Iconic Sydney 2000 Sprinter lights switched on for the first time
22 May 2019
The Sprinter, a sculpture made famous during the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, has been lit up for the first time in its new location at the New M4 near Sydney Olympic Park to coincide with Vivid Sydney.
New M4 Project Director Terry Chapman said many people would remember The Sprinter from its original installation at the top of the Centrepoint Tower in Sydney's CBD to celebrate the Sydney Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2000.
“We're proud to have worked with the Sydney Olympic Park Authority and the original sculptor, Dominique Sutton to give the famous 16-metre high, 8.5 tonne public art work a new lease of life, fitting it out with new LED lights which shine through the structure,” Mr Chapman said. “
Motorists driving on the M4 would have already noticed The Sprinter, which was relocated earlier this year to a site beside the New M4 Motorway near Homebush Bay Drive where it has become the gateway to the Sydney Olympic Park precinct.
There is around 300m of LED strip lighting installed on the sculpture, and with the electrical work and testing now complete, The Sprinter will be illuminated each night ensuring it remains a prominent figure after dark too.
The LED lights also have the capability to change colours to reflect major events at Sydney Olympic Park such as the State of Origin. Artist Dominique Sutton said "it was exciting to be involved in the extensive refurbishment of The Sprinter almost 20 years after the 2000 Olympic Games, and she was pleased its legacy would continue on.The Sprinter has this ongoing life which is amazing and seeing it fitted out with advanced technology and new LED lighting means it can be shown off in a new perspective,” Ms Sutton said.
Mr Chapman said, “It's very special for our team to have collaborated and worked with Dominique and experts who originally built The Sprinter, and we're delighted at how impressive it looks at night.”
