The curtain came down on the 2008 Olympic Games Sunday but not before the day had thrown up some pleasant surprises.
A country that has produced some great long-distance runners had to wait for
Beijing to win its first marathon gold. Samuel Wanjiru did that honor for Kenya, and in Olympic record time too.
Samuel Kamau Wansiru of Kenya crosses the finish line to win the men's marathon in the athletics competition at the National Stadium during the
Beijing 2008 Olympic Games August 24, 2008. [Agencies]
China was expected to lead the gold medal tally, and it did, taking 51 of them to end up with a total medals' tally with the wonderful round figure of 100. China's gold haul is the biggest after the erstwhile Soviet Union's 55 gold medals in Seoul 1988.
Though the US was second on the gold tally, the first time it slipped from the top since 1992, it beat its own record of total number of medals. It won 110 medals, two more than in 1992 and 10 more than China's total. These records are obviously for non-boycotted Games.
The 17-day
Beijing Games saw 43 world records and more than 120 Olympic records shattered.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) was pleased with the Games and the hosts, with IOC President Jacques Rogge saying at the closing ceremony: "Thank you to the people of China, to all the wonderful volunteers and to BOCOG (Beijing Games organizing committee)."
He said the world will cherish the 17 glorious days of the Games "forever".
The last day belonged to China as much as it did to Kenya, as Zou Shiming won the host country's first boxing gold. He lifted the title after Mongolian light-flyweight pugilist Serdamba Purevdorj retired in the second round because of a shoulder injury.
Zou Shiming (L) celebrates his victory over Mongolia's Serdamba Purevdorj during their
Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Light Flyweight (48 kg) final boxing bout on August 24, 2008 in Beijing. [Agencies]
Zou's victory makes the world champion's four-year dream come true, who had won China's first boxing medal (a bronze) in Athens 2004.
Two hours after Zou's historic win, light-heavyweight Zhang Xiaoping won a surprising bout against Kenny Egan of Ireland, giving China its second boxing gold.
