Paralympics: 'Emotional' celebration to close Games
London 2012 organisers promised an emotional celebration to bid farewell to the Olympics and Paralympics, as the curtain falls on a summer of elite sport in the British capital.
Coldplay will headline tonight’s evening's show, entitled ‘Festival of the Flame’, which will draw heavily on Britain's rich history of cultural, musical and seasonal festivals, artistic director Kim Gavin told a news conference.
"The only narrative we have got is that we are taken through the seasons to the Coldplay music,” said Gavin. “It's not just a concert and we are not just looking at Coldplay. We have got fantastic visuals and amazing stunts going on. It's a celebration and recognition of people coming together. What we have tried to do is bring something that feels very raw."
The hosts of the next Olympic and Paralympic Games, Rio de Janeiro, will have an eight-minute slot in the show, to give spectators – and athletes – an idea of what awaits them in Brazil.
"If a nation has a spirit, Brazil's spirit is one of joy," said co-artistic director Daniela Thomas. "In eight minutes, we are going to try to be contagiously joyful. It is just a taster of what you will get in four years' time."
Germany down Australia for basketball gold
Germany beat Australia 58-44 in the women's wheelchair basketball gold medal match to condemn the Gliders to a third Paralympics final defeat.
Germany made it seven wins out of seven to take the gold at the North Greenwich Arena before a 13,000-strong crowd on Friday, going one better than the silver they achieved at Beijing 2008.
Australia won the bronze four years ago, having taken silver at Athens 2004 and Sydney 2000.
"We have had many tournaments over the last seven years and we have won medals, not gold, but we have been doing this step by step," said Germany coach Holger Glinicki.
China take volley gold
China beat the US 3-1 to take the women's sitting volleyball gold — then jokingly threatened to beat up their assistant coach for pushing them hard.
In a match at the ExCeL exhibition centre's South Arena 2 on Friday between the world's top sides, China won 22-25, 25-15, 32-30, 25-15, with Sheng Yuhong the best player by far, top-scoring with 38 points.
China have won all three gold medals since women's sitting volleyball was introduced to the Paralympics at Athens 2004.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 9th, 2012.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