The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) - some photos.

As a promotion for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, several very large sculptures were crafted out of stainless-steel and mounted on Centrepoint Tower in the retail heart of Sydney.

There were three figures: an athlete in the starting blocks, a gymnast and a basketball player in a wheelchair (representing the disabled Olympians).

At least two of these creations are viewable at the AIS.

The basketballer sits outside the entrance to the Visitor's Centre and the gymnast is a little further down the road, outside the entrance to the two indoor swimming pools.

I had reason to visit the AIS this morning as part of my job and took the following photos, which I thought I'd share here.

Please note that if you click on the small image then a full-size version will open up.

This is the main entrance to the campus and is the first thing that the visitor sees when alighting from a coach or walking up the path from the carpark............

Just to the left, and slightly behind me, is the basket-baller....... 

But that shot doesn't really do her justice.....and gives no idea of the scale of the structure.

The next shot does, however...............

You can gauge the size of the figure by the two people walking towards the camera just at the base of the mound on which the sculpture is located.

In addition, the traditional bronze sculpture of the two figures on the plinth - one doing a handstand on the other's up-stretched arm - whilst larger than life, are dwarfed by the stainless-steel figure.

The next shot is of the bronze.......

This sculpture has been in place for many years and is a favourite of all those who view it.

As mentioned above, further along is the gymnast, outside the pool complex........

Here she is in a close-up.

A beautiful creation, very nicely detailed, even down to her hair being tied into a bun........

I'll close this blog entry with my favourite shot taken today.

A storm was building in the west and I captured it as the background to the basket-baller.

(The giant anchoring/tensioning arms in the background  support the roof of the Arena, an indoor-event building which hosts basketball and also other forms of entertainment.)