and including Midnight Oil's anthem Beds Are Burning while the band members performed with outfits which had the word "Sorry" (something that the then government would not apologise for). [2] [21] [22]

Television coverage

Host Broadcaster: Sydney Olympic Broadcast Organisation (SOBO), with director Peter Faiman

Rightsholders:

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2000 Summer Olympics</span> Multi-sport event in Sydney, Australia

The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000, the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from 15 September to 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It marked the second time the Summer Olympics were held in Australia, and in the Southern Hemisphere, the first being in Melbourne, in 1956.

The opening ceremony of the 2004 Summer Olympics was held on August 13, 2004 starting at 20:45 EEST (UTC+3) at the Olympic Stadium in Marousi, Greece, a suburb of Athens. As mandated by the Olympic Charter, the proceedings combined the formal and ceremonial opening of this international sporting event, including welcoming speeches, hoisting of the flags and the parade of athletes, with an artistic spectacle to showcase the host nation's culture and history. 72,000 spectators attended the event, with approximately 15,000 athletes from 202 countries participating in the ceremony as well. It marked the first-ever international broadcast of high-definition television, undertaken by the U.S. broadcaster NBC and the Japanese broadcaster NHK. The Games were officially opened by President of the Hellenic Republic Konstantinos Stephanopoulos at 23:46 EEST (UTC+3).

The Closing Ceremony of the 2006 Winter Olympics took place on 26 February 2006 beginning at 20:00 CET (UTC+1) at the Stadio Olimpico in Turin, Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2000 Summer Olympics opening ceremony</span>

The opening ceremony of the 2000 Summer Olympics took place on the evening of Friday, 15 September 2000 in Stadium Australia, Sydney, during which the Games were formally opened by then-Governor-General Sir William Deane. As mandated by the Olympic Charter, the proceedings combined the formal and ceremonial opening of this international sporting event, including welcoming speeches, hoisting of the flags and the parade of athletes, with an artistic spectacle to showcase the host nation's culture and history. Veteran ceremonies director Ric Birch was the Director of Ceremonies while David Atkins was the Artistic Director and Producer. Its artistic section highlighted several aspects of Australian culture and history, showing Australia's flora and fauna, technology, multiculturalism, and the hopeful moment of reconciliation towards Aboriginal Australians. The ceremony had a cast of 12,687 performers, seen by a stadium audience of around 110,000.

The Closing Ceremony of the 1996 Summer Olympics took place on August 4, 1996, at the Centennial Olympic Stadium in Atlanta, United States at approximately 8:00 PM EDT (UTC−4). It was produced by Don Mischer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Summer Olympics closing ceremony</span>

The 2008 Summer Olympics closing ceremony was held at the Beijing National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest. It was directed by Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou and began at 20:00 China Standard Time (UTC+8) on Sunday night, 24 August 2008. The number 8 is associated with prosperity and confidence in Chinese culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2004 Summer Olympics closing ceremony</span>

The closing ceremony of the 2004 Summer Olympics was held on 29 August 2004 21:15 EEST (UTC+3) at the Olympic Stadium, in Marousi, Greece, a suburb of Athens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Winter Olympics closing ceremony</span>

The closing ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics took place on February 28, 2010, beginning at 5:30 pm PST at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It was the first Olympic Closing Ceremony held in an indoor venue since the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1980 Summer Olympics closing ceremony</span> Olympics ceremony in Moscow, USSR

The Closing Ceremony of the 1980 Summer Olympics was held at 19:00 Moscow Time (UTC+3) on 3 August 1980 at the Grand Arena of the Central Lenin Stadium. It was attended by the Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Leonid Brezhnev. IOC President Lord Killanin closed the Games for the final time and passed the position on to Juan Antonio Samaranch.

The opening ceremony of the 1996 Summer Olympics took place in the evening on Friday, July 19 at the Centennial Olympic Stadium, Atlanta, United States. As mandated by the Olympic Charter, the proceedings combined the formal and ceremonial opening of this international sporting event, including welcoming speeches, hoisting of the flags and the parade of athletes, with an artistic spectacle to showcase the host nation's culture and history. The Games were officially opened by President of the United States of America Bill Clinton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Summer Olympics closing ceremony</span> Closing ceremony of the 2016 Summer Olympics

The closing ceremony of the 2016 Summer Olympics was held on 21 August 2016 from 20:00 to 22:50 BRT at the Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Summer Olympics closing ceremony</span> Closing ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics

The closing ceremony of the 2020 Summer Olympics took place in the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo for about two and a half hours from 20:00 (JST) on 8 August 2021. The closing ceremony of the Olympic Games, which was postponed for one year due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, was held without spectators. The scale was also reduced compared to past ceremonies as athletes were required to leave the Olympic Village 48 hours after their competitions finished.

The opening ceremony of the 1992 Summer Olympics took place on the evening of Saturday 25 July 1992 at Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc, Barcelona, Spain, during which the Games were formally opened by King Juan Carlos I. As mandated by the Olympic Charter, the proceedings combined the formal and ceremonial opening of this international sporting event, including welcoming speeches, hoisting of the flags and the parade of athletes, with an artistic spectacle to showcase the host nation's culture and history.

