the sydney 2000 olympic and paralympic games - Australian Sports ...

PART FOUR : NSW GOVERNMENT AGENCIES GAMES SUPPORT SERVICES
performing arts events during this Festival, and in excess of 300,000 people attended exhibitions in the
Visual Arts Program.
Delivery of the four Olympic Arts Festivals required total gross expenditure of $32.6 million. Revenue
raised from conducting the Festivals was $7.6 million.
Torch Relay
The Torch Relay was an important and integral part of staging the Olympic Games. It enabled almost all
Australians to share in the celebrations, spirit and ideals of the Olympic Games. The Torch Relay was a
huge success, unifying the country and igniting the emotions, passions and expectations of Australians to
embrace the Sydney 2000 Games.
The route of the Relay was the longest in Olympic history, visiting every State and Territory, covering some
27,000 kilometres over 100 days and passing within one hour’s drive of 85 per cent of the Australian
population. The Torch was also carried through 12 countries of the Oceania Olympic region.
Total gross expenditure for the Torch Relay was $18.7 million. Sale of torches generated revenue of
$4.9 million.
Sydney Games Success
The Sydney Games were an outstanding success. Mr Juan Antonio Samaranch, the President of the IOC,
in his speech at the Olympic Closing Ceremony on 1 October 2000 declared the Sydney Games the
greatest in history. It was similarly endorsed by journalists throughout the world as captured in the
following quote by The Times (U.K.):
“I invite you to suggest a more successful event anywhere in the peacetime history of mankind”.
84