“Thank you Australia, for enhancing the profile of our athletes more than at any time in our history.”

After the tremendous success of Barcelona 1992, and the troublesome experiences of Atlanta 1996, the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games got the Paralympic Movement back on the track with a sensational showcase of sport.

The momentum of a highly successful Olympics transferred to the Paralympics, and astounding levels of competition, administration and public awareness raised the profile of the Paralympic Games to a new high.

From an organisational point of the view, the Games were outstanding.

The OCOG benefitted from a number of shared resources with the Olympics. A record 1.2million tickets were sold, and many spectators benefitted from receiving excellent explanatory guides to classification.

The spectacular Opening Ceremony was a three-hour affair. One of Australia’s most decorated Paralympians, Louise Sauvage, lit the Paralympic cauldron, and pop princess Kylie Minogue entertained the fans with a virtuoso performance.

The Games attracted a record 3,881 athletes from 122 countries, greater than the number of athletes and countries that took part in the Munich 1972 Olympic Games.

Athletes competed in 18 sports and, in terms of sporting performance, Canadian para-swimmer Jessica Sloan won the most individual titles, topping the podium six times.

Great Britain’s wheelchair racer Tanni Grey-Thompson also enjoyed notable success, winning four gold medals.

After being a demonstration sport in Atlanta, wheelchair rugby made its full Games debut and won huge praise for its fast and physical style. USA edged out Australia 32-31 in a thrilling gold medal match.

Despite the loss, Australia – aided by tremendous home support – still topped the medals table, winning 149 medals, including 63 golds.

The Games received unprecedented global exposure.

More than 2,300 media representatives attended and, for the first time ever, 100 hours of Paralympic sport was webcast to more than 103 countries, ensuring that those in territories where the Games were not shown on TV could still follow the action.

The official Games website attracted an estimated 300 million hits during competition time.

At the Closing Ceremony on 29 October, which featured live music and a showcase of the athletes’ achievements, IPC President Dr Bob Steadward said: “It came as a sheer delight, but no surprise, that you excelled yourselves in hosting our Paralympic athletes to an absolutely outstanding event.

“Thank you Australia, for enhancing the profile of our athletes more than at any time in our history.”

But the Games were not without controversy.

It was discovered that members of the gold medal winning Spanish basketball team for athletes with an intellectual impairment did not meet the eligibility criteria.