With the flame going out at the closing ceremony Sunday night, the 2012 London Summer Olympics wrapped up mostly in happiness and glory, but the Games also was disturbed by some sorts of controversy in and outside the sports arenas.
The 16-day event was dubbed by Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), as "happy and glorious Games."
The Olympics turned out to be a success going far beyond the expectations of many Londoners and audiences around the world.
Athletes competed tensely under a global spotlight, turning in top-level performances and bringing enjoyment to all people watching. Many new world records, in the swimming pools, on the tracks, and elsewhere, were established as the athletes explored the frontiers of human speed, strength and physical beauty.
Some legendary stars sadly said goodbye, while many newcomers sprouted up vigorously and scored medals, successfully pursuing and realizing their Olympic dreams.
Athletes as well as Olympic visitors from different countries very well developed friendship and boosted mutual understanding at the Games.
However, this year's Olympics was, regretfully, also not short of disputes over biased media reports and debatable referee judgments that smeared the fair play spirit that the Olympics has upheld.
This was well exemplified by the experience of Ye Shiwen, a young Chinese swimmer who unexpectedly won two gold medals. Some Western media and coaches questioned her shining achievements, bluntly claiming she had doped. Official tests proved, however, that the accusations were completely groundless and false.
Still, the tests didn't calm all suspicions, which displayed the deep-rooted bias some Westerners hold toward Chinese players.
The Chinese women cyclists beat their German rivals in the team pursuit final, but their gold medal was relegated to second place by referees. The Chinese team reviewed the race video, finding it didn't violate any rules. The team has asked for reasons behind the move from the International Cycling Union and the IOC, but has never been given an answer.
Faced with such problems and faults, every party concerned should make more of an effort to hold more excellent sport events and better uphold the Olympic spirit by reducing stereotyped prejudices and referees' misjudgments and sticking to the spirit of fair play.
