MISCELLANEOUS SYDNEY 2000 OLYMPICS, FACTS
Welcome to the page where you will find many short interesting facts on the Sydney 2000 Olympics, on my right you will see the picture of our beloved mascots; Olly, Syd and Millle who will be leading us to the opening parade of the Sydney 2000 games. Below you will find a links table pointing to some short places of intrests where you will find the information mentioned. If you want to return to the index page there is a link at the bottom of the page indicating 'home' click it to go back.
PLAN
Sydney's Olympic Plan is based on a commitment to providing the right conditions for athletes to perform at their best. For the first time in Olympic history, all athletes will live together in one Village, and many will be able to walk to their events.
All Olympic events will be held in metropolitan Sydney (except some football preliminaries as requested by FIFA, the international body governing the sport of football). All competition venues will be within 30 minutes travel of the Olympic Village, and no training facility will be more than 45 minutes away, to make it easier for athletes to travel to and fro venues.
Sydney's Games will focus on two primary Olympic zones - Sydney Olympic Park and the Sydney Harbour Zone - only 14 km apart and connected by road, rail and water transport services. Of the twenty-eight sports on the Olympic program, twenty-three will be conducted in these two zones.
SYDNEY OLYMPIC PARK
Sydney Olympic Park is situated at Homebush Bay, about 14 km west of the city centre.
Homebush Bay is a magnificent 760 hectare waterfront site in the demographic heart of Sydney. It includes major areas of environmental significance (such as tidal mangrove swamps) as well as former industrial sites. It is the subject of major Government-directed renewal and regeneration which will continue over the next decade.
Key elements of the redevelopment of Homebush Bay include the construction of new sporting facilities within Sydney Olympic Park, the establishment of the new Sydney Showground and major exhibition centre, the provision of extensive open space for active and passive recreation, the development of residential and retail areas and the establishment of a commercial centre for high technology industries.
SYDNEY HARBOUR ZONE
Sydney Harbour, one of the world's most beautiful waterways, is the centrepiece for Sydney's second Olympic zone.
Sydney Harbour is adorned by the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge and extensive parks and gardens. The city centre has developed south from Circular Quay and is bounded by the Royal Botanic Gardens, the Domain and Hyde Park to the east, and by Darling Harbour to the west. The city centre is home to the majority of Sydney's cultural venues, with premier hotels providing wonderful views of the city and harbour.
INFRASTRUCTURE
The Sydney Olympic plan does not require major infrastructure improvements beyond those already planned for the city within the next decade. Venues have been selected for their proximity to existing and proposed road and public transport systems.
The State Government is building a rail link into Sydney Olympic Park to transport spectators directly to the Olympic site.
VENUES
Over the next few years, the NSW State Government will oversee the construction of a number of new sporting facilities at Sydney Olympic Park, including an indoor arena, tennis centre, archery centre, baseball centre, the Olympic Stadium and the Athletes' Village. These will complement the existing State Sports Centre, State Hockey Centre, and Sydney International Athletic and Aquatic Centres.
The construction the Sydney International Athletic Centre and the Sydney International Aquatic Centre, started during Sydney's Bid, were completed on time and on budget and are now open and in use.
OLYMPIC STADIUM
Sydney's Olympic Stadium, being built at a cost of A$665 million will be the centrepiece of Sydney Olympic Park at Homebush Bay. The winning consortium, Stadium Australia, was selected by the NSW Government to design, construct, finance and operate the Olympic Stadium.
The imaginative design will provide seating for 110,000 spectators during the 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games, more than any previous Olympic Games. It will be the venue for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and athletics.
The Stadium will be configured as a continuous seating bowl surrounding an oval-shaped athletics track and field. The eastern and western stands will have three tiers, while the northern and southern stands will have a lower and upper tier structure.
After the Olympic Games the stadium will be reconfigured to allow seating for 80,000 spectators.
The Stadium will include a substantial number of state-of-the-art environmental features and will maximise the use of environmentally responsible materials. Stadium Australia has made a commitment to use reduced toxicity paints and to implement a comprehensive waste management plan both during construction and operation, to minimise waste and maximise recycling. There will be an emphasis on natural ventilation and cooling. The design of the Stadium will maximise the use of natural lighting with a translucent roof which will reduce the need for artificial illumination.
