An Australian Air Force F-111 figher bomber will fly 1,000 feet above Stadium Australia at the end of the Sydney Olympics’ closing ceremony. It will jettison most of its fuel and ignite it with its after-burn and then catch fire and form a 1,000 foot plume of flame. Lightning shells will then explode like giant flashbulbs at 24 points along the Parramatta River from the stadium to downtown Sydney, where another F-111 will perform the same operation above the Harbour Bridge. The Harbour Bridge, four giant barges, 10 smaller boats and the rooftops of seven buildings will be threaded with fireworks. At the end of the 23-minute fireworks show , which will consume $3 millon (AUS) worth of fireworks, two 24-inch shells will be fired and there will be a simultaneous fireburst of colour from 41 sites spread over more than 16 km.
An Australian newspaper said the Sydney Games are in danger of being remembered as the drug Olympics and IOC member Prince Albert of Monaco said the drug busts could cast shadows over great performances by “clean” athletes. Prince Albert added “It is a bad thing for these Games, but it is a good thing that we catch these people”. He expressed confidence in the IOC’s antidrug campaign but warned that the scandals could take some of the gloss off performances by clean athletes.
People leaving Sydney after the Games are being urged by Sydney Airport officials not to spend too long welcoming or saying goodbye to friends and visitors Monday, when the international terminal will have its busiest day ever. About 28,000 people are expected to fly out of the airport the day after the Olympic closing ceremony.
