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Olympic
Sports:
 There are 28 sports represented at the
modern Olympics, compared to the very first Olympics back in 776 BC where a
"stadion" footrace was the only event held. Today's events are
represented by "pictograms", a symbol for the particular sport or discipline
which are designed to be recognised immediately by athletes, spectators and officials.
Pictograms were first used at the Olympics in London in 1948, but it was not until the
Toyko Olympics in 1964, when the Japanese created a full series of pictograms, that they
were officially adopted for the Olympics.
Children in Year 5g at Rochedale State School are designing
their own pictograms using the computer, to go with each of the 28 sports and they will be
included with their descriptions of the sports being contested at the Sydney 2000 Games.
Information has been rewritten by the children using the Shell Olympic Games medals/cards
for reference.
 Athletics:
VENUE: Olympic Stadium, Race Walk Course at Sydney
Olympic Park, Marathon Course, North Sydney to Olympic
Stadium
DATES: September 22 to October 1, 2000
Athletics was the
original sport at the original Olympics back in 776
BC. Athletics attracts more competitors than any other
Olympic sport.
The distance for track
events range from 100m metre sprint to the 10 000
metre race. The field events include long jump, high
jump, javelin, shot put, discus and pole vault, with
women's pole vault and hammer throw first time events
in Sydney.
The marathon is a road
race over 42 kilometres and is one of the highlights
of the Olympics. Australia's best hopes for a medal
are Cathy Freeman, the reigning 400 metres world
champion and a 1996 silver medallist and women's
javelin star, Louise Mc Paul who also won silver in
Atlanta.
Matt Shirvington is a
young sprinter who could also win a medal and is
aiming to become the first Australian to break the 10
second barrier.
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Cathy
Freeman |
Matt
Shirvington |
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 Aquatics:
Swimming:
VENUE: Sydney International Aquatic Centre, Sydney
Olympic Park
DATES: September 16 to 23, 2000
In the Olympic swimming program, the four strokes in
this event are freestyle, backstroke, breastroke and
butterfly. These four strokes are also used medley
events. Australia is the team to beat in Sydney.
Diving:
VENUE: Sydney
International Aquatic Centre, Sydney Olympic Park
DATES: September 22 to 30, 2000
Diving was first featured in the Olympic program in
1904. Divers compete in individual events and perform
a set of dives rated to how good and difficult
the performance of the dive is.
Water Polo:
VENUE: Ryde Aquatic
Centre, Sydney
International Aquatic Centre, Sydney Olympic Park
DATES: September 16 to October 1, 2000
Very physical, water polo was surprisingly one of the
first Olympic team events in Paris in 1900. A heavy
campaign for women to compete in this sport means it
will be played this year for the first time.
Synchronized Swimming:
VENUE: Sydney
International Aquatic Centre, Sydney Olympic Park
DATES: September 24 to 29
Synchronized swimming was originally an Olympic sport
in Los Angeles in 1984. The team and dual events will
be contested in Sydney this year. A routine consists
of figures, propulsive techniques and patterns
performed to music.
By Rowan |
Archery:
VENUE: Sydney International Archery Parks, Sydney
Olympic Park.
DATES: September 17 to 22, 2000
The aim of Archery is to shoot your bow into the red target area.
They used to use bows and arrows for killing animals. If you're a
beginner and your arrow lands in the white circle you've done
well.
There are different points. Say if your arrow lands in the red
circle you might get 10 points. If it lands in the white area you might get 5 points. Archery first appeared in France.
by Amy
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Badminton:
VENUE: Pavilion 3, Sydney Olympic Park
DATES: September 16 to September 23, 2000
Badminton was a sport dominated by the Asian countries, it is played indoors and it
involves hitting a shuttlecock over a net with a racquet. Men's games score up to 15
points although the women's only go up to 11 points. The players have to win two out of
three games to win the match. It was introduced to the Olympics at Barcelona in 1992,
badminton is played as a single elimination competitive in five different ways: men's and
women's singles men's doubles women's doubles and mixed doubles. It is a fast and furious
sport which requires fast reflexes and movements. Fourteen of the fifteen medals went to
the Asian nations. The Australians will depend on Peter Blackburn and Rhonda Cater, who
finished eleventh in mixed doubles in Atlanta, and Blackburn and David Bamford in men's
doubles. If Cater qualifies for the Olympics it will be her third Olympic Games.
by Shaun |
Baseball:
VENUE:
Baseball Stadium, Sydney Olympic Park
DATES: September 17 to 27, 2000
Baseball was first played at an Olympics in Barcelona
in 1992. Baseball is very popular in North and South
America and Asia and professional baseball players
will play for the first time in the Sydney Olympics.
