2000 Olympic Games Open

After seven-year preparation, the curtain of the 2000 Olympic Games was raised in Sydney Friday evening.

Viewed by billions of spectators worldwide, Australian Governor General Sir William Deane announced opening of the games, which inherit tradition and herald future of the Olympic Movement.

Before any sports with records go underway, the games itself has already set a record with the most participants in its history -- 11,000 athletes from 200 countries and regions.

And further more, the Sydney Olympic Games will be remembered in history forever as the Korean Peninsula was reunified for the first time in Olympic Movement since 1945.

Under an IOC's-brokered deal, 180 athletes from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and South Korea, donned in identical uniforms, marched side by side for the first time behind a "unification flag" during the opening ceremony.

The Koreas formed unified teams for the world table tennis and youth soccer championships in 1991, but never marched together at Olympics.

At the Melbourne Olympics 44 years ago, athletes from East and West Germany walked together during the 1956 Games.

When the Koreans marched into the center stage hand in hand, the packed stadium crowd including International Olympic Committee president Juan Antonio Samaranch gave them a standing ovation, applauding their re-unification at the Olympics.

The Chinese sports delegation was the 40th marching into the stadium. The 284 Chinese athletes will compete in 166 events in 24 sports, hoping to collect not less than 16 gold medals in the first games of the new millennium.

Since 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, Chinese athletes have collected a total of 52 gold medals four Games.

Hong Kong for the first time took part in the Olympics after China resumed its sovereignty of the territory in 1997.

At 2310 local time, Cathy Freeman, an Australian heroine from Aboriginal descent, lit the cauldron with the Olympic flame, which was ignited from the sun's rays at a special ceremony in Olympia, Greece and relayed to the Olympic Stadium after touring the host country in the last 99 days.

The torch was carried into the stadium by a relay of veteran Australian women athletes before being passed to the world 400 meters champion and Australia's best hope for a gold medal.

The organizers of the Sydney Games have vowed to make it the most environmental friendly in Olympic history. Their efforts are rewarding and the Games may set an example for next games host Athens and 2008 Games bidders -- Beijing, Osaka, Paris, Toronto and Istanbul.

Days before the opening ceremony, Sydney has already sent a signal to the world that it is ready for the games although transportation problems and doping scandal marred at the eve of

the games.

Athletes, officials and journalists have complains about the traffic schedule while bus drivers were furious about their poor working conditions.

Prior to the opening of the games, Several athletes including two weightlifters withdrew from the games due to drugs offence.

Former Olympic medalist Traean Ciharean of Romania pulled out of the competitions on Friday after he tested positive for a banned substance. On Wednesday, Chen Po-pu of Chinese Taipei became the first athlete to go home from the Games after it was announced he had tested for methandienone in August.

American drugs chief Barry McCaffrey said hours before the opening ceremony that random tests by the World Anti-Doping Agency over the past few months have turned up several positive results.

The IOC has been working hard to eliminate doping from sports and the Sydney Games could be a turning point. For the first time in Olympics, athletes commit themselves "to a sport without doping and without drugs" at the opening ceremony.

The "we won't cheat" clause was inserted into the traditional Olympic oath, which was read on behalf of all athletes by Australian women's hockey team captain Rechelle Hawkes at the ceremony.

Apart from drugs offence, the IOC has also been fighting against the corruption after the money-for-vote story of Salt Lake City was revealed two years ago. In its reform and battle to re-establish IOC's credibility, 10 IOC members were expelled.

The Games competitions will be in full swing tomorrow, which will decide 13 gold medals from swimming, shooting, triathlon, fencing, cycling, weightlifting and judo.



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