Closing Ceremony of the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games

原始出处：www.ATHENS2004.com

Sunday, 29 August 2004 last day of the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad

As the Greatest Celebration of Humanity reaches its final phase, host-city Athens will bid a final farewell to the athletes and its guests. The Ceremony starts at 21:15 at the Olympic Stadium, under Attica's full moon.

At the Closing Ceremony of the Olympic Games, athletes will, for once more, be on the spotlight. However, this time, they will enter the Olympic Stadium in the absence of any distinctive national emblems, in order to celebrate unified the end of the Greatest celebration of humanity and to set the foundations for new competitions at the upcoming 2008 Olympic Games.

During the Ceremony host city Athens will deliver the Olympic Flag to the mayor of the next host city of the 2008 Olympic Games, Beijing. Immediately after, the IOC president Dr. Jacques Rogge, will declare the end of the Games and the Olympic flame, that kept on lighting on the Cauldron of the Olympic Stadium through the 2004 Games, will go out.

"It's going to be a human celebration, full of music and singing. We're going to dance the Greek way, while a patchwork of music from all over Greece will play on a continuous flow, just like an energy river". That's how D. Papaioannou, Ceremonies concept creator and Artistic Director described the Closing Ceremony of the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games.

As it is already known, popular Greek artists will participate on the both parts, accompanied by 2,200 artistic volunteers. "100 tin bells bearers-an ancient Greek custom- and 60 dancers of Greek descent coming from the region of Pontos, will also participate, which constitute a strong part of the Greek tradition" D. Papaioannou, underlined.