Olympics to close with a thunderous party

Olympics to close with a thunderous party Written By:Margaret Kalekye/Agencies,    Posted: Sun, Aug 12, 2012

The Closing Ceremony also features the extinguishing of the Olympic Flame, signalling the end of the Games London is preparing to close out a two-week festival of sports in Olympic style, with a thunderous celebration of British music, from the classical compositions of Elgar to the classic rock of The Who. The Closing Ceremony celebrates the achievements of athletes at the London 2012 Olympic Games, and includes a Handover from one Host City to the next. In 2012, London will hand over to Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Olympic Games. The Closing Ceremony also features the extinguishing of the Olympic Flame, signalling the end of the Games. A star-studded closing ceremony Sunday night will be long on fun - a dancing, stomping, psychedelic exaltation of what Britain does best, exporting a head-shaking amount of talent to the world. The spectacle, which artistic director Kim Gavin promises will be "the best after-show party that's ever been," will have something for everyone - the Spice Girls, George Michael, Annie Lennox, Muse and many, many other stars mixed in. There'll be plenty of fireworks and colored lights, acrobats, gymnasts, drummers, supermodels and other surprises to keep the crowd - and a television audience of tens of millions - entertained late into the night. The best seats are for the 10,800 Olympic athletes, who will march in as one and form what Gavin has described as a human mosh pit on the field. Queen Elizabeth II, who made a memorable mock parachute entrance at the opening ceremony, will be on hand. Eight minutes have been turned over to Brazil, host of the 2016 Rio Games, which promises an explosion of samba, sequins and Latin cool. Following tradition, London Mayor Boris Johnson will hand the Olympic flag off to his Rio counterpart. There will also be speeches by International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge and London organizing committee chief Sebastian Coe, and the extinguishing of the Olympic flame. What a way to end a games far more successful than many Londoners expected. Security woes were overcome, traffic and transportation nightmares never materialized, and Britain had its biggest medal haul since 1908. The United States was poised to edge China in both the gold medal and total medal standings, recapturing the gold-medal title it lost four years ago, but Britain will finish third in golds. And while the games may have lacked some of the drama and grandeur of the Beijing Olympics in 2008, there were some unforgettable moments. Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt became an Olympic legend by repeating as champion in both the 100-meter and 200-meter sprints. Michael Phelps ended his long career as the most decorated Olympian in history. British favorite daughter Jessica Ennis became a global phenomenon with her victory in the heptathlon.