London 2012 Olympic Games

How do the Closing Ceremonies in the Beijing 2008, the Athens 2004, and the Atlanta 1996 rate?

Beijing 2008. A viewer would be hard pressed not to like the Beijing Closing Ceremony, especially if they were a fan of fireworks. When the Olympic athletes wave goodbyes to the audience, it is always jubilant and often free-form -- a favorite was two middle-easterners in their formal white robes standing stark-still and modestly waving their country flags, whilst all around them, athletes from other countries cavorted with abandon. The "tower of Babel" idea was interesting and was, at least, easier to view than other performances on the flat arena floor. Again, though the detail of what was happening on the tower was easily lost. The lengths of fabric that were first pulled up to the top of the tower and then raised like petals on an opening Chrysanthemum...
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