GOODBYE LONDON, HELLO RIO!

Monday, 13 August 2012

After 16 unforgettable days the Olympic Games are over.

The London 2012 Olympics ended with a spectacular musical closing ceremony and the official handover to the next host city, Rio de Janeiro.

The official Games flag was handed to the mayor of Rio before the flame at the Olympic Stadium was extinguished. Games chief Seb Coe said: ‘When our time came - Britain, we did it right.’

At the close of the ceremony, watched in the stadium by the athletes and 80,000 spectators, the 204 petals of the Olympic cauldron descended to ground level and the flame was extinguished in dramatic fashion.

As spectacular fireworks went off above the stadium, The Who performed My Generation and the venue became a sea of red, white and blue.

The Games have ended with the US topping the final medal table with 46 golds, followed by China with 38 golds. GB came third with 29 golds - their best tally since 1908. With seven gold, 16 silver and 12 bronze medals, Australia ranked 10th on the medal table.