In a blaze of fireworks and national pride, a boisterous Beijing waved goodbye to the Games of the XXIX Olympiad last night.
Tears of joy. Sighs of relief. Pumping fists. Screams of exhilaration. A 17-day journey full of agony and ecstasy ended at the National Stadium, or 'Bird's Nest', in a glittering celebration that was a uniquely Chinese mosaic of song, dance and colour that exploded energetically against traditional 'auspicious cloud' motifs on the stadium's floor.
Almost 100,000 enthusiastic spectators and athletes packed the stadium to say farewell. They watched raptly as the Olympic flag was lowered, the flame extinguished and the flag passed to London, where the Games are set for 2012.
It was a climactic conclusion and a dazzling show of national pride for the host nation, which may have even shocked itself by scooping up a record 51 golds - well ahead of the second-place United States, with 36. China won a total of 100 medals in a dizzying array of sports - from gymnastics and diving to boxing and sailing. The Americans won the most medals overall with 110, however.
'[It's] a major historic breakthrough,' read a congratulatory message jointly sent by the top Communist Party leadership and the government. 'The motherland and the people are proud of you ... [you] have won immense glory for your country and people.'
The newly crowned world No 1 sporting power in terms of Olympic gold also claimed gold for putting on what International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge hailed as 'a truly exceptional Games'.
Some of the finest moments in the Games' 112-year history were cemented at Beijing's state-of-the-art venues, which saw the ushering in of two all-time Olympic greats. The sublime performances from American Michael Phelps in the pool and Jamaican Usain Bolt on the track ensured that the Beijing Games would go down as among the most memorable in Olympic history.
