This pretty much sums up my feelings about it all being over too. It's a very end-of-school sort of feeling, that bittersweet feeling that accompanies a change of era but also a knowledge that the era was very successful & enjoyable.
I've loved watching these Games, from the opening ceremony to the end. After all the worries, carping & grousing, LOCOG pulled off an amazing feat of organisation and, even more importantly in the longer term, got the international branding aspect for Great Britain absolutely spot-on.
The closing ceremony was pretty much what you expect from closing ceremonies in that it was a bit longer and more haphazard than one would like (and compared to all opening ceremonies). Having said that, I have to admit enjoying the cheesy Spice Girls reunion, Eric Idle leading the stadium in a good old singalong, and The Who with a great performance at the end of the show. Baba O'Riley was a clever choice of track too, continuing the Inspire A Generation theme nicely, even after the flame goes out.
Rio have a tough act to follow. But London met the challenge of hosting the Olympics by not trying to ape the Chinese. London did things differently, most noticeably by having a great sense of humour & historical perspective about the Games. Rio shouldn't try to be British. Let it succeed at the challenge by bringing a uniquely Brazilian feel to its hosting.
In the meantime, while I never really get into the Paralympics, I suspect Olympics-withdrawal will get me watching some of it.
