Top moments of the Beijing Olympics

The Opening Ceremony



Charging towards the finish line, Usain Bolt has his eye on the clock all the way and once again celebrates his triumph in style, this time, after he completed his run.


Russia's Yelena Isinbayeva turns the Bird's Nest into her private theatre with a gold medal and world-record-breaking pole vault performance that captivated the 91 000 crowd. After she spent most of the competition lying under a towel, she broke her own world mark with a leap of 5.05m.



Liu Xiang was the most popular sportsman in China.
He has to withdraw from the defence of his 110m hurdles title because of a leg injury. His grimacing departure clouded the Games for millions of home fans.



American Matt Emmons blows a 3.3-point lead on the very last shot of a 120-shot
competition to throw away the gold medal in the "marathon" event of shooting.




China drew the biggest cheers of the day after becoming the first non-European country to win a medal in the team event.




Michael Phelps, the Phenomenon




German weightlifter Matthias Steiner kisses a picture of his late wife Susann on the gold medal podium, choking back tears over the promise he made to her that he would keep their Olympic dream.



Estonian Gerd Kanter celebrates his discus gold medal by sprinting down the 100 metre track at the Bird's Nest and mimicking Bolt's marksman routine.





Rohullah Nikpai wins Afghanistan's first Olympic medal with a bronze in the men's 58-kg taekwondo.