Melancholy Musings (Monday, 20 September 2010)

... and the winner is Sid-en-ney!!!  These famous words were spoken by the late Juan Antonio Samaranch in September of 1993.  I was there at the Sydney Opera House with thousands of others and I can still recall the silence of anticipation as we stood in a huge circle listening to this tiny portable radio - followed by this deafening cheer of jubilation and celebration.  I've never seen a city come together as Sydney did that night with strangers smiling and hugging each other and cultures were united.

The spirit of the XXVII games continued until the summer of 2000 when 10 years ago, on a spring evening - the Games of the New Millennium opened to the sounds of cracking whips as a reproduction of the Man from Snowy River came thundering into the main arena.  On Thursday, we reminisced as the 10 year anniversary dawned - so many wonderful memories of not only a city and country united but the world ... if only we could capture that spirit globally once again.

We cannot hold a torch to light another's path without brightening our own. -- Ben Sweetland 

The Main Stadium

 

In the crowd!