ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the legacy aspirations and outcomes associated with the 2000 Olympic Games in Australia. The chapter starts by discussing the socio-economic and cultural context in Australia in the lead-up to the 2000 Olympic Games, before outlining milestones in the evolution of Australia’s sport policy which have influenced community participation in sport. Then, the chapter discusses the structure, governance, and funding of sport in Australia and highlights the ongoing tension between allocation of funding between elite athletes and community participation programmes. Available data on participation trends and the influence of the 2000 Olympics on participation are summarised. The chapter concludes by considering factors that positively influenced community sporting outcomes of the Sydney Games, as well as the challenges that Australia encountered in delivering and measuring sport participation legacies arising from the 2000 Olympics.
