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Australia Weightlifting

2000 Five Dollar

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This Olympic Weightlifting commemorative coin was part of a set released following the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. They depict 28 forms of Olympic sports. It had a Raphael Maklouf design on the obverse showing a portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II, right-facing, crowned with necklace and earrings. It also has the legend ELIZABETH II AUSTRALIA 2000. The reverse had an Olympian competing in the weightlifting event with the official Olympics insignia and was designed by Philip Holliday.

Women's weightlifting made it's debut at the Sydney Olympics. The women's events were dominated by Chinese athletes taking 4 Gold Medal's. Ding Meiyuan took Gold medals in the over 75kg category along with setting new World Records in the snatch and the jerk. Her rival in the over 75Kg category was Agata Wrobel of Poland. Other Gold medals went to Columbia, Mexico and the USA with one apiece (Peoples Daily Online, 2000) .The Men's events were very different. The Chinese only took one Gold in the under 77Kg category. Other Gold's went to Croatia, Turkey and Bulgaria. The Greek team managed to achieve Gold in 2 events whilst the Iranian competitor Hossein Tavakkoli excelled netting Gold in the under 105Kg as well as the over 105kg. This was an exceptional achievement.The Weightlifting event was marred by a drugs controversy during the games. This has been a trend in the sport at recent events. Firstly, the Romanian team were booted because three of their team failed drugs tests during the year. They were then allowed to compete upon payment of a 50,000 Euros fine (NY Times, 2000) . Then the entire Bulgarian team were disgraced with expulsion when Gold looked a probability. The credibility of the sport has been brought into question since the event. It must also be mentioned that the Mexican Gold medallist, Soraya Jimenez, died of a heart attack at the age of just 35. She will be remembered as the first of her country to win an Olympic Gold Medal. May she rest in peace.

The original Olympic Games took place about 3,500 years ago but they didn't last. It was originally held during a religious festival honouring the Greek god Zeus. The Games were abolished in 393 A.D. by the Roman Emperor, Theodosius I, as he tried to suppress paganism. They restarted 1896 and were held in Athens, Greece. It was a great success. The International Olympic Committee had been formed two years earlier. The resurrection was an inspiration from Baron Pierre de Coubertin back in 1887. To be held every four years, as per Ancient Games, the Olympic Games became a great success. The first one to be held in Australia took place in Melbourne, 1956 (Sydney Olympic Games, 2010) .In 1993, Sydney was awarded the opportunity to host the 2000 Olympic Games. This was a chance for Australia to shine. And shine it did. The Sydney games broke so many records including ticket sales, attendances, transport,catering and most importantly, they finished fourth in the medal tables.