Sydney 2000. The last Olympic Games of the 20th century marked a continuation of the strong Basque presence and performance across several Olympic disciplines. There was a broad and diverse representation, with numerous Basque athletes competing in handball (Urdangarin, Olalla, and Garralda), field hockey (Maider Tellería and Elena Urquizu), athletics (Fiz, Odriozola, and Miranda), rhythmic gymnastics (Almudena Cid, L. Guréndez, and B. Nogales), football (Aranzubia and Lacruz), and cycling (Somarriba and Olano).
Naturally, Basque participation was smaller in other sports, though still notable. In artistic gymnastics, Álex Barrenetxea reached the final; in triathlon, Eneko Llanos from Álava competed; in judo, Kiyoshi Uematsu, a Biscayan of Japanese descent but based in Biscay, represented Spain; in weightlifting, Jon Tecedor from Gipuzkoa took part; in swimming, Jorge Pérez ed his Olympic appearance; and in canoeing, Arakama and Eizmendi competed again, joined by Jon Ergüin.
Medals were few, with the exceptions of a silver medal by Joane Somarriba, bronze medals for the three handball players, and a silver medal for the two footballers. Expectations were high for Olano and Fiz, but they finished fourth and sixth, respectively.