The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

LONDON, England — What a fitting way to end the 2012 Olympic Games.

In what could be her final appearance, albeit she has not announced yet, veteran sprinter Chandra Sturrup carried the national flag into the Olympic Stadium for the closing ceremony last night.

But unlike the opening ceremonies when quarter-miler Chris ‘Fireman’ Brown carried the flag, Sturrup went in with an escort as each representative from the 204 participating countries filed in first on a make-shift runway that extended from one end of the field to the next in the middle of the track. The athletes then followed and were stationed into a ‘wedges’ around the ramped stage.

The night was dubbed ‘A Symphony of British Music’ as one star after the other, including Emeli Sande, saxophone player Lee Thompson, Ray Davies, Elbow, George Michael, comedian Russell Brand, the Spice Girls and Monty Python’s Eric Idle, electrified the audience with their renditions.

The night brought the curtains down on what has been an historic Olympiad, especially for the Bahamas.

It may have seen the changing of the guard in what could have been the last appearance at the biggest global event for not only Sturrup, but also Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie.

While Ferguson-McKenzie didn’t make it out of the first round in either the 100 or 200 metres, Sturrup only participated in the Women’s 4 x 100m Relay team that also featured Ferguson-McKenzie.

They were joined by the two rising young stars in Sheniqua ‘Q’ Ferguson and Anthonique Strachan, who got to the semifinal of the 100 and 200 respectively.

However, the quartet wasn’t able to get into the final of the Women’s 4 x 100m Relay in their bid to regain the glory days of the ‘Golden Girls’, having last won a medal in 2000 in Sydney, Australia.

The Bahamas didn’t have much to celebrate until its final event in the Men’s 4 x 400m Relay when the team of Chris Brown, Demetrius Pinder, Michael Mathieu and Ramon ‘Fearless’ Miller shocked the world snapping the United States of America’s 60-year reign of the title. They did it with a national record as well.

As the British and the Olympic flags came down and the torch was extinguished, the focus now switches to Rio de Janerio, Brazil where the next Olympic Games will be held in 2016. The British must be commended for putting on an excellent games. It was competitive and there were very few hiccups.

The games didn’t end without incident for the Bahamas. Leevan ‘Superman’ Sands suffered an injury while competing in the Men’s Triple Jump final. He had to undergo surgery the next day at a local hospital. The good news is that the surgery was a success, he was in good spirits and was eager to leave on Wednesday to be home in time to celebrate his birthday on Thursday.

Now it’s time for the celebrations as the team return home today at 6pm at the Lynden Pindling International Airport. Come out and show your support for a job well done.