Sydney 2000. The last Olympic Games of the 20th century saw the Basque Country maintain a strong presence and solid performance across several Olympic disciplines. The Basque representation was broad and varied, with notable participation 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, but still noteworthy. In artistic gymnastics, Álex Barrenetxea reached the final; in triathlon, Eneko Llanos from Álava took part; in judo, Kiyoshi Uematsu, a Biscayan of Japanese descent but based in Biscay, represented Spain; in weightlifting, Jon Tecedor from Gipuzkoa competed; in swimming, Jorge Pérez made his second Olympic appearance; and in canoeing, Arakama and Eizmendi returned alongside Jon Ergüin.
Medals were scarce, except for a silver 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.