For a pastime which pits one team against another in a hard-fought contest, it is amazing that sport has a knack for bringing people together. There are few better examples of this than the Sydney Olympics, when athletes from North and South Korea marched together.
With all of Australia’s success at the Sydney Games, it’s not too surprising that the athlete parade during the opening ceremony is largely forgotten. But the South and North Korean athletes marching as one under the Korean unification flag remains one of the enduring images of Sydney 2000.
While it would be almost impossible for a similar occurrence to happen this year given how tenuous relations on the peninsula are now, it still wasn’t exactly easy 16 years ago.
Getting both nations under the one flag was the handiwork of International Olympic Committee president Juan Antonio Samaranch, who sent letters to the North and South Korean governments to encourage them to march together.
“I think this is very good news for sport, for the Olympic family and also for the Games of Sydney,” said Samaranch, after both nations had agreed to the proposal.
“It’s a very important gesture to show to all the world the will of the two Koreas to be unified as soon as possible.”
Because the South Korean team was larger than their northern counterparts, the agreement brokered by Samaranch required a number of athletes to sit out the opening ceremony to avoid creating an imbalance during the parade. Despite this, the ceremony was undoubtedly a success.
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While both nations competed under their own separate flags after the opening ceremony, that they were able to agree to march under the one flag under the single name of “Korea,” all the while still technically at war, proved just how wonderful the Olympics can be.
Be sure to follow The Roar as we look back on some of the most memorable moments in Olympic history – be they weird and wacky or brilliant and significant – and count down the days until the Rio Olympics opening ceremony.