Adventure Olympians Win Gold
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Although most of the adventure sports didn't get much airtime on NBC, they were action-filled, exciting and highly competitive.
The whitewater canoe/kayak took place in Penrith, Australia. A man-made whitewater stadium challenged even the most experience paddlers. There were several different events in canoe/kayak: Men's K1, Men's C1, Men's C2, and Women's K1 (the C stands for canoe and the K stands for kayak).
Unfortunately, the USA didn't do very well in these events. They didn't win any gold, silver or bronze. The Europeans greatly dominated these events.
The mountain bike races took place at Fairfield City Farm. The two-day event included Women's and Men's Cross-Country riding. The course was scenic and technical. Again, no USA athletes won medals in these events.
Paola Pezzo did a repeat performance by once again winning gold for Italy. Pezzo won gold in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. French rider Miguel Martinez also won gold. It's his second Olympic medal, having won a bronze medal in the 1996 Olympics for the same event. The Europeans dominated these events also.
One of the most anticipated events, but most disappointing, was the sailing. Sydney is an outstanding venue to have sailing events, since it's known for its consistent wind. However, the wind at Rushcutter's Bay didn't cooperate during the Olympics and most of the events were postponed. But, the venue did have very scenic shots as the boats sailed past the Sydney Opera House.
The sailing had numerous events, including 49ers, Soling, Europe, Laser, Finn, Mistral and Tornadoes (these are types of boats and their class). The USA did quite well, winning one gold, two silver and one bronze medals.
Other adventure sports that are now a part of the Olympic competition include windsurfing, snowboarding, and bobsledding.
Overall, the 2000 Olympics in Sydney went quite well. The Australians were great hosts. There were no major problems. And the fireworks display at the closing ceremony is something that will go down in history. Let's hope there are even more adventure sports in the next summer Olympics...how about surfing or rock climbing?
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