London 2012 Olympics: Day 16

The latest news and views from the London 2012 Olympics

London 2012: We'll be blogging throughout the closing ceremony tonight. Share your comments by tweeting #indyolympics

by Alan Cleaver 8/12/2012 6:06:23 PM
It's a beautiful evening after a fantastic fortnight. Then I find David Mellor in the bar queue. In stripes. #indyolympics

by cahalmilmo via twitter edited by Alan Cleaver 8/12/2012 6:06:38 PM
What an amazing 16 days! 3rd in the medal table with 29 golds. Not bad from a small little island ay? #TeamGB #london2012 @London2012

by Lucinda_King via twitter 8/12/2012 6:09:07 PM
To ALL the London 2012 #VOLUNTEERS - THANK YOU. You are the best of us. Truly. #proud #london2012

by mikewarburton via twitter 8/12/2012 6:09:13 PM
Loved olympics & @TeamGB performance. Cant wait for the same with @ParalympicsGB #OurGreatestTeam

by shortyem27 via twitter 8/12/2012 6:14:56 PM
Loved the olympics, feel all patriotic n very proud of #TeamGB #Olympics2012

by chloen11 via twitter 8/12/2012 6:24:10 PM
Preparations for closing ceremony underway. Russell Brand was receiving excited screams from a bunch of dancers earlier twitter.com/JeromeTaylor/s…
— Jerome Taylor (@JeromeTaylor) August 12, 2012

by Alan Cleaver 8/12/2012 6:32:58 PM
Well done to @_samanthamurray for a valiant silver medal!
— Mhairi Spence (@MhairiSpence) August 12, 2012

by Alan Cleaver 8/12/2012 6:34:44 PM
Closing Ceremony: Counting down now to the 'official' start of the opening ceremony but there's already a big crowd at the Olympic Stadium and the fun is beginning!

by Alan Cleaver 8/12/2012 6:37:23 PM
Those who hope that the British media will concentrate on real heroes, instead of 'plastic' non-entities, hold your horses. It's Big Brother Live Eviction night tomorrow!

by Alan Cleaver 8/12/2012 6:40:31 PM
If you've been inspired to take up sport by the Olympics then flex your muscles at the official English stone skimming championships. It will take place on Saturday, August 18, at the National Trust’s Fell Foot Park, on the southern shore of Windermere, Cumbria from 11am!

by Alan Cleaver 8/12/2012 6:42:42 PM
Quiz time: I'll be firing some quiz questions at you during the evening. I'll post the answer fairly quickly but if you want to show off, tweet your answer with #indyolympics. Question: Which British athlete has the nickname The Blackpool Tower?

by Alan Cleaver 8/12/2012 6:46:24 PM
Still 90 minutes to go before closing ceremony kick off and the Mexican wave has already begun. #indyolympics

by cahalmilmo via twitter 8/12/2012 6:46:51 PM
Quiz time: Shot putter Carl Myerscough has the nickname The Blackpool Tower

by Alan Cleaver 8/12/2012 6:50:32 PM
Closing Ceremony: Take a sneak preview of what to expect at the closing ceremony here... www.independent.co.uk

by Alan Cleaver 8/12/2012 6:53:23 PM
Given the thousands of people here, I don't think a picture of the closing ceremony set will spoil anyone's surprisetwitpic.com/aimrd7
— Tom Peck (@tompeck) August 12, 2012

by Alan Cleaver via Twitpic 8/12/2012 6:55:06 PM
Haha. Amazing “@TheDiamondNoise: Olympic official gets a parking ticket and try to fob it off on Seb Coe t.co” #indyolympics

by thesportsfox via twitter 8/12/2012 6:58:24 PM
Grace Dent tweets
What the HELL will we do tomorrow?

by Alan Cleaver 8/12/2012 6:58:51 PM
Olympic quotes: "We've shown natural restraint and politeness in not hogging medals board" - London Mayor Boris Johnson when quizzed about the slow start of Team GB in the Olympics. So many good quotes from the Olympics. Read some more here.. www.independent.co.uk

by Alan Cleaver 8/12/2012 7:05:01 PM
Quiz time: I'll be firing some quiz questions at you during the evening. I'll post the answer fairly quickly but if you want to show off, tweet your answer with #indyolympics. Question: Who won Britain's first medal in the London 2012 Olympics?

by Alan Cleaver 8/12/2012 7:08:43 PM
Quiz time: Our first medal winner was cyclist Lizzie Armitstead who won silver in the women's road race. See www.independent.co.uk

by Alan Cleaver 8/12/2012 7:10:16 PM
Quiz time: Our first medal winner was cyclist Lizzie Armitstead who won silver in the women's road race. See www.independent.co.uk

by Alan Cleaver 8/12/2012 7:11:04 PM
I see the Wikipedia entry for Samantha Murray (who won silver two hours ago in the pentathlon) has already been updated!

