A WONDERFUL WALTZ WITH MATILDA.

Byline: KAREN CROUSE

SYDNEY, Australia - Twenty-seven reasons why there were no rolled eyes when outgoing International Olympic Committee president Juan Antonio Samaranch on Sunday declared the Sydney Olympics ``the best ever'' Games:

1. More than three dozen failed tests for performance-enhancing drugs. Call these ``The Doping Games'' if you must, but know this: If the drug culture ever loses its clench on the Olympics, it'll be because the Sydney Games cared enough to try to weaken that grip.

2. Marion Jones' five-medal performance. The former Thousand Oaks High standout became the most-decorated female track-and-field athlete in history while remaining one of the most down to earth. When it was her turn to talk during the U.S. women's 400 relay press conference, she cleared her throat and without a trace of pretense began, ``My name is Marion Jones and I ran the third leg. . . .''

3. The Opening Ceremonies. The good will generated when Aboriginal runner Cathy Freeman appeared as an apparition to light the cauldron surely will help dispel Australia's ghosts. The rest of the world rode the positive vibes that swelled during the ceremonies like waves at Tamarama Beach.

4. Bondi Beach. Where heaven meets the surf.

5. Myriad merchandise-free zones: a welcome change after the crass commercialism of the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta.

6. The rendition of ``Waltzing Matilda'' by 17,500 soulful voices after Aussie swimmers Grant Hackett and Kieran Perkins finished 1-2 in the 1,500-meter freestyle.

7. Rulon Gardner vs. Alexander Karelin. Gardner handed the Russian his first defeat in 13 years in the Greco-Roman wrestling super heavyweight gold-medal match.

8. Ten thousand people at the Sydney Opera House for the final medal ceremony for sailing. Awards were handed out as the Australian Navy band played ``A Life on an Ocean Wave.''

9. USA 4, Cuba 0, in the gold-medal baseball game.

10. Cute but inconspicuous mascots. Aussie swimming great Dawn Fraser, First Daughter Chelsea Clinton and Samaranch were seen at more events than Syd, Ollie and Millie. Much like the Australian people, the mascots were loath to call attention to themselves.

11. Azerbaijan, Colombia and Latvia winning their first gold medals.

12. Camarillo High graduate Marla Runyan becoming the first Paralympic competitor to participate in the Olympics and placing eighth in the 1,500 meters.

13. Fourteen world records set and a 15th tied during the swimming competition at Sydney Aquatic Centre.

14. Freeman's victory in the 400 meters. The self-proclaimed ``shy little thing'' became the first Aborigine to win an individual gold medal.

15. Total attendance easily surpassing one million at the track-and-field competition.

16. A record 11,000 participating athletes, all of whom had their traveling expenses picked up by the Sydney Organizing Committee.

17. Nigerian hurdler Glory Alozie winning the silver medal in the 100- meter hurdles two weeks after her fiance was struck by a car and killed here.

18. The Aussies' booing of boorish winners. The Olympic Stadium crowd voiced its disapproval after the U.S. men's 400-relay team behaved badly during its victory lap and medals ceremony. And the SuperDome crowd showed no patience for the shenanigans of some of the American men hoopsters after a tight semifinal win over Lithuania (Vince Carter raised his index finger high in the air and yelled ``Scoreboard!'' and Antonio McDyess was quoted as saying, ``I never expected (Lithuania) would come out and play hard.''

19. ``Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi! Oi! Oi!''

20. Eighty nations winning at least one medal.

21. U.S. point guard Teresa Edwards getting a fourth gold medal in her fifth Olympics.

22. North and South Korea marching together in the opening ceremonies.

23. British rower Steve Redgrave winning his fifth gold medal in as many Olympics.

24. Studio City's Lenny Krayzelburg winning three gold medals and presenting one to each of his parents, who emigrated from the Ukraine at great personal cost so their two children might enjoy religious freedom and a boundless future.

25. The women's soccer gold-medal match between Norway and the U.S.

26. Aussie triple gold medalist Ian Thorpe saying, ``When we get out of the pool, we should all be mates.''

27. Forty-thousand volunteers saying, `G'day' and meaning it.

CAPTION(S):

photo, box

Photo: Rulon Gardner, who ended the 13-year undefeated streak of Russia's Alexander Karelin to win the gold medal in Greco Roman wrestling, carried the U.S. flag in closing ceremonies.

Jay Janner/Colorado Springs Gazette

Box: MEDAL LEADERS