Curtain call

The party's over as 'truly exceptional' Games go out with a bang | Photos

Also today

Olympians touch down

PM Kevin Rudd greets Stephanie Rice. (AAP)

The majority of Australia's Beijing Olympic Games athletes have touched down in Sydney this morning to a heroes' welcome.

Doping casts doubt on equestrian future

The future of Olympic equestrian events is in doubt after doping scandals rocked at the Hong Kong venue.

China deports eight detained Americans

China has deported eight Americans who were detained in Beijing last week after a wave of pro-Tibet protests coinciding with the Olympics, the US embassy says.

Sore heads for partying Aussie athletes

There were more than a few Australian athletes with sore heads on Monday morning after a night out celebrating the end of the Beijing Games.

PHOTOS:

Steph's wild dance floor

Vote

Friday Jun 11 05:51 AEST

Court overturns Olympic ban on throwers

11 Jun 2010

Sport's top court has upheld appeals by Belarus 2008 Olympic medal-winning hammer throwers Vadim Deviatovskiy and Ivan Tsikhan, overturning doping sanctions.

Thursday Nov 19 06:50 AEDT

Ramzi loses gold medal for doping

19 Nov 2009

Bahrain's Rashid Ramzi has been stripped of his Beijing Games 1,500 metres gold medal for doping, Bahrain's Olympic Committee said.

Tuesday Jul 28 09:59 AEST

Olympic gold Ramzi faces drug hearing

28 Jul 2009

Bahrain's 1500m Olympic champion Rashid Ramzi was one of five athletes to appear before an IOC body on Monday to answer charges of doping at the Beijing Games.

Friday May 1 08:09 AEST

Rebellin wants test of backup 'B' sample

1 May 2009

Olympic cycling silver medalist Davide Rebellin has requested that his back-up "B" sample be examined after testing positive for doping at the Beijing Games.

Thursday Apr 30 06:26 AEST

All six named in Beijing doping cases

30 Apr 2009

Bahrain's first Olympic track and field gold medalist and an Italian cycling silver medalist are among six athletes caught for doping in their Beijing samples.

Wednesday Apr 29 23:17 AEST

Olympic 1500m champion tests positive

29 Apr 2009

Reigning men's 1500m Olympic champion Rashid Ramzi has tested positive for a new form of banned blood booster, the Bahraini National Olympic Committee says.

Wednesday Apr 29 10:48 AEST

No Aussies among Olympic positives: AOC

29 Apr 2009

The AOC says no Australians are understood to be among six athletes who returned positive tests for a new blood-boosting substance from the Beijing Olympics.

Tuesday Feb 17 08:13 AEDT

CAS dismisses wrestler's Olympic appeal

17 Feb 2009

The Court of Arbitration for Sport has dismissed an attempt by a Swedish wrestler to get back the bronze medal he was stripped of after the Beijing Olympics.

Friday Jan 23 12:16 AEDT

Phelps is USOC's Sportsman of the Year

23 Jan 2009

Michael Phelps, who made Olympic history with a stunning eight swim gold medals at the Beijing Games, is the US Olympic Committee Sportsman of the Year.

Tuesday Dec 23 09:26 AEDT

Britain's Yngling Girls trio run ends

23 Dec 2008

Britain's "three blondes in a boat" have confirmed that they will no longer race together after the Yngling class boat was removed from the 2012 London Games.

Friday Dec 12 13:35 AEDT

Belarusian pair stripped of Games medals

12 Dec 2008

Two Belarusian hammer throwers were stripped of their Olympic silver and bronze medals for doping, nearly four months after the competition in Beijing.

Blog: Great leaps forward

Olympic venues during the Opening Ceremony (AAP)

And the silver goes to...The Beijing Olympics get top marks on a technical level but a lack of artistry — and emotion — means they aren't the greatest Games ever, writes Mat Mackay.