Olympic Diary - News As It Happens From OZ...
It's all over so here it is, the last Olympic diary:
"So I proclaim Sydney the best Games ever!" were the words of IOC president, Juan Antonio Samaranch, during the closing ceremony. The moment that Australia had been waiting for, for seven years, has passed within sixteen days and now it's over.
They went out with a bang though, with Australian stars such as Kylie Minogue, Elle MacPherson, Paul Hogan, Greg Norman and even Bananas in Pyjamas, featured in what was called a 'backyard party' for all ten thousand athletes and 100,000 spectators.
Before the partying began though, there were a few events to be staged. The most notable was the endurance event of the Olympics, the men's marathon, which was won by Ethiopian runner, Gezahgne Abera. There was also the men's basketball final, which was won unsurprisingly by the USA, and the women's basketball final, which was also won by the USA. Australia ended up fourth on the medal tally (no prizes for guessing who came first) and Great Britain ended up tenth.
Overall I think the Olympics were excellent and in the words of the big ball in the centre of the athletics field at the closing ceremony, Bye from OZ, See Ya in Athens!
All the best from your man over in Oz,
Lachie
The last few days at the Olympics have been good and bad for Australia. We have won some great gold medals in Taekwondo and Sailing and bronze and silver in the long jump and diving. Also the Australian women's basketball team and hockey team are both in their gold medal matches.
It has not all been good news though. Jane Seville, an Aussie competitor, in the 20km walk had a very good lead with 200 meters to go in the race and looked certain to win a gold medal. With only 200 meters to go she was disqualified for lifting both feet off the ground at the same time. The Australian women's 4x100-meter relay team also had an unlucky day. In their heat they dropped the baton at the changeover, which meant that they could not finish.
There has been a rumour going round in Sydney, that because Athens "haven't got their act together" for the 2004 Olympics, Sydney might once again host the games in 2004. Most people find it very hard to believe. I don't think that in any circumstances one city should host the games two times in a row.
There have been many competitors in the Olympics that have tested positive to taking drugs. Some of the more notable have been world shot-put champion, and wife of athletics star Marion Jones, C.J. Hunter and 16 year-old Romanian gymnast, Andrea Radacun who was stripped from her gold medal, because her team doctor gave her two cold tablets that contained steroids.
ONE LAST THING- GO AUSSIE!
Your man over in Oz,
Lachie
Cathy Freeman you legend! In the months leading up to the Olympics, Cathy Freeman was the most talked about person in Australia. She was thought to be one of our biggest hopes these Olympics, in the 400 meters. There was a huge amount of pressure for the aboriginal to win gold and some people weren't sure if she could handle it, they thought she might choke under all the pressure.
Last night though, the Olympic cauldron lighter, proved all those people wrong and won the 400 meters quite convincingly. It was the most watched, single sport event, ever, on Australian TV. Many Australians partied all night after the event they had been waiting for, for four years was finally over.
Australia also won gold in the women's beach volleyball and silver in the women's pole vault. We now have chances for medals in tennis, sailing, hockey and a few other events. It will take us all a couple of days to get over Cathy's great win but we are still behind all other Aussies!
GO AUSTRALIA!
Lachie
Lachie, your man here in OZ with the latest news from the Olympics in Sydney;
Super Saturday was the name given to yesterday's eighth day of competition in the Olympics. The day included many rowing finals, the men's and women's 100 meters running final, the men's 1500 meter freestyle final, the women's Waterpolo final and stacks of others.
It was an excellent day for Australia, we won gold in the women's Waterpolo final, gold and silver in the 1500 meter swim, silver in the men's trampoline, silvers in the men and women's 4x100 medley swimming relay.
In the event that is arguably the most prized in the whole Olympics, Maurice Green, from the USA, won the men's 100 meters final. Another American, Marion Jones won the women's 100 meter final. Our biggest hope in the athletics, Cathy Freeman, is looking very good in her heats for the 400 meters.
Now that the swimming has finished, there are much more athletics events to come. Even though Australia is not known to do very well in the Track & Field, be ready for a few surprises.
Lachie
Here's the latest Olympic diary:
Over here in Oz, the star of the Olympics so far has been our 17-year old swimming sensation, Ian Thorpe. Already he has picked up three gold medals and one silver. As well as Ian Thorpe, swimmer Susie O'Neal, shooter Michael Diamond, Archer Simon Fearwether, the Australian three-day Equestrian Team, and the men's swimming 4 x 200 and 4 x 100 meter relay team, that Ian Thorpe was part of, have all won gold.
On Wednesday in one of the biggest upsets of the Games so far, South African champion swimmer, Penny Haynes failed to qualify for the 200 meters breaststroke final. Haynes held the world record for the event and was the current Olympic champion. After the race she announced her retirement.
The biggest news, over here in Sydney, came Thursday morning, when French runner, Marie-Josie Perec, the women who was thought to be the biggest threat to Cathy Freeman's bid to win the 400 meters run, pulled out of the run. She was seen this morning catching a plane from Sydney airport, which was heading to London via Singapore. Her agent said that she was threatened in her Sydney hotel by an unknown person and then decided to pull out of the Games. Lets just hope that this doesn't distract Cathy Freeman from still winning gold.
Lachie
How good was the opening ceremony?!
In case you missed it on TV, this was an amazing opening ceremony! You really have to see it!
For the last few months, here in Oz, the most common question has been, Who will light the Olympic Flame? The question was answered on Friday night, when one of Australia's biggest gold medal hopes this year, Cathy Freeman lit the spectacular 'waterfall' cauldron.
When athletics stars, Raylene Boyle and Betty Cuthbert entered the stadium carrying the torch, everybody thought they would light the cauldron, then out of the darkness came swimmer Shirley Strickland who took the flame from the two ex-runners and started running towards the waterfall.
But she then passed it on to champion swimmer, Dawn Fraser. Everybody then thought for sure that Dawn would light the cauldron, until she passed it on to Shane Gould, who passed it on to 1988 Seoul gold medalist, Debbie Flintoff-King. Debbie then ran through the athletes and passed it on to Aboriginal and champion athlete Cathy Freeman.
As well as the cauldron getting lit, the rest of the ceremony was just as spectacular. There was an aboriginal ceremony, a tin symphony and the 13-year-old girl who was one of the stars of the whole night.
So far, on the first day of the Olympics, one gold medal has been given out, to a female tri-athlete from Switzerland. The three Australians who were in the female triathlon did very well; all of them came in the top ten. Michelle Jones from Australia picked up our first medal of the games, coming second and getting the silver medal. That silver is just the start of what will be an Olympics where Australia gets a whole truckload of medals!
Your man over in Oz, Lachie
13th September
On Wednesday night the first event of the Olympics was held, even though the Opening Ceremony hasn't even happened yet. There were several football matches held in different cities throughout Australia.
The football was awesome! It was probably the most amazing and unreal things I've ever seen. If only Australia had won it would have been a perfect night.
The Australian men's, and women's teams both played in Melbourne and Canberra. It ended in a bad start for the Olympics for all Australians with both of the teams going down in defeat.
The women's team was beaten quite convincingly, but the men's team put up a great fight against Italy.
With ten minutes to go the scores were nil-nil, and Australia looked to be the better side, but in the 81st minute Andrea Pirlo scored a goal for Italy when the ball only made it over the goal line by centimetres. Australian's know though, we'll still win stacks of gold.
Final scores:
Mens: Australia 0 - Italy 1
Womens: Australia 0 - Germany 3
Your man over in Oz, Lachie
Links to Check Out:
http://www.olympics.com - The Official Olympics Site
