Grant Hackett didn't just need to beat Kieren Perkins in Sydney - he had his own battles to overcome.
For 30 years he has pursued a dream,at the cost of egos,politicians'careers and taxpayers'money.
A first gold medal ever for Cameroon had a capacity crowd at the Olympic stadium in raptures.
Eric Moussambani's stroke may have been possibly the worst seen at Olympic level but his effort was nothing less than a triumph. Meet Eric the Eel.
Before the race,American swimmer Gary Hall jnr had said his team would smash the Australians'like guitars'. And after?'I doff my swimming cap to the great Ian Thorpe'.
The Sydney Olympics'opening ceremony told the story of ancient and modern Australia.
Metres from a gold medal,Australian walker Jane Saville's Olympic dream ground to an agonising halt this afternoon.
While the field stiffened,strained and ached into the final straight,Freeman sprinted freely,relaxed,brilliant and beautiful.
The closing ceremony was a full-frontal depiction of Sydney and Australian pop culture which delivered not just the promised party but also a political punch.
If Eric the Eel was the unexpected hero of the Olympics,the Paralympian equivalent was an athlete from Chile who emerged as the crowd favourite at the pool.
Before she won the 400m,Cathy Freeman was entrusted with the lighting of the Olympic flame in Sydney.