Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...

sent a delegation to compete at the

2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 ( Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from ...

in Sydney, Australia from 15 September to 1 October 2000. This was Belize's eighth appearance at a Summer Olympic Games. The delegation sent by Belize consisted of two

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...

competitors: Jayson Jones and Emma Wade. Neither advanced beyond the first round heats of their events.

Background

The

Belize Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association The Belize Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association, formerly the British Honduras Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association, (IOC code: BIZ) is the National Olympic Committee and Commonwealth Games Association of Belize, responsible for the ...

was recognized by the

International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss ...

on 1 January 1968. The nation made its debut in Olympic competition later that year at the

1968 Summer Olympics The 1968 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1968), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XIX Olimpiada) and commonly known as Mexico 1968 ( es, México 1968), were an international multi-sport eve ...

, and except for the boycotted 1980 Summer Olympics has appeared in every Summer Olympiad since. This made Sydney their eighth appearance at a Summer Olympic Games, although they have yet to appear at any

Winter Olympic Games The Winter Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'hiver) is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were h ...

. As of the 2016 Summer Olympics, Belize has yet to win its first Olympic medal. The 2000 Summer Olympics were held from 15 September to 1 October 2000; a total of 10,651 athletes represented 199

National Olympic Committees A National Olympic Committee (NOC) is a national constituent of the worldwide Olympic movement. Subject to the controls of the International Olympic Committee, NOCs are responsible for organizing their people's participation in the Olympic Gam ...

. The Belize delegation to Sydney consisted of two

competitors: Emma Wade and Jayson Jones. Wade was selected as the flag-bearer for the opening ceremony, a duty she would reprise four years later in

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

Athletics

Emma Wade was 19 years old at the time of the Sydney Olympics, was making her Olympic debut, and would later go on to represent Belize at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. On 23 September, she was drawn into the third heat of the women's 100 meters. She finished the race in 12.25 seconds, which was seventh out of eight competitors in her heat, and Wade was eliminated. In the event overall, the gold medal is vacant due to original gold medalist

Marion Jones Marion Lois Jones (born October 12, 1975), also known as Marion Jones-Thompson, is an American former world champion track and field athlete and former professional basketball player. She won three gold medals and two bronze medals at the 2000 ...

of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

admitting to steroid use and forfeiting her medals and results from the Sydney Games. Officially, the medals in the event are held by

Ekaterini Thanou Ekaterini Thanou ( el, Αικατερίνη Θάνου, ; born 1 February 1975), also known as Katerina Thanou, is a Greek former sprinter. She won numerous medals in the 100 metres, including an Olympic silver medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics ...

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...

and

Tayna Lawrence Tayna Lawrence (born 17 September 1975 in Spanish Town, Jamaica) is a Track and field Sprint (running), sprint athlete, competing internationally for Jamaica. She is an Olympic gold medalist in the Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Wome ...

(the original bronze medalist) of

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

sharing silver, and

Merlene Ottey Merlene Joyce Ottey (born 10 May 1960) is a Jamaican-Slovenian former track and field sprinter. She began her career representing Jamaica in 1978, and continued to do so for 24 years, before representing Slovenia from 2002 to 2012. She is ran ...

, also of Jamaica, the original fourth-place finisher, being awarded a bronze. Gold was left vacant because Thanou, the original silver medalist, had her own issue with missing a drug test at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Jayson Jones was 23 years old at the time of these Olympics, and was also making his Olympic debut; he would later represent Belize at the 2008 Summer Olympics. On 27 September he took part in the first round of the men's 200 meters, and was drawn into heat one. He finished the heat in a time of 22.20 seconds, seventh and last in his heat, and he was eliminated. Gold was eventually won in 20.09 seconds by

Konstantinos Kenteris Konstantinos "Kostas" Kenteris, also spelled as Konstadinos "Costas" Kederis ( el, Κωνσταντίνος "Κώστας" Κεντέρης ; born July 11 1973) is a Greek former athlete. He won gold medals in the 200 metres at the 2000 Summer ...

of Greece, the silver was earned by

Darren Campbell Darren Andrew Campbell, (born 12 September 1973) is a British former sprint athlete. He was the sprint coach at Wasps Rugby Club for the 2015–16 season. He competed in the 100 metres and 200 metres, as well as the 4 × 100 metres relay. ...

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...

, and the bronze was taken by Ato Boldon of

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...

References

{{Country at games navbox, Belize, Summer Olympics Nations at the 2000 Summer Olympics

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from S ...

Summer Olympics