Atlanta Passes The Torch In Three-Hour Party Euphoria, Relief Combine To Create Massive Celebration
The city of Atlanta waved a raucous, relieved goodbye to the Olympics on Sunday night.
In a rowdy three-hour closing ceremony interspersed with several notes of solemnity, 85,000 watched as the Olympic flame was extinguished and the world’s spotlight finally turned away from the first Southern city to be host of the Olympic Games.
In the ceremony’s most electric moment, Stevie Wonder sang the John Lennon anthem “Imagine” as thousands in the stands swayed and joined hands.
“Imagine all the people living life in peace …”
Those words echoed through a city whose 17-day celebration was interrupted by a pipe bomb that ripped through Centennial Olympic Park nine days ago, killing a mother and injuring more than 100.
These were the Games of gymnast Kerri Strug and sprinter Michael Johnson and softball player/doctor Dot Richardson. But some dark threads also were woven permanently into the Olympic fabric here because of the bomb.
The greatest unspoken fear for the past week: Would there be another bombing?
And because there wasn’t, the closing ceremony seemed to be laid over the background noise of a city saying:
“Wheeeeew!”
Juan Antonio Samaranch, head of the International Olympic Committee, did not follow his previous tradition of saying these were the “best Games ever,” instead labeling them “exceptional.”
But Samaranch did praise Atlanta, saying, “well done.”
“No act of terrorism has destroyed the Olympic movement, and none ever will,” Samaranch said. He also gave, for the first time, official International Olympic Committee recognition to the tragedy in Munich in 1972, when 11 Israeli athletes were killed.
Said Billy Payne, the man who brought the Games to Atlanta: “To a world desperately in need of positive symbolism and hope, we have given the gift of our courage.”
And then the party began in force.
If the Olympic opening ceremony was classical music, this was rock ‘n’ roll.
There was a musical jam conducted by David Letterman sidekick Paul Shaffer; razzle-dazzle skateboarding and in-line skating; card tricks, innumerable fireworks and fine performances by Boyz II Men, Gloria Estefan and Little Richard; and athletes taking over the field about 10 minutes earlier than they were supposed to near the end.
Little Richard had promised that his segment of the closing ceremonies would be “screamin’ and steamin,”’ and that description could apply to much of what was good about the closing ceremony. Another plus: no Izzy mascot to be found.
All who came seemed to enjoy themselves - particularly the athletes. They started a mischievous wadded-up paper fight in the stands before the ceremony even began at 9 p.m., ripping up the richly bound program to gather more ammunition.
“Being able to hang out with the best in the world has been a great experience,” said Justin Huish, the surfer-dude American who came away with two gold medals in archery.
And hanging out was exactly what thousands of athletes were doing Sunday night - dancing, flirting and sitting in the stands without regard to country or status or who had won medals and who hadn’t.
While the opening ceremony is always regal and sometimes ponderous, the closing ceremony is more like a slumber (or a fraternity) party. The athletes either have won or they’re done. In both cases, they are ready to break training.
Closing ceremonies used to be taken up with administrative clutter in the early 1900s - that’s when all the medals were presented.
Now, with each event holding its own medal ceremony, closing ceremonies mainly are an excuse for a big bash - and to recognize the next host of the Summer Games.
That would be Sydney in the year 2000. Australia’s flag was raised Sunday night, and Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell handed over the Olympic flag to Sydney Mayor Frank Sartor.
Australia also got seven minutes to do its own miniature show within a show at the closing ceremonies, and it was heavy on aborigines, fireworks and kangaroo- and cockatoo-costumed dancers.