2000 Sydney Olympics
Also called: Games of the XXVII Olympiad, Sydney 2000
At the opening ceremony the athletes of South and North Korea marched in together behind the Korean Unification Flag for the first time since division. Taekwondo, which originated in Korea, became an official Olympic sport.
Rick Sforza, U.S. Air Force · Public domain · Source
Some 10,600 athletes from 199 nations took part from 15 September to 1 October 2000. At the opening ceremony, three months after the June 15th North–South Joint Declaration, the two Korean teams entered together as “KOREA” behind the Unification Flag, a blue peninsula on a white field, though they competed separately.
Taekwondo, which originated in Korea, became an official sport, and the triathlon was held for the first time. The Aboriginal sprinter Cathy Freeman lit the cauldron and went on to win the women’s 400 m, a moment that came to symbolise reconciliation with Indigenous Australians. At the closing ceremony IOC president Samaranch called them “the best Games ever”.