The 2008 Olympics did not end until this past Wednesday. No I am not joking—the official end of the Beijing Games came on September 17th with the closing ceremonies for the Paralympic Games. The games featured opening and closing ceremonies as grand as the ceremonies for the International Olympiad.

Athletes competing in the Paralympics participated in events like swimming, rowing, and sailing. Traditionally, gold, silver, and bronze medals were awarded to the top finishers in each event. China won the medal count, with Great Britain and The United States rounding out the top three respectively.

Remarkably, I did not even realize Paralympic Games were being conducted until I read a small article in the newspaper. The article led me to investigate the games more, and I was impressed with how magnificent the overall event was carried out…just by looking at the official website for the Paralympic Games.

Check it out for yourself: http://en.paralympic.beijing2008.cn/index.shtml