Special Olympics World Summer Games: The resounding success of the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Shanghai was apparent during the closing ceremony last night, in the beaming faces of the 7,500 athletes and 40,000 volunteers who gathered in the city's Jiangwan Stadium.
But even before the last fireworks exploded over the Shanghai skyline, the Games' greatest achievement, say observers, was in reflecting a new attitude in China towards intellectually disabled people.
China spent about $8 million (€5.6 million) ensuring the Games was a success, and encouraged tens of thousands of Shanghai residents to volunteer their time to help the athletes and the 20,000-strong army of coaches, family and supporters.
The government help ensured the Shanghai Games were the biggest and best-received of any during the event's 39-year history. That's quite a turnaround for a country whose leadership, less than 20 years ago, refused to even acknowledge any of their citizens were intellectually disabled.
At the time, former prime minister Li Peng was quoted as saying: "Mentally retarded people give birth to idiots."
"There's a long way to go - there's a long way. But the good news is we're moving," says Tim Shriver, chairman of the Special Olympics.
China wanted a trouble-free ride ahead of next year's Beijing Olympics, and senior leadership were on hand throughout the events.
President Hu Jintao was at the opening ceremony, and vice premier Hui Liangyu pronounced the Games closed.
After the "Flame of Hope" was doused, Shanghai mayor Han Zheng handed over the Special Olympics flags to Boise, Idaho, in the United States, which will host the 2009 World Winter Games, and Athens, Greece, will host of the 2011 World Summer Games. Shriver and Deng Pufang, chairman of the China Disabled Persons' Federation, thanked the athletes, coaches and families, the Shanghai government and people and everyone who contributed to the Games.
"You have not only given us Games, but also given us hope," said Shriver.
Jessica Crook, an American Special Olympics athlete, said she had a great time in the city.
"Whether the athletes won gold medals or not, they have had the best time of their life," she said. "I hope people around the world feel the power of the Special Olympics."
One of the highlights of the closing ceremony was from Spanish tenor José Carreras, who sang Friends Forever with Chinese soprano Liu Lian.
Before the ceremony began, 60 mentally challenged people and 200 volunteers built a wooden stage 50 meters long and 30 meters wide in front of the audience in three-and-a-half minutes. The action symbolised the blending of people with intellectual disabilities and other people to create a harmonious world. The closing ceremony paid tribute to one of the direct results of the Games - Shanghai's "Sunshine Homes" shelters.