Summary
1 March 2010
The flame was put out and the organisers were praised as the Olympic Games in Vancouver came to a close. But the real excitement was provided by Canada's men's ice-hockey team winning the final gold medal of the games.
Reporter:
Ian Gunn
Canadian ice-hockey fans celebrate a goal
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The ceremony was marked by Canadians making gentle fun of themselves. In a nod to a glitch in the opening ceremony, part of the Olympic cauldron which couldn't be lit two weeks ago was set alight to kick off the closing. The ceremony also featured a comic parade of Canadian stereotypes including Mounties, canoes and moose-antler hats for members of the audience.
In his closing remarks IOC (International Olympics Committee) President Jacques Rogge called the games 'excellent' and 'very friendly' and said the Canadian organisers had done an outstanding job.
The head of Vancouver's organising committee received a deafening cheer from the 60,000 spectators as he acknowledged Canada's ice-hockey team that won the final gold medal of the games shortly before the ceremony. John Furlong also said the games had lifted the Canadian mood in a way no one could have anticipated.
The Canadian officials handed the Olympic flag to organisers of the next Winter Olympics in Sochi who invited the world to Russia in 2014 with simultaneous performances inside the Canadian stadium and from Sochi itself.
Ian Gunn, 大象传媒 News, Vancouver
Vocabulary
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Vocabulary
- making gentle fun of themselves
smiling or laughing at things about themselves that others sometimes find funny
- a nod to
an acknowledgement of, in recogition of
- a glitch in
a small problem or fault that stops something from working properly
- cauldron
very large, round metal pot that is used on fires, here, used to hold the Olympic flame
- to kick off
to start, to begin
- Mounties
Canadian police officers who are well known for their colourful uniforms and their use of horses rather than motor vehicles
- moose-antler hats
hats that have flat horns them like those of a large type of deer found in North America
- a deafening cheer
an extremely loud sound made by a crowd of people to show that they are very pleased
- lifted the Canadian mood
made the Canadians feel happier
- anticipated
expected, predicted
