主播大秀

Every four years, during the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games, the calls on the "youth of the world" to gather in the next Olympic city.

Presumably, it's a call addressed specifically to the athletes, because there isn't anything particularly youthful about the audience.

The average age of TV viewers for the was 46! So the challenge for the IOC is to keep the Games relevant to a younger audience.

For some people, it's a question that's already been answered.

The greatest Olympian of all time? Michael Phelps, simply because of those .

Done deal. Or is it?

Greetings from the Far East,

Just call me David Davies, friend of the stars!

I've been hanging out in the Olympic village with some basketball heroes and the great Michael Phelps, the new Olympic gold medal record holder.

I was chilling out the other day when the United States' basketball 'Dream Team' strutted over as naturally and , two icons of American sport, would want to spend their down-time with a boy from Barry!

The other day I went to film a group of Chinese learning English in their spare time. It's the second time I have done this and I'm amazed by the enthusiasm of people of all ages in to learn our language.

They called it an "" -- a talk shop where everybody spoke to each other in English. They ended up singing from the ! I've heard it sung better but the Chinese do have a real sense of fun.

Many say they have taken up English so that China can welcome the world at these Olympics.

showed no sign of letting up in his pursuit of breaking record for the most amount of medals won in one .

First he in a new world-record time.

He gave all swimmers around the world hope when he moaned he couldn't see down the last 100m due to his goggles filling up with water!

This is usually only a problem that faces young swimmers at club level. I'm just thankful he didn't stop and look for the lifeguard to tighten the strap.

Sha Tin, Hong Kong

Well it wasn't gold but I'll settle for two bronzes!

What a night it was here in Sha Tin.

The atmosphere in the stadium was electric and the huge floodlights dazzled and sparkled, really hammering home you were witnessing an Olympic final.

I've decided to leave out any mention of disappointment.

Sometimes we can spend too long talking of what would have been. Let's just all celebrate how a team of five Britons, two of whom were at their first ever Olympics, managed to come third in a competition that is always so hard to win.

International Broadcast Centre, Beijing

The perceived wisdom among coaches is that it takes seven years to train someone so they're physically and mentally ready for an Olympic Games.

So, when the sacrifice has been so great, especially when so many of the thousands of athletes here are everyday people with day jobs and bills to pay like the rest of us, it's no surprise to see so much emotion written on the faces of the winners.

But more often, and sometimes away from the cameras, the losers.