The 2022 Winter Olympics closing ceremony was held at the Beijing National Stadium in Beijing on 20 February 2022. As mandated by the Olympic Charter, the proceedings are expected to combine the formal ceremonial closing of this international sporting event with an artistic spectacle to showcase the culture and history of the current and next host nation (Italy) for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1984 Summer Olympics opening ceremony</span>

The opening ceremony of the 1984 Summer Olympic Games took place on the afternoon of Saturday, July 28, in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles. As mandated by the Olympic Charter, the proceedings combined the formal ceremonial opening of this international sporting event with an artistic spectacle to showcase the host nation's culture. The 1984 Games were formally opened by President of the United States Ronald Reagan. The event was conducted in front of 92,516 attendants. The ceremony was a $5 million production, titled Music of America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1988 Summer Olympics closing ceremony</span>

The closing ceremony of the 1988 Summer Olympics took place at Seoul Olympic Stadium in Seoul, South Korea, on 2 October 1988 at 19:00 -20:45 KDT (UTC+10).

The opening ceremony of the 1998 Winter Olympics took place at Nagano Olympic Stadium, Nagano, Japan, on 7 February 1998. It began at 11:00 JST and finished at approximately 14:00 JST. As mandated by the Olympic Charter, the proceedings combined the formal and ceremonial opening of this international sporting event, including welcoming speeches, hoisting of the flags and the parade of athletes, with an artistic spectacle to showcase the host nation's culture and history. The Games were officially opened by Emperor of Japan Akihito.

The closing ceremony of the 1984 Summer Olympics took place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California on Sunday, August 12, 1984, at 20:00 PDT.

The closing ceremony of the 1998 Winter Olympics took place at Nagano Olympic Stadium, Nagano, Japan, on 22 February 1998. It began at 18:00 JST and finished at approximately 19:41 JST. As mandated by the Olympic Charter, the proceedings combines the formal and ceremonial closing of this international sporting event, including farewell speeches and closing of the Games by IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch. The Olympic flame has been extinguished.

The opening ceremony of the 1988 Winter Olympics was held on February 13, 1988, beginning at 1:30 p.m. MST at McMahon Stadium in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

References

  1. "Reg Mombassa". Lone Goat Gallery. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Dennis, Anthony (12 August 2020). "From the archives: All that really matters is it was great, mate". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  3. "The Games Of The XXVIIth Olympiad - Sydney 2000: Pre-Closing Ceremony Segment - 'Prelude'". YouTube, Seven Network. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  4. "2000 Olympics Marathon Medal Ceremony". YouTube. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  5. "Marathon, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  6. 1 2 Lutton, Phil (30 September 2020). "As it happened: 'You have presented the best Olympic Games ever'". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  7. "Seven News and Today Tonight - 2 October 2000 (Sydney Olympics Closing Ceremony) (PAL 50FPS)". YouTube, Seven Network. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  8. Barney, Katelyn (2005). Aesthetics and experience in music performance. Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Press. pp. 141–150. ISBN   9781904303503.
  9. Stratton, Jon (18 October 2013). "Whose home; which island?: displacement and identity in 'My Island Home'" (PDF). Perfect Beat. 14 (1): 33–53. doi:10.1558/prbt.v14i1.33. S2CID   163191067 . Retrieved 5 November 2020.[ dead link ]
  10. Pfeiffer, Oliver. "Don't Write a Letter of Complaint... Offer a Solution!". DimSum: The British Chinese Community Website. Archived from the original on 8 February 2012. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  11. "Archbishop of Australia honours Millennium Choir & Millennium Children's Choir | Orthodox Times". OrthodoxTimes.com. World Digital Media. 18 November 2020. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  12. Knight, Michael (2000). Olympic review : official publication of the Olympic Movement Vol. XXVII-35, October-November 2000. IOC. p. 84. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  13. "Sydney 2000 Closing Ceremony: a fond farewell from Australia". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  14. Palmer, Tony. "Vangelis - About the closing ceremony of Sydney 2000". YouTube. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  15. 1 2 Sandomir, Richard (2 October 2000). "SYDNEY 2000 - Games Can Go Home: Athens in 2004". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  16. Lederman, Marsha (17 February 2010). "More French in Closing Ceremonies, Executive Producer Says". The Globe and Mail . p. S1.
  17. 1 2 "RAAF JETS IGNITE CLOSING CEREMONY EXCITEMENT". Australian Department of Defence. Archived from the original on 8 June 2015. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  18. True, Everett (18 March 2014). "Australian anthems: the Seekers – The Carnival is Over". The Guardian Australia. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  19. Gordon, Alan Atwood and Michael (30 September 2020). "From the Archives, 2000: A perfect party to end the world's greatest Games". The Age. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  20. Taylor, John (2 October 2000). "AM Archive - Ceremony finishes the Olympics with a bang". ABC Radio. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  21. Rowe, David (14 September 2020). "The Sydney Olympics: How did the 'best games ever' change Australia?". The Conversation. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  22. Goldblatt, David (2018). The games : a global history of the Olympics (Paperback ed.). London. pp. Chapter 11. ISBN   978-1447298878.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)