AUS Team / London Olympics - Gold: 7 / Silver: 16 / Bronze: 12

[Locke]

I was at the closing ceremony, awesome spectacle to see live, photos do not do it justice at all.

[jerseyboi]

Olympic and Paralympic cauldron ‘petals’ sent as gifts to the 2012 London competing nations

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) commenced the distribution programme of the handmade copper petals from the cauldron that burned so brightly during the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.
Designed by renowned British designer Thomas Heatherwick, the London 2012 cauldron represented every participating nation through a series of handmade copper elements, known as ‘petals’, with one created for every country taking part in the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Each National Olympic Committee and each National Paralympic Committee will receive their copper piece by the end of the year. Heatherwick Studio’s vision was that there would not be a large cauldron left after the 2012 Games. Instead, each of the copper petals was to be offered to each country as a memento of their incredible sporting achievements.

During the Opening Ceremony for the Olympic Games the 204 petals for the Olympic cauldron were carried into the Stadium as part of the parade by young people from East London who accompanied each competing nation. The young people placed the petals on the cauldron before it was lit and raised into its upright position. During the Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony the 164 petals representing each nation were pre-set before the parade of nations and prior to the spectacular cauldron lighting sequence.

Sebastian Coe, Chair of LOCOG, said: ‘I am delighted to conclude the story of the cauldron by presenting each National Olympic Committee and each National Paralympic Committee with the copper petal that represented the achievements of their teams at the 2012 Games. Each petal is an iconic symbol of each nation's participation in the London Games and a fitting final gift from London to the world.’

[TOCC]

phh... keep your scrap metal over there thanks

[jerseyboi]

It's nearly time to say goodbye to 2012.........
The year of the London Olympic Games.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...v=nsxEd3MLdg8#!