The Sydney Olympics closed in spectacular style yesterday after 17 days of wonderful competition, which will be remembered as the greatest games of the modern era. After the debacle of Atlanta in 1996 when the Olympic movement allowed the games to be ruined by crass commercialism and chaotic organisation, Australia restored the dignity and feel-good factors which are an integral part of the biggest extravaganza in the world.
When Australia's sporting icon, Cathy Freeman, lit the Olympic flame in a moving opening ceremony 18 days ago, the tone was set for a games which would embrace simplicity with good humour and thrilling competition. Getting these ingredients right was no accident. Since Sydney was awarded the games in 1993, the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (SOCOG), along with the government of New South Wales, has injected over two billion dollars into organising the showpiece of world sport. Although the build-up to the games was far from trouble free for SOCOG, it overcame all of the political and organisational hurdles to present to the world the best stadiums and sporting infrastructure ever witnessed. The games also helped to staunch old wounds in a young nation with Freeman the unifying force for reconciliation in a country still coming to terms with its past.
Inevitably, drug-taking and rumours of doping offences cast a shadow over some of the games but, for once, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was seen to be rigorous in attempting to get to grips with the problem. The IOC may hail this policy as a watershed in combatting doping but a lot more needs to be done to convince a sceptical public that the scourge of modern day sport is being tackled with a real sense of purpose.
From an Irish viewpoint, Sonia O'Sullivan's achievements will be treasured for ever. A supreme athlete - who has won world and European championship titles - finally delivered on the greatest stage of all, and in one of the most exciting finals of the Sydney games. Unfortunately, O'Sullivan's success was the only highlight of the Irish involvement in the games.
This lack of success can only be addressed by proper funding for sport in this state. It is not enough for athletes to simply receive financial handouts and expect them to compete for Olympic medals. The key to Britain's outstanding performance at Sydney has been an overhaul of its sporting infrastructure with tens of millions of pounds from the National Lottery being invested to provide modern training facilities, top class coaching and positive support. The value in health terms of increasing numbers of people getting involved in sport are calculable but the boost to national self-esteem provided by Olympic success cannot be measured.
Sydney has helped to redeem the tarnished image of the Olympic movement and it now falls to Athens to build on that achievement when the athletes of the world gather in the Greek capital for the next summer celebration of the five-ring circus in 2004.