Cuba has won every World Championship since 1974 and
also won the Gold Medal at Barcelona and Atlanta.
Eight teams will compete in a round robin type
competition in Sydney. At Atlanta, the Australian team
finished fifth and also recently won the
Intercontinental Cup, giving high hopes for a good
performance at Sydney. |
Basketball:
VENUE:
The Dome, Sydney Olympic Park
DATES: September 16 to October 1, 2000
Basketball has become one of the moist popular Olympic
Sports mainly because of Michael Jordan and the United
States "Dream Team" which played at Barcelona
in 1992. Basketball used to be played outdoors on a
sand court but moved indoor at Montreal in 1976 when
women were also allowed to compete. Australia will
have their team, the Boomers in the men's competition
and the Opals in the women's. The Opals won a bronze
medal at the Atlanta Games and the Boomers finished
fourth. They are both strong chances for a medal in Sydney
this year. |
Boxing:
VENUE:
Sydney Exhibition Centre, Halls 3 & 4, Darling
Harbour
DATES: September 16 to October 1, 2000
Boxing was one of the events in the Ancient Olympic Games.
Only amateur boxers are allowed to compete at Olympic
Games unlike other sports. Boxers must wear head gear
and the referees stop contests where one boxer is
getting hurt. Women are not allowed to compete in
boxing at Olympic Games. A boxing bout can be won by a
knockout, technical decision, disqualification
retirement or points decision by a panel of five
judges. The judges score the fight on punches landed
on opponents. Muhammad Ali, known then as Cassius
Clay, fits became known by boxing as an amateur at the
Olympic Games when he won a Gold Medal as a light
heavyweight at the Rome Olympics in 1960. He went on
to become a three time professional heavy weight world
champion. Australia has never won a Gold Medal at
boxing.
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Muhammad
Ali at the Rome Olympics |
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Canoeing/Kayaking:
Canoe:
VENUE: Slalom Course, Penrith Lakes.
DATES: September 17 - 20, 2000
Kayak:
VENUE: Sydney International Regatta Centre, Penrith Lakes.
DATES: September 26 - October 1st.
Put into the Olympic games in 1972 at Munich. Canoe/Kayaks race in and out of lines, and
is one of two disciplines at the Olympics in Sydney. Weaving around the lines is
considered the more spectacular of the two disciplines, with events on white water.
Athletes must go between 20 - 25 gates, including going upstream direction in un
controlled water. The race is exactly 300m long. The
Athlete with the lowest time over two runs is made a
winner. Canoe/Kayak sprint events are on flat-water
courses over 500m to 1000m.
Sprint
events first appeared on the Olympic games back in
Berlin in 1936. Canoes
carry one(C1) or two (C2) athletes while Kayaks can
carry one(K1), two (K2) or four (K4) athletes.
The main
difference in boat classes is the way the athlete sits
and the paddle they use.
by Emma |
Cycling:
VENUES: Dunc Gray Velodrome, Bankstown. Road cycling course, Central Parklands Mountain bike course, Fairfield
City Farm.
DATES: Track cycling - September 16 to 21, 2000
Road cycling - September 26 to 30, 2000
Mountain Bike, - September 21 to 24, 2000
Cycling in Sydney Olympic games consists of road,
track and mountain bikes with professional riders only
allowed to compete for the second time. It is dominated by European countries.
The Olympic Road Race has a mass start which means to go at the same time.
In Time trials events individual riders have 90
seconds between starters . The Track program will have
12 events which are in a velodrome. Cross Country is
the only event for mountain bike riders at the Olympic
Games
By Ryan
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 Equestrian:
VENUE:
Equestrian Centre,
Horsley Park
DATES: September 16 to October 1, 2000
This sport is for men and woman. They have Obstacles on the court, which the rider
and the horse have to jump over, this is a three-day event.Some of the Obstacles include water jumps, parallel rails and triple jumps. There
are 10 by 5 judges. This is a sport of gender and equity. This is a Test with three
sections:
Dressage, cross-country and jumping. This is
Australia’s strongest Equestrian, with team and individual medals in Rome, 1960 and
Barcelona, 1992, and gold in Atlanta, 1996.
