Not with a fizzle, but with a bang.

     

      The London 2012 Olympics are officially over, leaving Britain a little shell shocked at its own success.

Wherever you were, televisions across the country were being heckled by hoards of red, white and blue painted punters, flag-waving families and tweeting teenagers. GB joy could be seen in every little village, town and city up and down the UK, in a blaze of patriotism and pride. Who would have guessed that a recession ridden Britain could shrug off its financial burden to enjoy sport together?

But that is what happened. Miraculously, Britain put aside the past and remembered to be proud of its country. As the confidence of our GB team grew, so did the decibel level of the cheering crowd. Flags were waved into a blur, faces grinned beneath the face paints; Britain was reminding the world that it was called Great for a reason.

Unexpected heroes were born during those 16 days. And I am not just talking about the record-breakers, the Olympic champions and the Golden under-dogs. Time and time again, organisers and athletes showered the volunteers and the crowds with praise for their energy, enthusiasm and positivity. Who were the real heroes? Why, the British public of course. Us mere mortals, who (most of us) couldn’t row a boat if we tried, brought the games to life. The thousands of volunteers proved that, even in lean times, we Brits can have a generosity of spirit.

What were your highlights? Was it Mo Farah’s fantastic 5 and 10 k Gold wins? Was it Bolt’s lightning-fast 100 and 200m sprint? Or perhaps it was both athletes swapping signature moves, the Lightning Bolt and the Mobot, out of mutual respect. Were you screaming at Murray to destroy the world champion, or perhaps Tom Daley’s longed-for Bronze brought a tear to your eye? Surely only those with hearts of stone could not be moved by Jessica Ennis' glorious win, crowned Queen of the Olympic Gold-medalist champions.

Whatever your highlights were, the fantastic two weeks ended Sunday night not with a fizzle, but with a bang. The closing ceremony was packed with pop music throughout the decades, with a light show described by creative director Will Case as “the most extraordinary visual experiences ever seen on this scale”. It was an eye-popping evening that promised a seriously good after party. Jealous? Us? Never.

So with a tinge of regret, Rio takes the Olympic flag from our fingertips, ready to host what is arguably the greatest sporting event on earth. We wish Mayor Eduardo Paes and Brazil the best of luck. But the drama and excitement is not quite over yet. In just 15 days, the Paralympics will begin, with a record-breaking 2.1 million audience tickets already sold by those desperate to experience the event. Set to be the best Paralympics yet, we're counting down the days!