January marks the start of Olympic year and Sydney is primed for the 2000 Games.

BBC News Online assesses how the preparation is going and takes a tour of the Olympic facilities.

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Sydney organisers are confident that preparations are going smoothly for the September showpiece.

Ticket revenue is ahead of expectations and there are still 1.5m tickets to be sold.

A commitment to green issues has also been rewarded, with Greenpeace granting a seven out of ten rating for the work put in so far to preserve the environment, while tourism in the city has grown as a result of the Games.

Click here for a tour of the Olympic facilities

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Olympic organisers are keeping their fingers crossed that the problems that dogged their preparation in 1999 can be resolved in 2000.

The Games have attracted a barrage of negative publicity in recent months, from the IOC corruption scandal to problems with ticketing and sponsorship dominated the headlines.

Click here for an analysis of the rollercoaster preparation

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The 2000 Games will take place at more than 30 venues throughout Sydney.

The focal point of the competition is Olympic Park in Homebush, which will host 14 of the 28 sports, while the rest will be scattered across the city.

Click here for details of the Olympic venues