The Sydney Olympics – 20th anniversary

Today is the 20th anniversary of the Sydney Olympics. On 15th September 2000, the opening ceremony was held. This included Cathy Freeman’s dramatic lighting of the Olympic flame. Ten days later, Cathy Freeman would thrill Australians again by winning gold in the 400m final at the Sydney Olympics. This is Stan Grant’s account of that moment:

We watched her through different eyes as she took her place at the starting line. To Australians victory for this Aboriginal woman on this night would tell the world we had buried the old enmities. The stain of settlement could be wiped clean. We – my people, Cathy’s people – saw her as a symbol of survival. She told the world we were still here. For the woman herself this was a race like so many others – a track, a starter’s gun and a finish line – but then it was unlike any other. When she crossed that line there was just the earth and she sank into it. She stared into space – seemingly oblivious to the crowd – unburdened. Then she rose to her feet and here was the moment when the flag of our people was unfurled. Red, black and yellow flew in this stadium and its image was beamed around the world. I thought back to the opening ceremony and how I felt alone and now how proud I was and I cried.
—   Stan Grant, Talking To My Country

Acknowledgement: Photo by Aditya Joshi on Unsplash

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