Palau at the 2000 Summer Olympics Palau at the 2000 Summer Olympics Palau competed in the Olympic Games for the first time at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. Palau is an island country located in the western region of the Caroline Islands, with a population of 21,431 as of July 2017. The nation gained independence in 1994 from the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, under the trusteeship of the United States. The two countries also entered the Compact of Free Association that year, allowing the United States to be responsible for Palau's national defense. The Palau National Olympic Committee was formed in 1997,
Winter Olympic Games three events in his sport. Alberto Tomba, an Italian skier, made his Olympic debut by winning both the giant slalom and slalom. East German Christa Rothenburger won the women's 1,000 metre speed skating event. Seven months later she would earn a silver in track cycling at the Summer Games in Seoul, to become the only athlete to win medals in both a Summer and Winter Olympics in the same year. The 1992 Winter Games were the last to be held in the same year as the Summer Games. They were hosted in the French Savoie region, with 18 events held