See You in Beijing

“See you again at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.”

The 2004 Athens Olympics hosted its closing ceremonies yesterday at the Olympic Stadium, bringing to a close 16 nights and 17 days of fierce competition.

The 10,000 athletes from all around the globe, who compared strength and skill for 301 gold medals in 28 categories starting on Aug. 14, bid farewell at the closing ceremony, followed by the final Olympic event of the men’s marathon. The athletes promised to meet again in four years in Beijing.

This year’s Games were held at the home of the Olympics, 108 years after the first Games were held in 1896. Adding to the significance of the occasion, all 202 member nations of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) were in attendance for the first time.

The North and South Korean athletes, who delivered a message of peace and reconciliation by marching in together at the opening ceremony, again received applause by marching together at the closing ceremony, led by joint flag bearers Park Sung-hyun (archery, two-time champion, South) and Kim Sung-ho (North).

South Korea’s last hurrah was yesterday at the women’s handball finals, held at the Helliniko Indoor Arena, when South Korea and Denmark could not decide victory even after two overtime games in 80 minutes of close competition. The Korean women won the silver after a heartbreaking 2-4 loss in a sudden death shoot-out.