(12 Aug 2012) STORYLINE:
The head of the Olympic movement now says that he believes Usain Bolt is a "living legend".
In a wide-ranging news conference ahead of Sunday's closing ceremony, outgoing Olympic chief Jacques Rogge praised the efforts of a raft of top names from Bolt to US swim star Michael Phelps - who has now won more Olympic medals than anyone in the history of the games.
"I think of the double/treble (medal winners), Usain Bolt of course. I think of Michael Phelps passing (Soviet gymnast) Larisa Latynina (as the winner of the most Olympic medals). I think of Chris Hoy and six medals. I think of Ben Ainslie and five medals. Italian fencing champion Valentina) Vezzali and five consecutive medals. (Andy) Murray winning his first major title and I could go on for the rest of the day," he said.
But the IOC President singled-out the tears of joy of Britain's most successful cyclist, Sir Chris Hoy, as his most sentimental moment of the 2012 games.
"If I would have to take one, not the emotion but a sentimental one, the tears of Chris Hoy. I think that was the defining moment of the games," Rogge said.
He lavished praise on London games chief Sebastian Coe. Lord Coe, a former Olympic gold medallist and one-time Conservative politician, became the face of the London organising committee ahead of it winning the bid to stage the 2012 event.
Lord Coe told reporters Britain was "at the top of its game" and needed to captitalise on that sporting success.
He revealed he's been handed a new, though not completely defined, role by Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron to ensure the legacy of London 2012.
"What I've witnessed in the past couple of weeks has been both uplifting and energising. I don't think that any country that has staged a games, or any city that has staged a games, is ever the same afterwards," Coe said.
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