Festive is the word that first came to mind when I saw the last Google Doodle for the London 2012 Olympics. Google’s last tribute to this highly-esteemed sports event depicted the impressive closing ceremony with athletes carrying the letters of “Google” while celebrating their triumph.
In an extravagant culmination of two weeks of competition, the London 2012 Olympic Games Closing Ceremony gave tribute not only to the winners but to all the athletes who participated in the Games. Entitled “A Symphony of British Music”, the closing ceremony showcased the art and culture of the United Kingdom and the superb artistic direction of Kim Gavin and his team. Over 4,100 performers, including 3,500 adult volunteers and 380 schoolchildren from the six east London Host Boroughs, were featured in the program and, through their artistic performance, demonstrated why music continues to be one of Britain’s strongest cultural exports for over 50 years now. Julian Lloyd Webber, George Michael, The Spice Girls, Fatboy Slim, and One Direction were some of the principal performers that night.
Afterwards, flag bearers of the various delegations entered the Olympic Stadium in single file. The athletes subsequently followed. Unlike in the opening ceremony where they marched by nationalities, the athletes marched together in observance of the tradition that began at the Melbourne 1956 Olympic Games. By marching together, the athletes from all over the world become ‘one nation’.
After the march of the athletes, three national flags were raised: the flag of Greece, the birthplace of the Olympics; the flag of the United Kingdom, the host nation; and the flag of Brazil, the next host country. The Olympic Games were then symbolically handed to Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Olympic Games. Then in a poignant moment, the Olympic Flame was extinguished signalling that the London 2012 Olympic Games have ended.
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