MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Athens bids Games farewell.

The Olympic flame was extinguished just before 11 p.m. Sunday night in Athens, bringing to a close the 2004 Summer Games.

The head of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Jacques Rogge, officially closed the 28th edition of the Games at about 10:50 p.m. (1950 GMT), kicking off a spectacular fireworks display.

Previously, in a two-hour extravaganza, the athletes of the 202 competing nations marched one last time at the packed Olympic stadium carrying their nations' colors before a cheering public that numbered some 70,000.

"You have won," Rogge told the Greek people, who responded with a joyful roar. "You have won by brilliantly meeting the tough challenge of holding the Games," he said, adding that the 2004 competition had been "unforgettable." He also called on the youth of the world to assemble in four years' time in Beijing for the 2008 Summer Games.

For her part, the president of the 2004 Games' Organizing Committee, Gianna Angelopoulos, said that the 17 days of competition had been "secure," during which time Greece, assisted by many other nations, had mounted the biggest security operation in the history of the Olympics.

There had been considerable concern over the past couple of years that Athens would not be ready to host the Games, given that construction of the various Olympic venues was not proceeding apace. As late as March 2000, the IOC considered moving the Games out of Greece, possibly to South Korea.

However, Greece pulled out all the stops and managed to get the many sports sites finished with time to spare. In addition, worries about terrorism and how to protect the athletes and the public had plagued security officials worldwide, but there were no reported incidents of such activities.

Present at the ceremony were, among others, the honorary president of the IOC, Juan Antonio Samaranch, Greek President Konstandinos Stefanopoulos, and Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, as well as Queen Sofia of Spain and Prince Anne of Great Britain.

About 11,000 athletes from all over the world competed during the Games. The first ten places: United States won the most medals 103 followed by Russia with 92, China with 63, Australia with 49, Germany with 48, France with 33, Italy with 32, and Great Britain with South Korea with 30. The first place for South American countries was for Brazil with 10 followed by Argentine with 6 and Chile with 3, Venezuela with 2; Paraguay and Colombia with 1. Greece, the land of origin of the Olympics, won 16 medals.

Despite some instances of judging controversy, the expelling of more than two dozen athletes for using illegal performance-enhancing drugs, and one notable incident where a spectator darted out of the crowd to grab and delay the leading runner - a Brazilian - in the marathon, possibly causing him to lose his chance for a gold medal, the Games played out without any major snafus.