Nation's heroes take their magic to the streets


The Australian Olympic team 2000 had the run of Sydney town yesterday, and
collected the keys to the city. Photo: RICK STEVENS


By TONY STEPHENS
10:45PM, Oct 03

Sydney was possessed by good spirits yesterday, when the sun-touched heroes
came to the people in their streets for a final Olympic love-in. By last
night, both
heroes and people wondered how much love could possibly survive this morning.

There was the Premier, Bob Carr, dropping his left knee on the Town Hall
steps,
taking in his right hand the right hand of a stunned Cathy Freeman and
kissing it. The
Premier is the sort of person who knows that serious exercise has damaged
friends,
but we are all sports fans, for now.

''I can't believe you did that,'' the gold medal-winning, cauldron-lighting
Freeman
said. ''You are far too modest,'' said the Premier.

There was Kieren Perkins, taking Georgia, his daughter of three years, from
the
arms of his wife, Symantha, and carrying the girl to the steps. Georgia had
been
crying in the crush of the crowd. On the steps with her swimming hero father,
she
clapped her hands with joy.

There was Grant Hackett, the 1500m swimming gold medal around his neck,
standing in the back of a car and leading the crowd in the ubiquitous chant:
''Aussie,
Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi!''

Not everyone can be a hero. Some people have to stand on the pavement to
cheer
as the heroes pass by. Inspector Dave Darcy estimated that about 200,000
people
had lined the streets from the Opera House yesterday and about 60,000
gathered
around the Town Hall.

Office workers threw shredded paper from high-rise buildings, like guests
with
confetti at a wedding. If this Olympic marriage between athletes and people
were to
last, it might give birth to a new religion for the 21st century.

The great wave of public will that carried the Olympic torch around Australia
and
around the Olympic venues finally washed up on the city streets.

As has often been the case in the past two or three weeks, Cathy Freeman saw
to
the heart of the day: ''We are not untouchable. We are normal people and this
is one
way of thanking Australians who supported us.''

She told the crowd later: ''You guys are heaven. You have provided everybody
with
the most amazing moments of their lives and memories we will all treasure
forever.''

The Premier explained his unrehearsed act of homage: ''I am not very often
celebrity-struck but there is an aura about her. She does represent a lot
about this
country, indigenous and non-indigenous. She is a symbol of unity.''

Mr Carr thought the Olympics the biggest celebration in Sydney since
Federation
Day on January 1, 1901, and perhaps the biggest single event since Japanese
midget
submarines entered the harbour in 1942.

He told the athletes: ''The pure gold of your mighty spirit comes from all
over
Australia ... You've shown the world the best of Australia ... not just the
muscle of
Australia but its marrow, not just its heart but its soul.

''We thank you for the magic and the music and the glamour ... We thank you
for the
courage you have shown is there in all of us.''

Nearly a thousand members of the Australian Olympic Team - 599 athletes and
378
officials - joined the parade to the Town Hall, where Olympic team captain
Andrew
Gaze accepted the key to the city.

Michael Knight, the Olympics Minister, disappeared inside the Town Hall
saying:
''Today's not about me. We're all here to cheer the athletes.'' Lord Mayor
Frank
Sartor said Mr Knight was watching the parade with his family.

Swimmer Susie O'Neill almost lost her voice but gained a green and gold teddy
bear
and flowers. ''It's made me feel so proud to be Australian,'' she said.

Tatiana Grigorieva, the pole vaulter who came from Russia to interest a
million or so
Australian males in her sport, warned that those who wanted to try it should
realise it
is dangerous, especially with a few beers on board. She added: ''I feel very
Australian today.''

Brent Livermore, hockey player: ''It's amazing - Sydney's been buzzing for so
long,
and now this. It's going to be a little bit sad but today it's just
incredible.''

Swimmer Daniel Kowalski said: ''I never knew Australians could be so
patriotic.''

Andrew Hoy, equestrian: ''I'm just exhausted and this is a different sort of
stress. My
hand hurts from signing autographs.''

Jai Taurima, the long jumper, wondered what everyone would do the next day.

Right at the end, air blasters blew shredded green and gold paper at the
heroes. The
wind changed in George Street and much of the paper fell on the people, who
were
happy to leave it in their hair and on their clothes.

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie: Joy! Joy! Joy!
Mass appeal ... the crowd waits for the athletes near the town hall. Photo
by Peter
Rae


On a sparkling Sydney afternoon, Australia's Olympic team were feted in a
tickertape parade before being presented with the keys to the city by Lord
Mayor
Frank Sartor at the Town Hall.

Thousands of people lined the streets to hoot and pay tribute to the team's
outstanding achievement of 58 medals.

Basketball skipper Andrew Gaze, accepting the keys to the city, praised
Australians
for the support they had given the team.

Mr Sartor also presented the keys to the city the Sydney 2000 SOCOG team. He
gave them to Premier Bob Carr to pass on to Olympics Minister Michael Knight.

SOCOG chief executive Sandy Hollway - sidelined by Olympics minister Mr
Knight
during the games - was in the VIP welcoming lineup, along with IOC member
Phil
Coles.

The crowd jammed George Street for three city blocks, stretching from Market
through to Goulburn streets. The biggest cheer at the Town Hall was reserved
for
beach volleyball gold medallists Natalie Cook and Kerri Pottharst, who
remarked
that while they thought the roar at Bondi had been loud, the ticker tape
parade was
even better.

Tribal elder Vic Simms welcomed the crowd, saying that the Olympics had been
a
great event, but now the real marathon - reconciliation - was in front of
them.

Lord Mayor Frank Sartor told the crowd: "These are the best ever teams, the
best
ever Olympic games, in the best city in the world."

Gold medallist Cathy Freeman said the parade was a great way for Australia's
athletes to say "thank you".

She said the constant requests for autographs and photos were a little tiring
but it
made her feel special. "It means a lot to me," she said.

"We are not so untouchable, we are all very normal, all one of the same."

"I just want to let people know how happy they have made us feel by thanking
them."

In the parade's lead car was archery gold medallist Simon Fairweather.

The second car in the parade contained Australia's outstanding athletics
performers
including Freeman and pole vaulter Tatiana Grigorevia alongside Australian
Olympic
committee president John Coates.

The parade got underway shortly after midday led by the navy band playing
Waltzing Matilda.

Earlier, Australia Post motorcyclists handed out free flags to the crowd.

Altogether 977 members of the Australian Olympic Team - 599 athletes and 378
officials - were in the parade.