Games close with drama down to last medal

ATHENS, Aug 29 (Reuters) -- Greece staged an exuberant closing ceremony on Sunday to bring the curtain down on the Athens Games, which took the Olympics back to their roots and provided drama right down to the last gold medal.

A spectator ran onto the course of men's marathon, the final event of the Games run along the route of the first modern Olympics, and bundled Brazilian Vanderlei de Lima into the crowd as he led the race with about 15 minutes to go.

De Lima was able to rejoin the race after about five seconds but he looked shaken and was passed soon afterwards by Stefano Baldini of Italy, who had already been gaining on him. Baldini won the race ahead of American Meb Keflezighi.

The intruder was Cornelius Horan, an Irish former priest who interrupted the British Formula One Grand Prix last year. He was dressed in a kilt and beret and police said he was drunk.

De Lima said the incident may have cost him the gold medal and Brazilian officials said they would appeal to the Court of Abritration for Sport for a review of the results.

But de Lima still appeared delighted when International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge presented him with his bronze medal at the closing ceremony, waving and smiling to cheers from the 72,000 people in the Olympic stadium.

Rogge declared the Greeks had been the true winners of the Olympics by staging well-organised Games.

Critics had predicted venues would not be ready on time and expressed doubts about security at the first Games since the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.

"These have been unforgettable dream Games," Rogge said to cheers from the crowd.

"These Games were held in peace and brotherhood. These were the Games where it became increasingly difficult to cheat and where clean athletes were better protected."

Rogge was referring to the fight against doping, with more than 20 athletes banned from the Games for failing drugs tests or breaking anti-doping rules.

STRIPPED OF MEDAL

Men's hammer winner Adrian Annus of Hungary on Sunday became the third champion at Athens to be stripped of his medal after failing to take a second drugs test demanded by the IOC.

Annus won his event a week ago, providing a negative dope test, and has since returned to Hungary. But the IOC called for another test after suspicions were raised he may have used a contraption to dupe testers.

Compatriot Robert Fazekas was stripped of his discus gold medal for refusing to provide a complete urine sample after last Monday's final and Russian shot putter Irina Korzhanenko also lost her gold after testing positive for a banned steroid.

The United States ended the Olympics top of the medals table with 35 golds. But China was a sensational second, only three golds behind, as its efforts to ensure an excellent host nation performance in Beijing in 2008 start to bear fruit.

On the 16th and final day of competition, Cuba claimed three boxing titles, with past master Mario Kindelan stopping the amazing run of British teenager Amir Khan by outpointing him in the lightweight final.

Blows were also traded at the wrestling venue, but not just between fighters.

A brawl involving spectators, officials, police and competitors erupted after a close bout between a Russian world champion and a wrestler from Belarus.

CONTROVERSY CONTINUES

One of the fiercest controversies of the Games raged on as South Korea appealed to sport's supreme legal body to try to secure the Olympic men's gymnastics all-round gold medal for its athlete Yang Tae-young instead of American Paul Hamm.

World gymnastics chiefs have said Hamm was awarded the gold due to a scoring error and Yang is the true champion but they have no mechanism to overturn the original results.

In contrast to a grand opening drawing on Greek mythology, the Games closing ceremony was all about having a good time.

The stadium was turned into a giant wheat field, illuminated by a full moon.

A percussion band played up a storm by creating musical instruments with equipment taken from the Olympic sports.

A burst of fireworks heralded the appearance of the athletes in the futuristic stadium. Chinese musicians and dancers also performed to give a flavour of the next Games.

Rogge said: "I declare the Games of the 28th Olympiad closed and, in accordance with tradition, I call upon the youth of the world to assemble four years from now in Beijing."

Copyright 2004 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.