The announcement, in 1993, that Sydney would host the 2000 Olympics, provided the sport of athletics with a boost over the last decade of the Twentieth Century. Improving standards in a number of events and promising performances from younger athletes in the early 1990s provided hope that Australia would field a strong team in the Sydney Games.

After injury prevented her starting in the Games Trials, she was not selected to represent Australia in her favoured Heptathlon event, though she was named to start in the 100m Hurdles and Long Jump.  After Kylie Coombe was forced to withdraw from the team, due to injury, Flemming took her place and dominated the competition.  A range of personal best performances earned her a Commonwealth Record of 6695 pts, ranking high on the world all-time lists.  Later she upset the field in the the Long Jump, setting a personal best of 6.74m - a Games record.  In her remaining event, the 100m Hurdles, Flemming finished a tired fourth after looking like she might win an unprecedented third Gold.

Australia's other surprise success came in the 4x100m relay where Kerry Johnson and Kathy Sambell teamed with newcomers Monique Dunstan and Cathy Freeman to upset the favoured English team.  Freeman became the first aboriginal woman to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal.  Debbie Flintoff-King retired after the Games, where she was beaten by Sally Gunnell of England in the 400m Hurdles.  Gunnell became the next World and Olympic Champion at the event.

Further international successes were achieved at the World Junior Championships of 1990, at Plovdiv in Bulgaria, where the Australian 4x400m relay team of Renee Poetschka, Sophie Scamps, Kylie Hanigan and Susan Andrews won a surprise gold medal.  Commonwealth Games champion Lisa-Marie Vizaniari won silver in the discus, while in general the Australian team all did well.

Former Romanian discus star Daniela Costian had emigrated to Australia in the late 1980s and began to represent her new country in 1991.  She won a bronze medal in the discus at the 1992 Olympic Games - the best performance of any of the Australian team.  She medalled again at the 1993 World Championships and became the Commonwealth Games Champion in 1994.

Another athlete to win her first Commonwealth Games gold medal was Long Jumper Nicole Boegman.  She just missed out on selection in the 1986 Commonwealth Games team and was Injured when she would have been the favourite, in 1990.  The star of these Victorian Games was Cathy Freeman who won a rare 200m/400m double.  A third gold was denied Cathy, when the Australian team were disqualified after winning the 4x400m  

Other gold medallists included Kerry Saxby-Junna (10k Walk), Louise McPaul (Javelin) and Alison Inverarity (High Jump).

Sprinter Melinda Gainsford-Taylor took silver in the 200m in the 1993 World Indoor Championships, but went one better in 1995, becoming World Indoor Champion.  Her clashes with Commonwealth Games champion Cathy Freeman were highlights at many meets on the domestic circuit around Australia.  The two combined, at the World Championships in 1995, along with Renee Poetschka and Lee Naylor to win bronze in the 4x400m relay.

Gainsford-Taylor suffered injuries leading into the 1996 Olympic Games, when she was rated a medal chance.  She made the final of her event, but could not challenge for a medal.  Cathy Freeman had an impressive competition, smashing the Australian and Commonwealth records in winning Olympic silver in 48.63, behind the French star Marie-Jose Perec.  Another silver medal was won by the surprising Louise McPaul, who was in the form of  her life, and threw a PB to earn her medal.

Cathy Freeman became the first Australian female to win a World Championships athletics event in 1997, when she won the 400m.  Joanna Stone took a surprise silver in the javelin, while veteran walker Kerry Saxby-Junna won bronze in the new 20k event.

Freeman missed the 1998 Commonwealth Games, due to injury, but Australia still sent a strong team.  Winners included Nova Peris in the 200m where she finsished over the top of a collapsing Melinda Gainsford-Taylor to take the gold.  Peris, who had won Olympic Gold with Australia's hockey team in 1996, was, like Cathy Freeman, an Australian aboriginal.  Peris later won another gold as part of Australia's 4x100m relay team.  Another member of that team was individual 100m bronze medallist Tania Van-Heer, who won another gold for her role in Australia's 4x400m relay team.

Kate Anderson won the 5000m title, Australia's first international success at this distance, while Heather Turland took out the marathon and Jane Saville won the 20k Walk.  Emma George won the inaugural Pole Vault event, while Louise McPaul-Currey defended her javelin title.  Debbie Sosimenko took out the Hammer Throw, another event making its' Commonwealth Games debut.

In 1999 at the World Championships, Cathy Freeman became the first Australian to defend a World Athletics championships, winning the 400m from lane one.  

Australian Best Performances as at 1 January, 2000.

100m 11.12A Melinda Gainsford-Taylor Sestriere 94 200m 22.2 Melinda Gainsford-Taylor Stuttgart 97 400m 48.63 Catherine Freeman Atlanta 96 800m 1-59.0 Charlene Rendina Melbourne 76 1500m 4-08.10 Jenny Orr Melbourne 72 100m Hurdles 12.93 Pam Kilborn-Ryan Warsaw 72 400m Hurdles 53.17 Debbie Flintoff-King Seoul 88 Long Jump 6.87 Nicole Boegman High Jump 1.98 Vanessa Browne-Ward Perth 88 Shot Putt 19.74 Gael Mulhall 84 Discus 63.00 Gael Mulhall Melbourne 79 Javelin 69.28 Petra Rivers Brisbane 82 4x100m Relay 43.18 Barbara Jordan-Wilson Montreal 76 Debbie Wells Denise Robertson Raelene Boyle 4x200m 1-32.8 Barbara Jordan-Wilson Brisbane 76 Susan Jowett Denise Robertson Raelene Boyle 4x400m 3-25.56 Judy Canty-Peckham Montreal 76 Verna Burnard Charlene Rendina Beth Nail