Sadness and relief as ‘greatest Games ever’ close

The Mayor of London said he had felt a “momentary mad desire” to refuse to hand back the Olympic flag during last night’s closing ceremony.

“If you were to say to me that we have just held the greatest Games ever in Britain, I would say you are on the right track,” he told a London Press conference.

Asked whether he shared the melancholy of others at the end of the Games, he said: “It’s certainly true I did feel a momentary mad desire last night not to give Jacques Rogge that flag. I almost yanked it back.

“But I suppose there are two emotions – one is obviously some sadness that it is all over, because it’s been an amazing experience, but also a great relief because there is no doubt it has been a prodigious exertion by London and by Londoners.”

Paying tribute to Lord Coe, chairman of the organising committee Locog, the Mayor said London had staged “the most extraordinary event we can remember in our lifetimes”.

Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: “This has been two weeks when Britain didn’t just surprise the world but surprised itself.”

Mr Johnson said London was committed to ensuring a sporting legacy from the Olympics – and to providing thousands of jobs and homes.

Mr Johnson urged sports fans to snap up tickets for the forthcoming Paralympic Games, for which there was “massive demand” .

“The best way to make sure you have a chance to get to that park, share in the excitement of London 2012, is to get on the website when those Paralympic Games tickets become available,” he said.

“If demand exceeds supply, we will make sure there are Paralympic Park tickets available as well.”

Mr Johnson said the early indications were that London had already benefited economically from the Games and repeated hopes that the gains could ultimately reach £13bn or more.

Mr Johnson said London’s transport network defied the sceptics and held up to the surge in demand and praised dignitaries for using public transport.

The mayor said there were plans for 8,000 permanent jobs on the Olympic Park after the Games.