By James |
 Fencing:
VENUE: Sydney Exhibition Centre, Halls 4
& 5, Darling Harbour
DATES: September 16 to 24, 2000
Fencing is the one of the four sports to feature at
every modern Olympic Games. Fencing was made from an ancient form of combat to one of the
most technical and tactical sports of the games. To score they
have electronic signaling devices to tell when a fencer hits the right spot on its opponent. Competitions can
include individual and team events when competitors use one of the three fencing weapons:
a sabre, a foil or an epee. The foil is the lightest of the weapons. A hit from a foil is
recorded when the point of the blade hits the opponent’s torso. In a sabre the score
is recorded when the cutting edge (or tip) of the blade hits the head, arms or torso. The
epee is heavier than the foil or the sabre. Scores are recorded when the epee hits any
part of the body, including the head, hands or the feet. Australia makes good performances
from men and women’s epee team. Evelyn Halls is Australia’s highest raked
fencer.
By Brenda |
 Football:
VENUE: Sydney Football
Stadium, Central Parklands.
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne.
Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide.
Brisbane Cricket Ground, Brisbane.
Bruce Stadium, Canberra.
Olympic Stadium Sydney Olympic Park.
DATES: September
13 to 30, 2000
Football is known as soccer. Football is known to be
the world's most popular sport. In the Olympics they take Men’s and Women’s
teams.
The Men’s tournament is for men under 23 years old.
In the Women’s teams the player’s have to be 16
years and over.
This tournament will be the biggest since the Fifa World
Cup.
The most favourite men’s are Manchester United.
By Cameron |
 Gymnastics:
VENUE: Sydney Superdome, Sydney Olympic Park.
DATES: September 16 to 26.
Gymnastics has been held at every modern Olympic games. In Sydney the three exercises are artistic, rhythmic and trampoline. They make their debut in 2000.Women's artistic involves a four event competition. The men have to complete 6 events. The women's events are the floor, balance beam, uneven bars and the vault. The men's events are the horizontal bars, parallel bars, rings, pommel horse, vault and floor.
Rhythmic Gymnastics:
VENUE: Pavilion 3, Sydney Olympic Park.
DATES: September 28 to October, 2000
Only women compete in rhythmic gymnastics. They perform on the floor with a rope, ball,
ribbon or clubs. They judge the athletes according to how well they perform.
By Samantha Anne |
Handball:
VENUES: Pavilion 2, Sydney Olympic Park, the Poem Sydney Olympic Park.
DATES: September 16 to October
Having started its Olympic life as an outdoor sport. Handball has since moved indoor and expanded to include both men's and women's completion. Handball first appeared at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, but did not reappear until 1972 with a women's event added four years later. A team of twelve players with six players and a goalie on court at any one time. The court is divided into two halves.
The team with scores the most goals win. Realer in Europe where professional games are televised, handball is a game of tactless and player position similar to football and basketball. Sydney will see an Australia men and women's team complete for the first time. The Australia team's preparation is well underway but both will be hard pressed against the might of Sweden, Yugoslavia and France.
by Todd |
Hockey:
VENUE: State Hockey Centre, Sydney
Olympic Park
DATES: September 16 to 30, 2000
Hockey is an Olympic sport for men and women but it
was only a men's sport at the London Olympic Games in 1908. Women's competition was introduced in Moscow in 1980. On each team there's 16 players, with 12 men's teams
which will compete in Sydney and 10 women's teams, that is two more than Atlanta. Australia has an extraordinary record in Olympic hockey and
is regarded as one of the world's powerhouses of sports. The Australian women's team has won two Olympic gold medals in 1988 and 1996, and the men's team has taken silver medals in 1968, 1976 and 1992 and bronze in 1964 and 1996. Australia's women are led by the talented Alyso Annan, while the men will again rely heavily on goal scorer Stephen Davies.
