Marc Lim recaps the best of Beijing 2008 and looks forward to London 2012.

AT TIMES some of us wished that the Games would just end. 

There were the LONG hours - up at 8am to catch the 10am swimming, squeeze in a couple of other sports in between, work till 1am when the paper goes to bed.

There were the irregular meals - energy bars or chocolates would suffice if they wasn't proper food around. McDonalds' became the quickest food for those on-the-go.

Then there were the was the crazy weather - sunny one day, pouring rain the next.

Yet now that the Olympic flame has been doused and the Beijing Games are really over, a sense of wistfulness has overcome the many journalists who have called Beijing home this past month.

Chinese, Dutch, black, white, tall, short, man, woman, all exchanged heartfelt farewells. Some did it over a beer, others with a hug.

But in what many felt was the best Olympics ever, there was this yearning for just one or two more days. Time for us to witness one more act of athletic greatness, time for us to interact more with the omni-present and ever-friendly volunteers.

Time for us to enjoy the beautiful Birds Nest Stadium and the Water Cube just one more time.

Indeed, Beijing has left us with many lasting memories.

The Opening Ceremony set new heights, yesterday's Closing Ceremony was not far off either from being a spectacular. My only wish was that London 2012's poster boy and soccer star David Beckham could have kicked the ball with more ooompph.

But as the gathering of the planet's greatest athletes take a short break, before taking London by storm, allow me to share my lasting impressions of Beijing 2008 and hopes for London 2012.

BEST SPORTS MOMENT

Swimmer Michael Phelps was his eight golds was the story of the Games. Sprinter Usain Bolt endeared himself to many with his sprint double and on-track antics, but the what American Jason Lezak did in the men's 4x100m freestyle relay was the epitome of the Olympics for me - that sports is not always about the individual. It is often about a team, of family members, coaches, teammates who help you, like Lezak helped Phelps.

For what was probably the only time at this Olympic Games, Phelps was not the main story behind a Michael Phelps gold. Some might say he was reduced to a footnote.

In a race that will go down as one of the greatest 4x100 metre freestyle relay clashes of all time, Lezak assumed the starring role of the United States quartet which took the gold in world-record of 3 minutes 8.24 secs.

His anchor leg, in a photo-finish win over the French, is the stuff fathers will use as bedtime stories. It is what swimming coaches will use to inspire their charges. Someone will probably put it in a swimming textbook.

It was that good.

Trailing French anchor Alain Bernard, who entered the race as the 100m free record holder, Lezak turned a half-body length deficit to a 0.08 sec win. In layman’s terms, that’s a fingertip.

It was that close.


BEST FEEL-GOOD MOMENT 

Afganistan's Rohullah Nikpai had won a taekwondo bronze. It was the country's first-ever Olympic medal. But the medal was the least of his concerns. Not even the US$50,000 prize promised to him by a mobile phone company mattered.

His main concern: "I hope this will send a message of peace to my country after 30 years of war."

Sport has a unique way of uniting people of different races, religions and socio-economic backgrounds. And if Nikpai's medal can go some way to changing Afganistan, it could probably be the most important medal of the more than 1,000 given out in Beijing. 

BEST EYE CANDY

It's a toss up between the beach volleyball cheerleaders and the medal presenters. Both could force a smile out of journalists who could have been having the most horrid of days. My vote goes to the medal presenters. They aren't in the limelight much, but trust me, up close, they all look like Zhang Zhiyi clones - tall, pretty, almost perfect. 

And they aren't your super-girly types too. I spoke to a presenter who said they have to do weight-training too. Why, I asked. She pointed to the medal tray, and the at times, more than 10 medals, they have to carry, standing upright for up to 10 minutes at the medal ceremony.

For that, they get my vote. They may also not be revealing much skin like the beach volleyball babes, but hey, sometimes, less is better.

HOPES FOR 2012

Every Games should be different and while I hope that London 2012 will be as compact as Beijing (commuting to the various areas was such a breeze with six venues within the Olympic green and the furthest a mere 40 minutes away), as incident-free, I know four years from now people will be raving about aspects unique to only London.

But here are two things I would not like to see:

One, no David Beckham. Please, even if he will draw thousands to the stadium, he should not be part of Great Britain's football team.

And: No Spice Girls reunion for Opening Ceremony.

Goodbye Beijing, Hello London.