Goodwill Games

Sights and Sounds of Brisbane

Sports Reviews

Gymnastics

Always a crowd favorite, the gymnastics competition provided some of the most breathtaking moments of the 2001 Goodwill Games among the artistic, rhythmic and trampoline competitions. Forty-four men and 38 women, including international gymnastics superstars Alexi Nemov, Svetlana Khorkina and Ivan Ivankov, competed in the artistic gymnastics program, with another seven women competing in the graceful rhythmic gymnastics program. Trampoline was a popular and exciting addition to the 2001 Goodwill Games with eight men and eight women competed at the 2001 Goodwill Games.

Athletics

A sporting feast of speed, power and endurance, the 2001 Goodwill Games attracted more than 450 of the world's best athletes for its 44-event athletics program. United States favorites Michael Johnson, Marion Jones and Stacy Dragila competed alongside some of Australia's hometown favorites, including pole vaulter Tatiana Grigorieva as well as international stars Jonathan Edwards (Great Britain) and Ato Boldon (Trinidad) to the delight of spectators. Five-time Olympic Gold medalist and Nine-time World Champion Michael Johnson bid farewell to the competitive world after his relay race at the 2001 Goodwill Games.

Basketball

Eight elite teams participated in the 2001 Goodwill Games men's tournament. For the first time in the event's history, Team USA was comprised of young, up-and-coming NBA players, which added additional excitement to the worldwide television and in-stadium audiences. The teams divided into two groups and competed in a round robin format.

Beach Volleyball

The beach volleyball competition included a strong field that included top teams from America, Australia and Brazil which led the charge against 64 of the world's best in a highly charged but fun environment on Australia's South Bank Piazza. The party atmosphere at beach volleyball was unmatched at another other venue. Music blasted, fans cheered and street performers kept the crowds entertained during breaks. The South Bank Piazza is Brisbane's premiere getaways - a hub for culture, leisure, entertainment and dining - and ultimately the perfect backdrop for one of the most exciting sports of the 2001 Goodwill Games.

Boxing

Forty-eight of the world's best boxers donned their gloves for the 2001 Goodwill Games in the fast and furious competition. Boxers from Australia, the United States, Cuba, Russia and other countries competed in 12 events, within six weight categories - 48kg, 54kg, 60kg, 67 kg, 75kg and 91 kg. Cuba dominated the boxing competition, capturing the gold medal in four of the six final matches.

Cycling

Seventy-two of the world's top cyclists raced each other and the clock at the 2001 Goodwill Games' cycling competition which included the men's sprint, scratch race, points race, kierin, madison and elimination; and women's sprint, scratch race, points race and elimination.

Diving

Top divers from Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Mexico, Russia, Sweden, Ukraine and the United States competed in the 2001 Goodwill Games diving program. Diving fans were treated to spectacular face-offs between Olympic and Goodwill Games gold medalist Laura Wilkinson (USA) as she tried to fend off her Chinese rivals. Olympic silver medalist Fernando Platas (Mexico), Anna Linberg (Sweden) and Alexandre Despatie (Canada) also led an international contingent of divers. Ten events, including 1m springboard, 10m synchronized platform and 3m synchronized springboard, was contested by 84 divers (42 men and 42 women).

Figure Skating

Graceful, powerful, beautiful and competitive….the figure skating competition is a crowd pleaser at the Goodwill Games, and the 2001 competition was no different. In the women's competition, the event featured the rival of Michelle Kwan (USA) and Irina Slutlkeya (RUS), in what many predict will be the precursor to the 2002 Winter Olympic competition. Both women debuted their Olympic programs at the 2001 Goodwill Games, much to the delight of the crowds. The 2001 figure skating program brought together the best of the best in the men's and ice dance competition as well. This was the biggest figure skating competition the fans of Brisbane had ever witnessed and it was a hit!

Surf Lifesaving

Known around the world for its pristine white beaches and great surf, the Gold Coast is also home to many Surf Lifesaving Clubs which are the foundations of this demanding sports, which is hugely popular in Australia. Surf lifesaving is part of the Australian character and heritage so it is fitting that it made its Goodwill Games debut at Kurrawa Beach on the Gold Coast. Teams from Australia, Canada, France, Great Britain, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain and the United States. The teams were selected according to their rankings in the 2000 World Lifesaving Championships. Each team was comprised of five men and four women and they competed in 12 events. The 2001 Goodwill Games represented the first time surf lifesaving in a major multi-sport competition.

Swimming

Swimming is king in Australia, where ratings for televised swimming events are equivalent to those of the Superbowl in the United State making it one of the hottest tickets at the 2001 Goodwill Games in Brisbane, Australia. Australians love their championship swimmers and the competition was fierce at the Games. Ian Thorpe, Grant Hackett, Leisel Jones and other top Aussies took on USA swimming giants Tom Malchow, Gary Hall Jr and Lindsay Benko and European Olympic gold medalists Pieter Van den Hoogenband and Inge De Bruijn in the all-star competition.

Triathlon

New York 1998 Goodwill Games champion Loretta Harrop led the charge for the Australian against a multitude of other triathlon greats from over 12 countries in the 2001 Goodwill Games triathlon competition. Men's Olympic champion Simon Whitfield (Canada) led the men's field in the event.
The men's and women's triathlon field each consisted of 25 competitors and the grueling race demanded a 1.5km swim, 40km bike ride and a 10km run. The Triathlon competition was raced in and around Brisbane's colorful South Bank precinct and was free to the public.

Weightlifting

Perhaps the most ancient of sports, weightlifting has lost none of its appeal over the centuries and the world's strongest men and women gave their all in four events at the 2001 Goodwill Games. Four new men's world records were set as well as six Goodwill Games records. Valentina Popova and Dina Meiyuan each set three world records and American Cheryl Haworth set three Goodwill Games records.