By Bryce |
 Judo:
VENUE:
Sydney Exhibition Centre, Halls 1 &
2, Darling Harbour.
DATES: September 16 to 22, 2000
Judo was developed in Japan and started in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Professor Jigoro Kano,
who worked on the ancient fighting of Japan’s Samurai fighters, made the sport in the
late nineteenth century. Judo is a stressful sport. Women’s Judo was added to the
Olympics in 1992. There will be 7 men’s events and 7 women’s weight divisions in
Sydney. The idea in Judo is to beat an opponent by scoring a point in the 5 or 4-minute
contest. For the first time in Olympic history, competitors will wear different coloured
Judo clothes in Sydney. Watch out for our Aussie stars.
By Stuart |
Pentathlon:
VENUE:
Pavilion 2 Aquatic Centre, Baseball Centre at Sydney Olympic
Park
DATES: September 30 to October 1, 2000
Modern pentathlon was invented by the founder of the
Modern Olympics, Baron Pierre de Coubertin. It was designed
to give the Olympics an all round event and was first
held in 1912 in Stockholm. To start with it was a 6
day event but is now completed in one day and includes
events like shooting, fencing, swimming, show jumping
and running with the athlete gaining points in each
event. Hungary and the Soviet Union have been the
leading countries in this event with Sweden winning 12
of the first 15 Gold Medals for Pentathlon.
Australian's Alex Johnson and Kitty Chiller are
expected to do well in this event in Sydney.
by Rachael
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 Rowing:
VENUE: Sydney International Regatta Centre, Penrith Lakes
DATES: September 17 to 24, 2000
Rowing is a program for the modern day Olympics. In the Athens Games in 1896, it was
cancelled because of bad weather. Men are not the only people that do rowing, women can
too. The first women’s race was in 1976. In Sydney men are going to do eight races
and the women are going to do only six. They will be divided in groups; the groups will be
lightweight and heavyweight. The oar categories are sculling and sweep. Sculling is when
you have an oar in each hand. Sweep is when each rower has one oar. The Australian team,
which is the most outstanding, is called the ‘oar some foursome’. The champion
crew at Barcelona and Atlanta won gold. In the 1996 Olympics they won: 2 gold, one silver
and three bronze medals which made us, Australia number one in rowing history.
By Sarah |
Sailing:
VENUE:
Sydney Harbour, Rushcutters Bay, Sydney Opera
House
DATES: September 17 to 30, 2000
For the first time in the Olympic history, sailing comes
to the crowds of Sydney Harbour and it is off the
Sydney heads, it is not hundreds of kilometres away as
in previous games. Sailing became a famous sport in Paris in the year 1900, when times where used adjudicate who won the races. This format of the
race has now changed with boats of a similar weight and measurement being placed in one-design of practice classes. There are 9 different classes of
boats in Sydney, with 11 different gold medals of grab.
There are three different events for men and 3
different events for women and 5 open events. Sydney will also mark a different name to change for the sport, which has been from yachting and
racing of to go sailing. The '49er class will make
its first appearance to go outwards in Sydney. Australia
is traditionally a very strong nation in the sport sailing, and was the top ranked country
in Atlanta.
By Losaline |
Shooting:
VENUE:
Sydney International Shooting Centre, Liverpool
DATES: September 16 to 23, 2000
Shooting is a sport where competitors need to have
excellent concentration. There are 17 events over
eight days at the Sydney Olympics. There are five for
rifle and pistol shooting, running target and
six clay target events. Michael Diamond won Australia's
first Shooting Gold Medal at the Atlanta Olympics in
the men's trap event. Russell Mark also won a Gold
Medal in the double trap event in Atlanta and both are
expected to do well again in Sydney this year and
Australia has one of the strongest shooting teams in
the world.
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Michael
Diamond shooting at
the Olympics in Atlanta in 1996. |
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 Softball:
VENUE: Softball Centre, Blacktown Olympic Centre.
DATES: September 17 to 26
Softball was invented in Chicago in 1887 and became an Olympic sport in 1996. This sport
is only played by women. Softball is played with nine women. At the Olympic games there
will be eight competing teams including USA, CANADA, JAPAN, CHINA, and AUSTRALIA but other
teams will be there as well. The Aussies won silver because they were beaten by the United
States in the 1998 World Championships.. Australia is determined to have a better
result this year. Pitcher Tanya Harding is chosen as one of the best in the world.
