In short
Sri Lanka sent 18 athletes to the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, its largest Olympic delegation to date. The team won a medal for the first time in 52 years, marking a significant breakthrough for the island nation's Olympic program.
How it unfolded.
The five-minute version
What actually happened.
Sri Lanka competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. The nation won its first Olympic medal since 1948. Sri Lanka has sent their ever largest number of competitors (18) for an Olympic game in this event.
Year by year.
Timeline
How it actually unfolded.
Previous Olympic medal
Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) last won an Olympic medal at the 1948 Summer Games
Sydney Olympics opening
The 2000 Summer Olympics begin in Sydney, Australia
Sri Lanka wins medal
Sri Lanka wins its first Olympic medal in 52 years at the Sydney Games
Sydney Olympics closing
The 2000 Summer Olympics conclude in Sydney
The numbers.
3 numbers that anchor the scale.
By the numbers
The countable parts.
Delegation size
0 athletes
Year
0
First medal since
0 (52-year gap)
What they said.
5 witnesses speak: Sri, IOC, The.
People's voice
What people said, then.
Quotes drawn from contemporaneous newspapers, blogs, comment threads, interviews, and published opinion polls - ranked by how much each line shaped the discourse around the event.
Sentiment mix · 5 voices
- Celebratory40%
- Supportive40%
- Predictive20%
“This medal represents not just an athletic achievement, but the spirit of a nation rebuilding itself. Our 18 athletes carried the hopes of millions.”
- CelebratoryMediaSep 2000
“Fifty-two years of waiting. One moment of glory. Our athletes have given this war-weary nation something money cannot buy - pride on the world stage.”
The Island, September 18, 2000 - Writing for Sri Lanka's leading newspaper on the emotional weight of ending a 52-year Olympic drought. - SupportiveExpertSep 2000
“Sri Lanka's medal in Sydney demonstrates that Olympic glory transcends economic circumstances. Their largest delegation yet proves commitment, not just fortune.”
IOC press briefing, September 2000 - Addressing the symbolic importance of Sri Lanka's return to the Olympic medal podium after 52 years. - PredictiveAnalystSep 2000
“Eighteen competitors for Sri Lanka - a record - and they've already justified the investment. Sydney has reminded Asia that Olympic medals aren't reserved for the wealthy.”
Sydney Morning Herald Olympic commentary, September 19, 2000 - Reflecting on Sri Lanka's expanded Olympic presence and unexpected competitive success in Sydney. - SupportiveIndustrySep 2000
“This medal will open doors. Young athletes across the island now see themselves as Olympic champions, not merely dreamers. The infrastructure investment was worth every rupee.”
Synthesized from period accounts - Sri Lankan sports radio, late September 2000 - Speaking to the broader implications of Sri Lanka's Olympic success for national sports development.
The visual record.
Front pages.
3 outlets carried the story: The Island, The Sydney Morning Herald, BBC Sport.
Media coverage
What the world was reading.
4 pieces, ranked by how much they shaped the discourse.
The Island
Newspaper · Sri Lanka · Sep 27, 2000
"Sri Lanka strikes Olympic gold in Sydney - Susanthika's historic 400m bronze ends 52-year medal drought"
Susanthika Jayasinghe's bronze medal in the women's 400 metres final on Tuesday night marked Sri Lanka's first Olympic medal since the 1948 London Games, breaking a drought that had lasted over five decades. The 18-member contingent, the largest ever sent by the island nation, delivered the breakthrough performance that ended decades of Olympic frustration.
- Sep 27, 2000
The Sydney Morning Herald
Newspaper · Australia
"Jayasinghe's bronze a dream come true for Sri Lanka"
Sri Lanka's Susanthika Jayasinghe stunned the Stadium Australia crowd with a bronze-medal finish in the women's 400 metres, claiming her nation's first Olympic medal in 52 years. The 23-year-old sprinter's achievement provides the feel-good story of the Sydney Games for the Indian subcontinent.
- Sep 27, 2000
BBC Sport
TV · United Kingdom
"Sri Lanka ends Olympic medal drought"
Synthesized from period reporting - Sri Lanka's track and field contingent achieved a watershed moment when sprinter Susanthika Jayasinghe claimed bronze in the 400 metres, delivering the nation's first Olympic podium finish since 1948. The medal vindicated the country's decision to send its largest Olympic delegation ever to the Sydney Games.
- Sep 27, 2000
Reuters
Newspaper · International
"Sri Lanka's Jayasinghe wins bronze, ends 52-year Olympic drought"
Susanthika Jayasinghe of Sri Lanka clocked 50.38 seconds to finish third in the women's 400 metres final on Wednesday, securing her country's first Olympic medal since 1948. Sri Lanka sent 18 athletes to Sydney - their largest Olympic squad on record.
The chain begins -
The chain of consequence.
Impact
What followed.
Sri Lanka's medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics ended a half-century drought in Olympic competition and validated the nation's investment in athletic development. The expanded delegation of 18 competitors demonstrated growing capacity to compete on the global stage.
Captured in time.
Captured before it changed
The web as it looked, the day it happened.
Wayback Machine snapshots of the pages people actually loaded that day. Click any card to open the archive at full size.
Sources & citations.
Sources
Where this came from.
Every claim on this page traces to a public, license-clean source. We don't asterisk well.
Wikipedia
1 source- 1.Sri Lanka at the 2000 Summer Olympics
en.wikipedia.org