Basketball at the 2000 Summer Olympics
Basketball contests at the 2000 Summer Olympics were held from 16 September 2000 to 1 October 2000. Games took place at the Sydney SuperDome and the Dome in Sydney, Australia. The United States claimed the gold medals in both the men's and women's competitions.
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.