By Stephen 2 |
 Table Tennis:
VENUE: State sport Centre, Sydney Olympic Park.
DATES: September 16 to 25.
Table Tennis was invented in England in late 1870's. Table Tennis did not make it into the
Olympic Games until Seoul in 1988. Table Tennis needs good reflexes and agility to
play. The pace of the sport has changed - in the past it took an hour to play one
point. There are 4 table tennis events in
Sydney - there are men's and women's singles and doubles. Australia has never won at
table tennis in the Olympics. Paul Langley is hoping to beat China, the favourite, in the
Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
By Matthew |
 Taekwondo:
VENUE: Taekwondo Centre, Homebush
Bay
DATES: September 27 to 30, 2000
Taekwondo
is a martial art traditionally
dating back
more than 2000
years. Taekwondo
is making its first Olympic appearance in
Sydney. Taekwondo
means hand and foot. The gear they use headgear, mouth
guard and vest to stop the pain. The Taekwondo program
features eight weight
divisions. A contest consists of three minutes
and a one-minute break. They
have to score as many points as the other person, with
three judges. Korea has dominated this sport, but now
is being challenged for supremacy and Australia has
won the highest medals
.
by
Robert
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 Tennis:
VENUE: New South Wales, Tennis Centre. Sydney, Olympic, Park.
DATES: September 19 to 28
Tennis was played at the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 but did not appear again after
Paris in 1924 until it returned in Seoul in 1988. In Seoul, Steffi Graf and Miloslav Mecir
won the gold medals. The tournament in Sydney will have 64 players in both the men’s
and women’s singles, with 32 pairs for doubles. All four events are knockout
competitions. Australia has won a medal at every Olympic since 1988 , with Mark Woodforde
and Todd Woodforde taking our first tennis gold medal in Atlanta. Like Atlanta, where the
singles winners were Andre Agassi and Lindsay Davenport, the big names will again be on
show in Sydney. From an Australia point of view, Pat Rafter and Mark Philippoussis are
likely to lead the way, with rising teen star Jelena Dokic almost certain to spearhead our
women’s campaign.
by Stephen 1 |
 Triathlon:
VENUE:
Triathlon Course,
Sydney Opera House.
DATES: September 16 & 17
The sport of triathlon is a mixture of running, swimming and cycling. The
course contains a 1.5 km swim in open water, a 40 km bike ride and a 10 km run. The sport started in 1981. When triathlon
is on in September, it will take at least two days to finish it.
By Jennifer
5G |
Volleyball:
VENUE:
Sydney Entertainment Centre, Darling Harbour Pavilion
4
DATES: September 16 to 30, 2000
Beach Volleyball:
VENUE: Beach Volleyball Centre, Bondi Beach
DATES: September
16 to 26, 2000
In 1996, Beach Volleyball was added to the Olympics. The
Beach Competition has 2 to a side and the indoor has
six to a side. Indoor Volleyball first appeared at Tokyo
in 1964. |
Weightlifting:
VENUE: Sydney Convention Centre
DATES: September 16 to 26
A regular on the Olympic program since 1920
weight lifting takes a big, step forward with women on
the program for Sydney. There will be seven divisions
of women and eight for men, two less than Atlanta.
Weight lifters must complete two lifts in a
competition - the snatch and the clean and jerk. Each
athlete gets 3 attempts in each with the best result
in each added together for a total on which the medals
are awarded. Dean Lukin has won Australia's only Gold medal in weightlifting at the 1984 Los Angeles Games.
By Bligh |
Wrestling:
VENUE:
Sydney Exhibition Centre, Halls 1 & 2 Darling
Harbour
DATES: September 24 to October 1, 2000
Wrestling, like boxing was one of the sports featured
at the Ancient Olympics and has been in the Modern
Olympics every time except for in 1900. There are two
wrestling events: Greco Roman and Freestyle. In Greco
Roman, the wrestlers only use their arms and upper
body to attack or hold, while in Freestyle, they may also
use their legs. Points are given for different moves
with one winning when the opponents is pinned or from
a points decision. Australia has won three Olympic
medals in freestyle wrestling but none in Greco
Roman. |
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