Beckham sets ball rolling towards London 2012
BEIJING (Reuters) - China unveiled an extravagant farewell to the Olympics on Sunday and David Beckham, the world's most famous football player, said hello by kicking a ball to start the countdown to London 2012.
The appearance of Beckham on top of a red double-decker bus that unfolded into a hedge-clipped silhouette of London sent 91,000 fans into a frenzy in the futuristic Bird's Nest stadium.
A grinning Beckham kicked the ball off the top of the bus into the hands of a delighted Games volunteer.
The London segment was woven into a spectacular closing ceremony that wrapped up a $43 billion Games designed to showcase China's might, modernity and sporting prowess.
A ring of fireworks exploded round the rim of the stadium. Two giant drums were hoisted into the sky with two pairs of suspended drummers thumping out a hypnotic beat.
The stadium was turned into a kaleidscope of glittering colours with 200 acrobats taking giant leaps and somersaulting across a stage on spring-heeled stilts.
Launching a huge party to wrap up the greatest sporting show on earth, thousands of athletes poured in from all four corners of the stadium, blowing kisses and waving flags.
The towering figure of Chinese basketball player Yao Ming was seen grinning from ear to ear. Continued...
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