Editor’s note:
China.org.cn provides a live webcast and minute-by-minute coverage of the Nanjing Youth Olympic closing ceremony, which begins at 8:00pm, Thursday.
Stay tuned here for live coverage on this event.
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[21:40] That’s the end of the Nanjing Youth Olympic Games closing ceremony. See you in Buenos Aires in 2018!
[21:36] The Olympic cauldron extinguishes.
[21:30] Click here to see more photos of closing ceremony.
[21:25] 
Nanjing Campus:
It’s raining again during the closing ceremony of the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympic Games, just as it rained during the opening ceremony. It seems both God and the weather don’t like saying goodbye to Nanjing. The 2014 Nanjing YOG impressed the entire country, as well as the whole world. Yes, it is China style! It is Nanjing style!
Singer Ping An sings with volunteers.
[21:23] Now, this part of the performance is dedicated to the volunteers.
[21:15] Artists perform traditional dances from around the world.
[21:12] Chinese singer Jike Junyi sings “Halo”.
[21:10] All the athletes and attendees sing “I Believe” together. The lyrics say “believe that we will meet again, believe we will have a better tomorrow.”
The ceremony’s multi-person acrobatics, eurhythmics and extreme bicycle performances also serve as powerful examples of the values embodied in the spirit of sports: courage, endeavor, struggle, challenge and going beyond.
The letter “n” stands up to symbolize the city gate of Nanjing.
[21:03] Heminqi 1991:
During the closing ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Mr. Jacques Rogge praised the event as “exceptional” in his speech. Six years later, Mr. Thomas Bach praises the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympic Games as “flawless.” We hope the Olympic Games will return to China in eight years.
[21:00] 304— 304 loudspeakers will be located throughout the Nanjing Olympic Sports Center.
100 —100 Nanjing YOG “LELE” mascots will participate in the closing ceremony gala.
80 — 80 remote cameras will be installed at different places within the Nanjing Olympic Sports Center.
28— 28 different kinds of costumes are used during the closing ceremony gala.
4 — rehearsals for the closing ceremony went on for four months.
[20:56] A Canadian singer sings a Chinese song “Tomorrow”, together with athletes from five continents.
[20:49] The performance “Youth in Full Blossom” begins.
[20:47] To recap: The Youth Olympic Games (YOG) is an international multi-sport event first proposed by the eighth President of the International Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge, and organized by the International Olympic Committee.
In addition to advancing athletic competition, the YOG vows to promote exchange and communication between different countries and cultures. The first YOG was held in Singapore in 2010, and the third games will take place in the Argentinian capital, Buenos Aires, four years from now.
[20:46] 2,000 —2, 000 people will perform at the closing ceremony gala.
800 —800 fireworks will be set off during the closing ceremony.
766 — 766 props will be used during the closing ceremony gala.
[20:45] The closing ceremony will last 90 minutes. During the performance, the daily life of Nanjing’s people will be displayed through projections. Athletes from the five continents of the world will also be invited onto the stage to sing songs with the singers to express their gratitude to Nanjing and the Nanjing Youth Olympic Games.
[20:42] Wherever there’s an end, there’s also a new beginning.
Nanjing mayor Miao Ruilin has handed over the Olympic flag to Thomas Bach, the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
When soccer star Lionel Messi appeared on the big screen in a video, the whole stadium cheered, and the Argentinian national flag was raised as everyone watched. Four years from now, the world will turn their eyes to Buenos Aires. In the meantime, let’s hope and wish for the best.
The promotional video of the host city of the next Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires of Argentina is played during the closing ceremony of Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, capital of east China’s Jiangsu Province, Aug. 28, 2014. [Photo/Xinhua]
[20:41] Audience stand up for the IOC flag and anthem.
IOC chief Thomas Bach delivers a speech.
[20:40] Mr. Bach declares the 2nd Summer Youth Olympic Games close.
[20:32] IOC chief Bach delivers a speech. He says “Thank you, Nanjing!” in Chinese.
He thanks the volunteers in particular.
[20:30] 3,800 — 3,800 young athletes from 203 different countries and regions attend to the closing ceremony.
2,000 —2, 000 actors and actresses will perform at the closing ceremony gala.
[20:28] 6,500 — 6,500 gift bags, each of which consists of 10 props,are prepared by the organizer for the live audience at the closing ceremony.
[20:22] Shen Duo, Chinese swimmer who claimed 6 golds at YOG, reads her resolutions for the future on behalf of all athletes.
