 |
|
||||||
No. 4 / 2000 |
|
|
Sydney 2000: A Paralympic Games Like No Other
They came into the stadium, The XI Paralympic Summer Games Sydney 2000 closed on 29 October in a flare of color and festivity, after 11 days of intense competition that brought together some of the world’s best athletes with a disability. The host country had spared no effort in its near-perfect presentation of the Games. The Australian passion for sport and the friendliness of its people combined with organizational efficiency to produce the best Games in the history of the Paralympics. Dr. Robert Steadward, President of the IPC, praised the Games as the "best ever" in his speech at the Closing Ceremony. "It came as a sheer delight but of no surprise that you excelled yourselves in hosting our Paralympic athletes to an absolutely outstanding event," said Stead-ward, before some 100,000 spectators at the Sydney Olympic Stadium. "Thank you, Australia, for enhancing the profile of our athletes, more than at any time in our history." He also thanked the 15,000 volunteers who had contributed to making the Games a success. A record number of 122 countries, or 123 delegations including independent athletes from East Timor, participated at the Sydney Paralympics, making this the largest Games in Paralympic history. The Atlanta 1996 Paralympics had 103 countries competing, and Barcelona 1992 attracted 83 countries. During Games time, the Paralym pic Village was home to 6,943 people, comprising 3,824 athletes, 2,315 team officials and 804 technical officials. Behind each throw, each aim, each
race, Each Paralympic Games has its unforgettable moments, and so it was with the Games of the XI Paralympiad. In the men’s 5000m event, the crowd cheered wildly for Alcino Pereira of East Timor, who was competing as an individual Paralympic athlete. It didn’t matter that Pereira was almost shuffling from exhaustion. It didn’t matter that this was not a medal-winning performance. All that mattered was that he was there to participate and to share in the spirit of the Games. It is this spirit that Australian Governor-General Sir William Deane paid tribute to in his closing ceremony speech: "You, the Year 2000 Paralympians, have particularly inspired us by your skill and commitment. These Games have brought the people of the world a little closer together and demonstrated that the things that unite mankind far outweigh the things that divide." And so the farewells were said.
|
