2000 Summer Olympics
The 2000 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and commonly known as Sydney 2000 or the Millennium Olympic Games/Games of the New Millennium, were an international multi-sport event which was held between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was the second time that the Summer Olympics were held in Australia, and also the Southern Hemisphere, the first being in Melbourne, Victoria, in 1956.
Venues of the 2002 Winter Olympics
The Olympic Medals Plaza was located on the corner of South Temple and 300 West (block 85) in downtown Salt Lake City, within the Olympic Square. It was one of a few completely temporary venues, which was removed following the completion of both the 2002 Winter Olympics and 2002 Winter Paralympics. The site of the Medals Plaza is a parking lot owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is often used for temporary events. The Church donated free use of the property for the 2002 games, along with $5 million to transform the parking lot into an Olympic class Medals Plaza. On August 11, 1999, the same day the plaza's location was announced, a tornado hit downtown Salt Lake City killing one man at the site of the future plaza. Some of Salt Lake's citizens, including many in its City Council, had preferred Washington Square, near the City & County Building, or Pioneer Park as the location for the Medals Plaza. Nevertheless, SLOC accepted the Church's offer because they were willing to help pay the costs, and the parking lot was an entire city block in size, which would allow a large number of spectators. Construction on the plaza began December 3, 2001, and the final touches were being finished when the plaza was unveiled to the press on January 25, 2002.