On behalf of all athletes who participated in the Youth Olympic Games, I make this commitment: No matter whether we are on or off the courts, we shall all shoulder our responsibilities as sports ambassadors, and act the part of real champions. The Games inspire us to make a better and more peaceful world through strength from sports. Now it’s our turn to serve as role models to spread and pass on the YOG spirit, and encourage more young people to practice the values of the Olympics. Thank you! “
Shen Duo
[20:20] Six representatives of YOG volunteers come into the stadium. They receive flowers for their great job during the Games.
Firework at YOG closing ceremony
[20:10] To recap: The Youth Olympic Games aim to bring together talented young athletes aged from 15 to 18 from around the world.
[20:07] Delegations’ flags enters the stadium, with China and Greece first.
[20:05] The audience stand up as the Chinese national anthem is played.
[20:03] The national flag of China enters the stadium.
Chinese national flag
[20:02] Audience applause for all the athletes taking part in the second YOG.
[20:00] Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and IOC chief Thomas Bach arrived for the closing ceremony.
[19:53] Nanjing press office
The warm-up performance has a lot of Nanjing flavor. The song and dance performance is executed by local students and elderly men and women in a very grassroots style. The closing ceremony’s warm-up performace puts Nanjing people’s leisure culture and life on stage.
[19:50] 10 minutes to go!
Warm-up peformance
[19:31] French Embassy in China
#PE Diplomacy# French team ranked ninth in the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympic Games.
The French team of 82 young athletes is ranked ninth in the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympic Games with six gold, three silver and nine bronze medals. China and Russia ranked first and second at the medal table, respectively. Congratulations to all the young athletes and coaches! See you in Rio at the 2016 Olympic Games.
[18:30] One hour and a half to the Closing Ceremony. Here we share with you some unforgettable moments at YOG >>
LELE gives Li a BIG hug!
[18:20] Chinese premier Li Keqiang visited YOG volunteers Thursday afternoon and interacted with Mascot “LELE”.
[15:30] China sent 123 athletes to take part in the Games. And China’s deputy chef de mission Xiao Tian said Thursday afternoon that Chinese athletes did a great job at the Nanjing Youth Olympic Games as they not only achieved good results but also took part in many social and educational activities.
[13:30] International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach is full of praise for Nanjing YOG, saying he really enjoys what he has experienced here. He said during an interview with Xinhua on Sunday:
It is a great experience, just very enjoyable, to meet the athletes, to see the organization here is flawless. We don’t have any kind of problems to solve, we can just enjoy the games, enjoy it with the athletes, with the volunteers, with the people of Nanjing.”
[13:05] Young people gathered for a farewell party in the Youth Olympic Village Wednesday night. See photos here>>
Chinese tennis player Xu Shilin won the YOG women’s tennis singles champion. [qq.com]
[11:00] Chinese tennis player Xu Shilin won the YOG women’s tennis singles champion at the age of 16. She’s the favorite candidate to take the place of Li Na, who is China’s No. 1 tennis player with two Grand Slam titles from the French and Australia Opens.
Olympic and world champion Ruta Meilutyte of Lithuania won the women’s 50-meter breaststroke at the Nanjing Youth Olympic Games. [Xinhua]
[10:32] How could somebody who already won an Olympic gold be eligible for the Youth Olympics, which is staged for athletes aged 15-18? Well, Ruta Meilutyte stunned in London when she was 15. It’s just a “experience journey” for the reigning Olympic 100m breaststroke champion Meilutyte to attend the Nanjing YOG.
[10:30] All the competitions ended on Wednesday, August 27. Now, let’s look at some future stars rising from the Youth Olympics.
Volunteers at YOG
[9:50] A total of 20,000 volunteers were recruited for the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games to cover 400 positions in spectator services, competition organization, food and beverage, medical services, NOC services and other fields. Dressed in green kit, they are given the name of “Little lime.”
[9:46] Chen said one of the eight chapters in the closing ceremony is designed to pay tribute to the volunteers. He said:
Five volunteer representatives will be on the stage to receive flowers. By doing this we want to show our recognition and appreciation of the volunteers’ great contribution to the Games. They deserve it.”
Chief Director Chen Weiya briefs the press on preparation work for the closing ceremony of the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing on Aug. 22, 2014. [Photo by Xiang Bin/China.org.cn]
[9:45] Chief Director Chen Weiya has pledged that the closing ceremony of the Nanjing Youth Olympic Games will be a big youth party and has invited all the youngsters at the Games to join in. He said:
The Youth Olympic Games is a gathering of youngsters from all over the world. Bearing that in mind, we’ll make the closing ceremony a big party for young people.”
[9:40] Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is to attend the closing ceremony, along with Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne, Djibouti’s Prime Minister Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed and Madagascar’s Prime Minister Kolo Roger.
[9:30] Running from Aug.16-28, the second Summer Youth Olympic Games will come to an end this evening.