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CNN Live At Daybreak
Closing Ceremonies End Winter Olympics
Aired February 25, 2002 - 06:37 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Hard to believe it's over. Yes the flame is out in Salt Lake City and the Winter Games will go into the history books.
CHAD MYERS, CNN WEATHER: Yes, we're kind of happy about that.
COSTELLO: That it's over?
MYERS: Well, you know I'm very happy that the Canadians won their two gold medals in hockey. I mean it's really an impressive thing.
COSTELLO: Hey let's head out there live now and talk to Sean Callebs because he witnessed the closing ceremonies. How were they Sean?
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh it was great. It was actually perfect. I mean it started out somewhat somber in the opening ceremonies. Last night just a huge celebration, things went off here flawlessly. As you guys mentioned, after 17 days and nights the Olympic flame no longer burns here, but clearly Salt Lake is going to revel in the excitement generated here. And these games will be remembered for the Olympic records, but also for the controversy and the criticism.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CALLEBS: The games ended with a spontaneous street celebration among Canadian fans. Legions of supporters pouring into the street after Canada knocked off the USA to take the gold medal in men's hockey. Still the silver for the U.S. marked its 34th medal far outpacing the old record for Winter Games of 13.
But the games also ended in controversy. The IOC has failed three athletes who tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug. A female Russian cross-country skier was forced to surrender her gold medal as was Spanish cross-country skier Johann Muehlegg.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The recommendation were for this athlete disqualification of the athlete from the men's 50-kilometer classical cross-country skiing event, withdrawal of the medal and diploma.
CALLEBS: The other blemish on the Olympics, a judging scandal that exposed the ugly side of figure skating. The controversy has the International Skating Union promising to dramatically overhaul the way skating competitions are judged. For all the buildup of security, there was only one incident. Thirty people were arrested and police were forced to use rubber bullets to break up an unruly crowd upset that beer sales were being cut off Saturday night. City officials defend police action.
CHIEF RICK DINSE, SALT LAKE CITY POLICE: We know that some of the people in the crowd did receive some bruises or welts as a result of the impact devices that we used.
CALLEBS: Still Salt Lake has reason to celebrate. They made it through two weeks safely and the USOC president wrapped up the games by saying he feels proud.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
And for more than two weeks Salt Lake served as a global stage, but now that the flame has been extinguished the torch moves on, and the next time the world's greatest athletes are scheduled to gather, the 2004 Summer Games in Athens, Greece.
Carol back to you.
COSTELLO: Oh we got Chad in here too. He's got e-mails to ...
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: ... talk about.
MYERS: Sean, we got - we got Jake (ph) from Phoenix that wants to rename this the "scammed Olympics." Can you feel it there?
CALLEBS: I don't know if the people here would go for that, but clearly I think that is what these games are going to be marked by.
MYERS: Yes.
CALLEBS: It's not only the skating controversy, but also the various controversies in the speed skating arena, South Korea, Russia both threatening to pull out right before the closing ceremonies. It really got ugly toward the end of last week.
COSTELLO: Yes, a lot of people are calling it the "whining Olympics". Everybody was whining about not winning a gold.
CALLEBS: It should be faster, stronger, higher, and more contentious. They should add that to the - to the motto here.
MYERS: Yes we weren't sure that lobbying was an Olympic sport, but apparently now it is.
CALLEBS: Exactly.
COSTELLO: Win a gold medal for lobbying, yes. Hey thank ...
CALLEBS: But who would - who would that go to though? There are so many ...
MYERS: Yes exactly.
COSTELLO: Exactly. Thank you Sean Callebs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Take care.
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