International Paralympic Committee (IPC) president Philip Craven declared the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games closed, calling these “the greatest Paralympic Games ever”.
About 91,000 spectators packed the Bird’s Nest stadium Wednesday evening where they watched fireworks light up the night sky as the Closing Ceremony for the 2008 Paralympics began. The theme of the ceremony was the future and the ideal is that the world’s Paralympics return to their countries and pass on the feeling of hope.
ABC Australia reports the performances were designed to represent rebirth, a new harvest, and the coming of the northern autumn.
Craven said, “these Games have been great Games. Everybody realizes that. These are the greatest Paralympic Games ever”. China had promised Two Games with Equal Splendour, and Craven said it had achieved its goal.
Craven said the organization of the Beijing Paralympics had been first class and applauded the hospitality of the Chinese people. He said, “these have been a very special Games”.
London Mayor Boris Johnson and his Beijing counterpart Guo Jinlong joined each other on the infield. Beijing’s Mayor handed over the Paralympic flag to Johnson via Craven, and then Craven declared the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games closed. Britain’s national anthem was performed by a 25-member group of British pupils from the Harrow International School in Beijing.
The eight-minute London handover segment featured a red London double-decker bus, London landmarks like Nelson’s Column, and a moment when a “tea lady” arrived and the show stopped. According to Straits Times, one thing that united China and Britain is the agreement that all things – even an Olympic ceremony – must stop for tea.
The Paralympic handover carried on from where London left the Olympic handover. For the first time both segments were conceived as two halves of one story – a journey to Beijing and a journey home with both the Paralympic and Olympic flags.
The London bus returned to the stadium and above the London skyline that was represented on the set was Lord Nelson taking a break from his famous column in London’s Trafalgar Square. Nelson then picked up his electric guitar, “donned his shades” and joined the band. The bus then reassembled to begin its journey back to Britain.
Many forms of dance were included in the segment, a collaboration between urban and contemporary dance, and in particular CandoCo’s mix of disabled and non-disabled dancers “brought a unique dynamic” to the show. In another Games first the same cast appeared in both handover segments.
London 2012 organizers praised the “spectacular” delivery of both the Olympics and Paralympics, but promised an outstanding event of their own.
Sebastian Coe, Chairman of London 2012, said he didn’t feel “cowed” by China’s success at hosting the Olympics and Paralympics. He told reporters, “it is a massive responsibility but we don’t find it daunting. I want to emulate it and even do better”.
