'DREAM GAMES' ATHENS CLOSES OLYMPICS WITH BIG FAT GREEK PARTY.

Byline: STEVE DILBECK

ATHENS - They wrapped it up with a little party, bathed it in bright colors, lit it up with fireworks, then filled the air with song and - perhaps most importantly - pride.

Athens, a city that underwent constant international criticism over its seeming unpreparedness to host the 2004 Olympic Games, ended 17 days of athletic success Sunday evening with a tasteful and colorful closing ceremony.

Venues were ready on time. All worked without a hitch. There was no security trouble. Transportation ran smoothly.

And the world's athletes competed in relative harmony.

``The Olympics came home,'' said Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, Athens Olympics organizing president. ``And we've shown the world the great things Greeks can do.''

The Games themselves were often not sold out. There were disputed results. And even Sunday in the men's marathon, the final event of the Olympics, there was controversy when a defrocked Irish priest jumped from the crowd and pushed the leader, Brazil's Vanderlei Lima, to the ground.

Yet most everything went off as hoped. And on Sunday, the Greeks celebrated the success of their $8.5 billion investment with song and dance before 72,000 at Olympic Stadium and a worldwide television audience.

``Dear Greek friends, you have won,'' said Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee.

Rogge called them ``the dream Games,'' but stayed away from his predecessor Juan Samarach's typical ``best ever'' statement at closing ceremonies.

Greece celebrated its origins again in Sunday's ceremony in cultural dance and song, though it did not visit ancient times as it had so elaborately in the opening ceremony.

Sunday opened with a spiral wheat field in the stadium, singers, traditional Greek dancers, bells, the stomping of grapes to make wine, all while the entire stadium would change colors from red to orange to yellow to pink to blue.

A Greek wedding was reenacted, though not a big, fat one. There were dancers on tables, and images of adored Greek women from film were flashed on the giant scoreboard.

A giant, crescent-shaped moon, looking something like a pale banana, descended. In a kids-don't-try-this-at-home moment, bonfires were lit, and dancers took turns jumping over them.

They played ``Zorba the Greek,'' and, as the harvesters of the wheat formed the five Olympic rings, the native dancing continued.

Then the medal ceremony was performed for the marathon, which had been won by Italy's Stefano Baldini. America's Meb Keflezighi took a surprising silver, and Lima recovered for the bronze.

For overcoming his unusual obstacle - kilt-wearing Cornelius Horan, 57, was arrested for attacking Lima two miles shy of the finish - the Brazilian was also honored with the IOC's sportsmanship award.

Brazil, not satisfied, naturally demanded Lima receive a second gold medal. The IOC rejected the request, and Brazil immediately said it would take its case to the international Court of Appeals for Sport.

Keflezighi's effort gave the U.S. a leading 103 medals for Athens, just exceeding the goal of 100.

The athletes entered the stadium after the marathon ceremony, but instead of being introduced and marching in behind their respective country's flag, they streamed in from three sides.

Soccer great Mia Hamm held the U.S. flag with the rest of the flag bearers on stage, and, as the athletes entered the stadium, a video screen flashed highlights from the past 17 days.

``Together we told a beautiful story that reconnected the Olympic movement with its history and introduced a new Greece to the world,'' Angelopoulos-Daskalaki said.

``We will put out the flame tonight, but, when the cauldron is lit in Beijing, it will burn brighter and stronger because of the Athens Olympic Games.''

Rogge passed the Olympic flag from Athens Mayor Dora Bakoyannis to the mayor of 2008 host Beijing, Wang Qishan, and per tradition, officially declared the 28th Olympic Games closed.

China invited the world to Beijing in four years with dance and song of its own, a young small young girl emerging from a giant lantern and ending her song with a ``Welcome to Beijing'' kiss.

The cauldron with the Olympic flame was blown out by a young Greek girl, and there were so many fireworks that the resulting smoke blocked the full moon. More than 100,000 balloons descended upon the stadium, bushels of confetti were released and a concert that went on for almost 45 minutes rocked the stadium.

Athens had gone swifter, higher, stronger than most had expected, and it wanted to party.

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Photo:

(color) Fireworks explode as the Chinese and Greek flags fly during the closing ceremony of the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens on Sunday.

Mark Terrill/Associated Press