国际残奥委会主席菲利普·克雷文在2012年伦敦残奥会闭幕式上的致辞（英文版）

IPC President Craven’s Speech at the Closing Ceremony of London Paralympics<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

September. 9, 2012

Your Royal Highness, athletes, officials, Games makers, distinguished guests and Paralympic sports fans from all over the world. These have been quite simply amazing Paralympic Games.

Four years ago, the Beijing Paralympic Games Closing Ceremony’s theme was “A Letter to the Future.” That letter was received with open arms by Seb COE’s London Games Organising Committee, who had over 100 staff in the Chinese capital committed to delivering successful Paralympics in London.

What they breathed in in Beijing left them smitten and determined to deliver an event that would feed the British public’ s insatiable appetite for elite sport.

By building a giant theme park for sport in east London, designed to attract the world’s best athletes, the Olympic Delivery Authority and LOCOG have helped inspire a generation.

These were not just London’s Games but, thanks to Charles Allen’s Nations and Regions Group, those of the entire United Kingdom. Buoyed by the medal success of a host nation, this country has enjoyed a feel-good factor like never before.

There have been multiple examples of teams working closely together, LOCOG interacting seamlessly with the International Paralympic Committee and similarly with the Mayor’s Office, Transport for London, the City of London, the security services and both central and local governments.

But with those irrepressible smiles and fountains of knowledge the biggest cheer of London 2012 should be reserved for now as we say thank you to the thousands of Games makers.

Similarly, thanks to all International and National Technical Officials and Classifiers. Let us also acknowledge another band of people that stepped into the breach and went far beyond the call of duty - the British Armed Forces and the Emergency Services.

The compact and excellent Paralympic Village became home from home and launched 4,250 athletes into orbits of achievement which had no limits.

Paralympians - you gave to the world feats of speed, endurance, dexterity and skill many did not think possible.

You led the world’s media to wax lyrical over your performances and left millions of Paralympic sport fans, to create what (the mayor of London) Boris Johnson said to me last week, a “wall of noise” in the venues, hungry and desperate for more.

The Paralympic Games have truly come home and found their pathway to the future here in London.

The Paralympic Spirit which saw its first sparks of life in Stoke Mandeville some 64 years ago has followed a super-charged and surreal existence over the last 12 days. This has made the London 2012 Paralympic Games unique and without doubt, in my mind and those of the athletes the greatest Paralympic Games ever.

I call on you all gathered here and watching around the world to take this unique sporting spirit to all four corners of planet earth where you will make new friends, have fun and inspire them to light the flame in their hearts.

This is an event absolutely no-one wants to end, we know that. These Games have changed us all forever.

Before I close I want to link Stephen Hawking’s words about changing perceptions across multiple dimensions from the ethereal Opening Ceremony, to the words of a five-year-old called George GLEN. A few days ago, George was reading a book entitled “Treasure” with his mum, Emma, my daughter Ga?lle’s best friend.

The first page showed a man with an eye patch, a hook for a hand, a parrot on his shoulder and a wooden leg. Emma asked George who the man was, expecting him to say “a pirate”. But he said “well he only has one leg, so he must be an athlete.”

Kids just get it and now, thanks to the amazing performances we’ve seen here, we all do.

Finally the time has come for me to declare the Paralympic Games closed. But we all know that these Paralympic Games will live on for an eternity.

I call upon Paralympic athletes from all over the world to meet in Rio de Janeiro in four years’ time where once again you will inspire and excite the world with your sporting excellence.

I have to end with a big, big thank you to the people of this great city of London, and the entire population of the United Kingdom, thank you.