The Solomon Islands 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 1 ...

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

from 15 September to 1 October 2000. This was the nation's fifth appearance at a

Summer Olympic Games The Summer Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'été), also known as the Games of the Olympiad, and often referred to as the Summer Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inau ...

. The Solomon Islands' delegation to Sydney consisted of two track and field athletes,

Primo Higa Primo Higa (born 11 March 1973) is a retired middle distance athlete from the Solomon Islands. Higa represented the Solomon Islands in two Olympics, in the 1996 Summer Olympics which was held in Atlanta he didn't finish the 3000 metres steeplec ...

and

Jenny Keni Jenny Keni (born October 11, 1982) is a sprinter from the Solomon Islands. Keni has represented her country at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, as well as the 2002 Commonwealth Games. She also took pa ...

. Higa competed in the men's steeplechase, and Keni in the women's 100 meters. but neither advanced beyond the first round of their event.

Background

The National Olympic Committee of Solomon Islands was recognized by the International Olympic Committee on 31 December 1982. These Sydney Games were their fifth straight appearance in the

since their debut in the

1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the secon ...

. The Solomon Islands have never won a medal in Olympic competition. The 2000 Summer Olympics were held from 15 September to 1 October 2000; a total of 10,651 athletes represented 199 National Olympic Committees. The Solomon Islands' delegation to Sydney consisted of two track and field athletes,

and

. Higa was chosen as the flag bearer for the

opening ceremony An opening ceremony, grand opening, or ribbon-cutting ceremony marks the official opening of a newly-constructed location or the start of an event.

Athletics

was 17 years old at the time of the Sydney Olympics, and was making her Olympic debut. In the heats of the Women's 100 meters, held on 23 September, she was drawn into heat two. She finished her heat with a time of 13.01 seconds, eighth and last in her heat; only the top three from each heat plus the next two fastest overall from all ten hears were allowed to advance, meaning she was eliminated, the slowest qualifying time being 11.60 seconds. In the event overall, the gold medal is vacant due to original gold medalist Marion Jones of the United States 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 of Greece and

Tayna Lawrence Tayna Lawrence (born 17 September 1975 in Spanish Town, Jamaica) is a Track and field sprint athlete, competing internationally for Jamaica. She is an Olympic gold medalist in the 4 x 100 meter relay race. Lawrence graduated from Florida Inter ...

(the original bronze medalist) of Jamaica sharing silver, and Merlene Ottey, 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 The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( el, Αγώνες της 28ης Ολυμπιάδας, ) and also known as Athens 2004 ( el, Αθήνα 2004), ...

Keni would later represent the Solomon Islands at the 2004 Summer Olympics.

was 27 years old at the time of these Olympics, and was returning to the Games following his representation of the Solomon Islands at the 1996 Summer Olympics, where he did not finish the

3000 meters steeplechase The 3000 metres steeplechase or 3000-meter steeplechase (usually abbreviated as ) is the most common distance for the steeplechase in track and field. It is an obstacle race over the distance of the 3000 metres, which derives its name from the h ...

. On 27 September, he took part in the first round of the men's 3000 meters steeplechase, and was drawn into heat one. He finished the race in 9 minutes and 44.12 seconds, and was 13th and last in his heat; only the best four in each heat and the next three fastest overall from all three heats were able to advance, the slowest qualifying time was 8 minutes and 25.70 seconds. The gold medal was won by

Reuben Kosgei Reuben Seroney Kosgei (born 2 August 1979 in Kapcherop, Kenya), is a middle and long distance athlete mostly famous for 3000 m steeplechase in which he became the youngest ever winner of an Olympic gold medal in the event when at th ...

of Kenya in a time of 8 minutes and 21.43 seconds; the silver was taken by

Wilson Boit Kipketer Wilson Boit Kipketer (born 6 October 1973 in Kenya) is a middle and long distance athlete most widely known for running the 3000 m steeplechase. On 13 August 1997, at the Weltklasse Zürich, he set the world record in the steeplechase at 7:59 ...

, also of Kenya, and the bronze medal was won by

Ali Ezzine Ali Ezzine (Arabic: علي الزين ; born September 3, 1978, in Ain Taoujdate, Morocco) is a Moroccan athlete who specializes in the 3000 metres steeplechase. He won the bronze medal in this event at the 2000 Summer Olympics hel ...

of Morocco. *Note–Ranks given for track events are within the athlete's heat only

References

{{Country at games navbox, Solomon Islands, 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 ...

2000 in Solomon Islands sport