Australia
Sydney Olympic Games 2000
Australia's national religion may be sport, but our versions of nationalism are much less strident than those existing in other parts of the world. Like many others was dubious about the rapidly approaching Olympic juggernaut which had a bit too much religious fervour about it to win favour with the masses down under.
I was actually an Olympic cynic right up until the opening ceremony. The months leading up to the games had seemed to consist of one bungle after another with train crashes, ticketing errors and nepotism seeming to be the order of the day.
However the faithful kept plugging away and at the eleventh hour the sight of Cathy Freeman lighting the flame woke something in many Australians, myself included.
Typical Aussie mum Cathy Freeman lights the flame of hope.
Cathy Freeman is an aussie mum, medal winning runner and Australian Aboriginal who was the 'poster girl' in the lead up to the games with her image appearing on bus shelters and TV screens from one side of the continent to the other.
Australia has had prominent aboriginal sports people before - Lionel Rose in boxing and Yvonne Goologong in tennis spring to mind so the pressure was on and Cathy displayed a grace and dignity which did us all proud.
In a piece of theatre which surpassed Spielberg's Close Encounters Cathy walked into what appeared to be a rock pool and to our perpexity lowered the torch to the surface of the water. Suddenly she was surrounded by a ring of flame which rose around her - leaving her encased in a fiery-crowned waterfall.