Synchronized Diving - China's Xiong Ni, front, and Xiao Hailiang won the new 3-meter springboard event.
Gold: China, Silver: Russia, Bronze: Australia
| Synchronized Diving - China's Xiong Ni, front, and Xiao Hailiang won the new 3-meter springboard event. Gold: China, Silver: Russia, Bronze: Australia |
The Olympic Games in Sydney came to a loud, colorful close at a giant party in Olympic Stadium. So ended two weeks of thrilling performances by star athletes, surprising upsets by underdogs and, of course, some disappointments. Olympic athletes broke records on land, in the air and in the water! Memories of their triumphs will live on long after the Olympic flame has faded.
The splashiest action during the first week happened in the pool. Australian champ Ian Thorpe set three freestyle records. Both the Australian and American teams broke the world record in the freestyle relay. U.S. swimmer Megan Quann defeated world-record holder Penny Heyns of South Africa in the breaststroke.
Amid all the joy, there was also trouble. Some athletes were sent home after testing positive for illegal drugs. The women's gymnastics competition was marred by a mistake in setting up the equipment. Still, the spirit of the Games remained strong.
|  Greco-Roman Wrestling - Rulon Gardner turns cartwheels after beating Russia's Alexander Karelin. Gold: U.S., Silver: Russia, Bronze: Belarus |
Fastest, Highest, Strongest!
Success seemed even sweeter to athletes who overcame tough luck to compete. U.S. diver Laura Wilkinson thought her Olympic hopes were gone when she broke her foot last spring. She came back to win gold in 10-meter platform diving. China had ruled that event for 16 years!
Michael Johnson was injured during the Olympic trials, and some were concerned about his recovery. But last week he put on his gold shoes and ran for the gold medal, winning the 400-meter race with ease. This was Johnson's third trip to the Olympics and his last. After four gold medals, the 33-year-old runner is hanging up those golden shoes.
Stacy Dragila was an Olympic rookie, competing in a new event: women's pole vault. The 29-year-old from California won the gold with a 15-foot jump, setting a high mark for future female champions.
Women's weight lifting, also new, introduced two U.S. stars to the world. Cheryl Haworth, 17, lifted 595 pounds in two lifts to win the bronze in the super-heavyweight class. And tiny 105-pound Tara Nott won gold among the mighty mites in the lightest weight class. She's the first U.S. lifter to win gold since 1960.
To Be the Best
In her historic quest for five gold medals, Marion Jones earned her first in the 100-meter race. She took the biggest lead in that event since the 1952 Games and finished in a flash: 10.75 seconds. The world's fastest woman went on to win the 200-meter gold. But on Friday, she came in third in the long jump.
Others also came up a bit short of their dreams. In a surprise upset, the U.S. women's soccer team lost to Norway in overtime and had to settle for the silver medal. But overtime was golden time for the U.S. softball team, which beat Japan in the final.
The Olympic Games aren't just about winning. After all, only 300 of the 10,900 athletes took home the gold. The real thrill is competing against the best players on earth. In the words of U.S. softball player Dot Richardson, "Every athlete wants to face an opponent who's having the performance of a lifetime. That is when you truly find that you are the best."