Gymnastics at the 2000 Summer Olympics
Three gymnastics disciplines contested at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
At the 2000 Summer Olympics, gymnastics featured three separate disciplines: artistic, rhythmic, and trampoline. Artistic gymnastics and trampoline were staged at the Sydney SuperDome, the former from 16 to 25 September and the latter on 22–23 September. Rhythmic gymnastics took place at Pavilion 3 of the Sydney Olympic Park from 28 September to 1 October.
In artistic gymnastics, the competition format did away with compulsory routines. All gymnasts, including those not on a team, went through a qualification round. That round decided which teams and individuals advanced to the remaining events. The team final included the top 12 teams from qualifications; each team had six gymnasts, with up to five performing on each apparatus, and the four best scores per apparatus counted toward the total. The all-around final featured the 36 highest-scoring individuals from qualifications, with a limit of three gymnasts per country. For each apparatus final, the eight top scorers qualified, with a maximum of two gymnasts per nation.
In the women’s events, Andreea Răducan originally won the all-around gold medal but was disqualified after testing positive for pseudoephedrine. In the women’s team event, China initially took the bronze medal. However, an investigation by the FIG Executive Board, announced on 27 February 2010, found that team member Dong Fangxiao—listed as 17 years old—was actually 14 at the time, two years below the minimum age. Her results from the 1999 World Championships and the 2000 Olympics were struck from the records, and in April 2010 the IOC officially disqualified China. The United States, which had placed third, was awarded the bronze medal at the 2010 national championships in Hartford, Connecticut.
Quick Facts
- Event
- Gymnastics
- Games
- 2000 Summer
- Venue
- Sydney SuperDome (artistic and trampoline) / Sydney Showground (rhythmic)
- Dates
- 16 September – 1 October 2000
- Prev
- 1996
- Next
- 2004
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
In artistic gymnastics, no compulsory routines were performed. All gymnasts participated in a qualification round, which determined teams and individuals for the team competition (top 12 teams, up to five gymnasts per apparatus, four highest scores counted), the all-around competition (thirty-six highest-scoring individuals, limited to three per country), and event finals (eight highest-scoring individuals per apparatus, limited to two per country).
Reader's Guide
The 2000 Summer Olympics gymnastics program marked the first time trampoline was included as an Olympic discipline alongside artistic and rhythmic gymnastics. The artistic gymnastics competition introduced a format without compulsory routines, relying solely on a qualification round. The women's all-around gold medalist, Andreea Răducan, was disqualified after testing positive for pseudoephedrine. Additionally, an investigation by the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique Executive Board, announced on 27 February 2010, found that Chinese team member Dong Fangxiao was actually 14 at the time of the Olympics, two years below the minimum age. Her results were struck, and in April 2010 the IOC officially disqualified China from the women's team bronze, which was later awarded to the United States at the 2010 national championships in Hartford, CT.
Did You Know?
- Three gymnastics disciplines were contested: artistic, rhythmic, and trampoline.
- No compulsory routines were performed in artistic gymnastics; all gymnasts participated in a qualification round.
- Andreea Răducan was disqualified from the women's all-around gold after testing positive for pseudoephedrine.
- China was stripped of the women's team bronze in 2010 because Dong Fangxiao was 14, below the minimum age of 16.
More in Gymnastics at the Summer Olympics 1-24
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