The Olympic Games have come to an end with a spectacular closing
ceremony celebrating Britain's contribution to music. Our UK
correspondent gives us the British verdict on the games.
But the verdict from most Londoners, and foreign visitors to the capital, appears to be that the games were among the best Olympics ever.
It took an American to begin the process of turning the mood around - when Mitt Romney, US Presidential candidate, raised the same concerns many Britons had been expressing ahead of the opening ceremony, there was suddenly a determination to prove him wrong.
Mayor of London Boris Johnson, who became one of the unlikely stars of the games, used Mr Romney's comments to gee up a pre-games concert crowd.
"There's a guy called Mitt Romney who wants to know whether we're ready," he boomed. "He wants to know whether we're ready! Are we ready?"
The crowd roared, and the clip was broadcast all over the television networks the following morning.
http://www.dw.de/dw/article/0,,16158390,00.html
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UK's The Daily Mail
Take a bow London! How capital took Olympics to its heart and stunning landmarks made the perfect backdrop for gold
- The Queen and Prime Minister praise London Games
- Rio mayor, preparing for 2016, dubs London 2012 'the greatest Games ever'
- US President Barack Obama telephoned David Cameron to offer his congratulations for a 'brilliant' London Olympics
US President Barack Obama even telephoned David Cameron to offer his congratulations for a 'brilliant' London Olympics, Downing Street said.
A Number 10 spokesman said: 'The President praised the organisation of the Games and the amazing performance of Team GB athletes.
'And he thanked the Prime Minister for the hospitality the UK had shown to the First Lady at the start of the Games and the US team ever since.'
Mr Cameron in turn offered the UK's congratulations on the US team's 'astounding' medals table-topping performance and said Britain had 'thoroughly enjoyed' hosting its athletes.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2187373/London-2012-closing-ceremony-How-capital-took-Olympics-heart.html#ixzz23QzOZ8rm
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Australia's SBS
Obama praises London's Olympics
US President Barack Obama has written to British
PM David Cameron to congratulate him on the success of the London
Olympic Games.
President Barack Obama congratulated British
Prime Minister David Cameron on Sunday for hosting an "extremely
successful" Olympic Games in London.The warm statement was a sharp contrast to the barbed comments Obama's Republican rival in the November elections, Mitt Romney, made about the Games during a visit to the British capital to attend the opening ceremony.
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1682100/Obama-praises-Londons-Olympics
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The UK's Telegraph
London's brilliant, beautiful Games was the very best of British - it enthralled us all
These Games will be remembered as a triumph for warmth, civility, excellence
and enthusiasm - hosted by a nation in love with sport, and happy in its own
skin.
By then the New York Times, not unreasonably, had cast us as a nation
of moaners and Mitt Romney, the Republican presidential candidate, had asked
on a visit, with vast condescension: “Do they [the British] come together
and celebrate the Olympic moment? That’s something which we only find out
once the Games actually begin.”http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/9471438/Londons-brilliant-beautiful-Games-was-the-very-best-of-British-it-enthralled-us-all.html
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