SYDNEY HARBOUR
The scenic beauty of Sydney and the harbour will provide a spectacular backdrop for sports contested in the Sydney Harbour Zone.
Competitors in the marathon will begin their race at North Sydney, heading across the Harbour Bridge to the city. The 42.2 km course will take runners through The Rocks, the Botanic Gardens, Darling Harbour and across the Glebe Island Bridge, finishing in the Olympic Stadium at Sydney Olympic Park.
The Triathlon, will be staged from the forecourt of the Sydney Opera House.
DARLING HARBOUR
The transformation of abandoned waterfront facilities and railway goods yards into Australia's premier convention, exhibition and entertainment precinct was undertaken by the State Government in conjunction with private enterprise between 1984 and 1988.
PYRMONT/ULTIMO
Immediately west of Darling Harbour, the Pyrmont/Ultimo region is currently the subject of major urban development (the CityWest project). Planned redevelopment includes the construction of medium density housing, a casino and harbourside promenades.
RUSHCUTTERS BAY AND SYDNEY HARBOUR
Sydney Harbour and the Pacific Ocean beyond Sydney Heads provide a magnificent setting for sailing events. Rushcutters Bay, within Sydney Harbour, was selected in consultation with the International Sailing Federation as the location for the shore based facilities for Sydney's Olympic sailing regatta.
MOORE PARK
The modern 42,000-seat Sydney Football Stadium will be the venue for some football prelimanaries, quater finals and semi-finals. The cycling road races will start and finish adjacent to the Sydney Football Stadium, and will extend through Centennial Park to Bronte Beach.
TICKETS
Ticketing policy and pricing structure is due to be presented to the IOC by September 1998.
SOCOG has undertaken to develop a distribution and pricing system that will ensure the greatest opportunity possible for members of the public to see Olympic events at reasonable ticket prices.
Around 5.5 million tickets will go on sale in 1999, with 80 per cent of them for purchase in Australia. There are tight quotas for ticket sales in other countries through their National Olympic Committees.
People living outside Sydney will not be at a disadvantage in opportunities to buy tickets.
There are also many chances for spectators to see events such as the marathons free of charge.
Other events such as mountain bike cycling, rowing, sprint canoeing, football rounds, road walking and the equestrian three-day event will be open to a large number of the public.
No Games has ever been sold out.
Tickets for events such as major finals and the Opening and Closing ceremonies will be in greatest demand, but with Sydney's 110,000 seat Olympic Stadium, these sessions will be more accessible than other major sporting fixtures such as the Rugby League Grand Final.
SECURITY
Responsibility for delivery of the Olympic Games security lies with the NSW Police Service. A Security Committee, under the chairmanship of the Commissioner of Police, developed Sydney's Security Plan during the Bid. The plan will provide the highest level of security to all Olympic participants and visitors in an unobtrusive hospitable manner and will ensure that there are no disruptions to the Olympic Games.
Australia has remained free of significant terrorist incidents. The NSW Police Service, comprising 13,000 sworn officers and 3,000 ancillary staff, is the largest in Australia. Sydney has a successful security record developed through the staging of a number of major international events, visits by Heads of State, Government and members of the Royal Family, papal visits in 1986 and 1995, the Bicentennial Celebrations in 1988 and international sporting fixtures.
VENUE AND PERSONAL SECURITY
Personal security will be provided for every member of the Olympic Family. This will involve an extensive, but unobtrusive security perimeter system together with close personal protection as required.
Venue security will be effected by providing each site with a secure perimeter and through a comprehensive accreditation system for athletes, officials and members of the media. This will be supported by the latest electronic system of access control and intrusion detection which will be linked to off-site monitoring services.
At each venue, police will have the capacity to respond immediately to any emergency. For a major incident, control would pass to an Operations Centre adjacent to the main Games complex at Homebush Bay with appropriate strategic resources and dedicated specialist teams.
