China's application for the Olympic Games in 2000

China organized the first great international sports event in 1990 when the PRC hosted the 11th Asia Games in Beijing. These Asia Games were considered a dress rehearsal for a possible application to become the host city of the Games in 2000. The application was decided in April 1991 and the "2000 Olympic Games Bidding Committee" was founded.

Beijing was made candidate city without a national pre- selection process. Beijing's international competitors were Berlin, Brasilia, Buenos Aires, Manchester, Sydney, Milan and Toronto. Also in this application Beijing was the most controversial candidate city. Mainly with reference to the situation of human rights and the violent suppression of the student protest in 1989 especially Western countries refused Beijing as a possible venue.

The election was lost to Sydney with only two votes. Reputedly the Australian John Coates bribed the IOC members Charles Mukorea (Kenya) and Francis Njangweso (Uganda) on the eve of the election during dinner offering them 35.000 dollars each masked as sport development aid. Despite that Chinese athletes successfully participated in the Games in Sydney in 2000 and won 3rd rank behind the USA and Russia with 28 gold, 16 silver and 15 bronze medals.

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