by Alan Cleaver 8/12/2012 7:12:24 PM
I have just been informed that if you put "Olympic gold medallists" in Google Images my visage appears. Indeed it does. twitpic.com/ain00h
— Tom Peck (@tompeck) August 12, 2012

by Alan Cleaver via Twitpic 8/12/2012 7:13:53 PM
August 12, 2012 - This photo of Team GB medal winners was taken this afternoon at a press conference - but they jumped the gun. Samantha Murray was to win a Silver medal in the last event: the modern pentathlon. (Getty Images).

by Alan Cleaver 8/12/2012 7:19:09 PM
There have been so many astonishing, mouth-watering, gob-smacking brilliant pictures from the Olympics. I'll try to feature some of them this evening during the closing ceremony countdown. This one shows cyclist Clara Sanchez of France competing in the women's omnium. The photographer is Phil Walter. Gold medal Mr Walter! (Getty Images).

by Alan Cleaver 8/12/2012 7:25:07 PM
I'm getting slightly excited for the Closing Ceremony #spicegirls #Olympic2012

by EmzJaneN via twitter 8/12/2012 7:26:20 PM
EXCITED!! Off to the closing ceremony!

by fromthegames via twitter 8/12/2012 7:26:34 PM
Going to have serious withdrawal symptoms tomorrow, I've had two weeks of twenty four seven Olympics, rehab here I come!

by julrelt via twitter 8/12/2012 7:30:04 PM
Closing Ceremony: Just 30 minutes to go until the closing ceremony - we'll be blogging about it live here for those who can't get near a TV - or can but want to read some gossip along the way! Join in the chat by tweeting #indyolympics

by Alan Cleaver 8/12/2012 7:34:38 PM
I'll be firing some quiz questions at you during the evening. I'll post the answer fairly quickly but if you want to show off, tweet your answer with #indyolympics. Question: Whose nickname is the Manx Missile?

by Alan Cleaver 8/12/2012 7:40:36 PM
So many great memories of the Olympics. I think the thousands of visitors in national costume wandering around London will be one of them. Share your memories by tweeting #indyolympics

by Alan Cleaver 8/12/2012 7:42:06 PM
Quiz time: Cyclist Mark Cavendish is nicknamed The Manx Missile - he comes from the Isle of Man.

by Alan Cleaver 8/12/2012 7:48:52 PM
If you missed our Olympic Questions (and answers) posed by readers, find some of them here. Including why Great Britain is in last place in the Olympics.
www.independent.co.uk

by Alan Cleaver 8/12/2012 7:50:18 PM
Another fantastic Olympic photo to drool over. This remarkable shot was achieved with multiple exposures and shows Biao Chai of China returns against Haifeng Fu and Yun Cai of China in their Men's Doubles Badminton quarter final. The photographer is Michael Regan. (Getty Images).

by Alan Cleaver 8/12/2012 7:54:32 PM
Closing Ceremony: Just five minutes to go until the closing ceremony - we'll be blogging about it live here for those who can't get near a TV - or can but want to read some gossip along the way! Join in the chat by tweeting #indyolympics

by Alan Cleaver 8/12/2012 7:55:23 PM
For those tweeting Olympic closing ceremony around the world, suggest hashtag #closingceremony. For those in America #NBCFail
— Jerome Taylor (@JeromeTaylor) August 12, 2012

by Alan Cleaver 8/12/2012 7:56:13 PM
Closing Ceremony: The crowd warming up with some Mexican waves - so called after the 1986 World Cup in Mexico which made it famous. Although Canadians claim they invented it.

by Alan Cleaver 8/12/2012 7:58:02 PM
Welcome to all those joining The Independent for our live blog of the closing ceremony. Perhaps you're ex-pats unable to view the show on TV. Or perhaps you're watching on TV and are happy to get some additional info along the way! Whoever you are, welcome.

by Alan Cleaver 8/12/2012 8:00:42 PM
Closing Ceremony: And so it begins... With the chimes of Big Ben.

by Alan Cleaver 8/12/2012 8:02:36 PM
Closing Ceremony: Little did you know.. There is also a Little Ben. You'll find it near Victoria Station but the clock permanently shows Daylight Saving Time so don't take what it says at "face value"!

by Alan Cleaver 8/12/2012 8:04:34 PM
Closing Ceremony: Julian Lloyd Webber now performing on the cello while actor Tim Spall stands on Big Ben as Winston Churchill.

by Alan Cleaver 8/12/2012 8:06:59 PM
Closing Ceremony: Julian Lloyd Webber is the brother of Andrew Lloyd Webber of course.

by Alan Cleaver 8/12/2012 8:07:39 PM
Julian Lloyd Webber playing Elgar and that guy who was the Harry Potter rat playing Churchill at the #closingceremony.

by OrpheusNYC via twitter 8/12/2012 8:08:02 PM
Closing Ceremony: Tim Spall was quoting the words of Caliban from Shakespeare's Tempest.

by Alan Cleaver 8/12/2012 8:09:35 PM