Coldplay,
Rihanna and Jay-Z headlined a three-hour festival of song and dance in front of
80,000 spectators at the Olympic Stadium, with flame-throwers, fantastical
vehicles, roller-skating warriors and stunning aerial acrobatics.
Top
British athletes Ellie Simmonds and Jonnie Peacock extinguished the flame,
signalling the formal end to the Games and the start of the countdown to the
next edition in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
London
2012 chief Sebastian Coe said the Paralympics and the Olympics before it had
been an "historic odyssey of human achievement and endeavour" that
had been an "inspiration" to everyone involved.
"The
Paralympic Games has set new records every day, sporting records, records for
crowds, for television audiences, for unbridled spirit," he told the
crowd.
"In
this country we will never think of sport the same way and we will never think
of disability the same way. The Paralympians have lifted the cloud of
limitation."
As
fireworks exploded over the British capital, a message was projected on to the
side of the British parliament on the banks of the River Thames: "Thank
you London, thank you UK."
Britain's
press on Monday mostly lavished praise on the closing ceremony.
The
Times went with the headline "From the Heart of London 2012" over a
wraparound photograph of a heart-shaped ring of flame that encircled
flag-waving Paralympians.
The
middle-market Daily Mirror went with "It's Been a Blast" over a
picture of fireworks exploding into the night sky from the edges of the
stadium.
The
paper said a global audience of one billion had watched the "breath-taking
finale"..
Organisers
hailed the Paralympics as the biggest and most high-profile in its 52-year
history, with more media attention and a record number of athletes from more
than 160 countries, including for the first time reclusive North Korea.
Coe
said earlier that with 2.7 million tickets sold, packed venues and vocal
crowds, the Games had created a global platform for elite disabled sport and
also helped change perceptions of people with disabilities.
"I
really genuinely do think that we have had a seismic effect on shifting public
attitudes," he told a news conference, adding that the focus had been on
"what we can do rather than what we can't do".
The
final golds of the Games -- in the marathon, wheelchair rugby and seven-a-side
football -- ended the action, which notably saw the Games' most high-profile
athlete Oscar Pistorius stripped of his 100m and 200m crowns but then conclude
the track and field programme with a stunning victory in the 400m.
New
stars have been found to challenge the South African "Blade Runner",
who made history last month by becoming the first double-amputee to compete at
the Olympics, and the focus of the Games has shifted away from disability.
"I
think people are going to look back at this Paralympic Games and for the first
time really, truly believe that Paralympic sport is not just inspirational,
it's hardcore sport," said Pistorius.
"It's
full of triumph, sometimes it has disappointment, but that's what we look for
in sport. We want it to be competitive and that's what it's been about."
London
was awarded the Olympics and Paralympics in 2005 and has had to face doubts in
particular over the cost of the project, security and whether the city's
creaking transport system could cope with a massive influx of visitors.
But
the efficient running of both events and the public response has defied
naysayers who predicted chaos and a lack of enthusiasm.
The
president of the International Paralympic Committee, Philip Craven, said London
had hosted "the best Paralympic Games ever" but the challenge was to
maintain interest -- as well as increase participation around the world.
"We
have to really concentrate on getting every country doing more Paralympic
sport," he added.
The
daughter of German-Jewish neurologist Ludwig Guttmann, who organised the first
recognised sporting event for disabled people in southern England in 1948, also
said there was more work to do despite improvements since her father's time.
"We
are not there yet. There is a way to go," said Eva Loeffler, highlighting
continued issues around accessibility for disabled people in society.
More
countries needed to send athletes to the Paralympics, she said, but added that
the greater exposure afforded to Paralympians was positive.
"I
think that more people will realise that disabled people are people," she
added.
Source: MSN.Com
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