Matt in Beijing

The Olympic flame may have been extinguished, but 11 days after the closing ceremony, Beijing is yet to return to normal.

The streets are quiet, with traffic restrictions introduced in the run-up to the Games remaining in place until the conclusion of the Paralympics on September 20. Construction sites remain eerily silent, with the migrant labourers that have helped to transform the Chinese capital also unable to return to the city until the end of next month. Factories within the city limits remain idle, or working at reduced capacity. Over the past few days, the air has been incredibly clear, the sky a deep blue and the Western Hills visible in high-definition from the city centre.

This situation is unlikely to remain permanent. After September 20, the pollution measures will be lifted, cars will stream back onto the city's broad highways, the migrant workers will return, building work will recommence, and the smog will almost certainly return.

But having had a taste of clean air and congestion-free streets, Beijingers are understandably reluctant to countenance a return to the bad old days.

Hundreds of thousands of message board posters and bloggers have been actively calling on the government to keep some of the pollution and traffic restrictions in place for good. 

An opinion poll conducted by state news agency Xinhua, found 56% of Beijing residents in favour of at least some of the restrictions remaining in place permanently. Xinhua, the state news agency, reported that an opinion survey of 10,000 people found 56 per cent in favour of retaining some restrictions. An op-ed piece in the city's most liberal daily newspaper (I use the term hesitantly, this is a one-party state after all) called for the special Olympic lanes - the third lane on many highways has been reserved for official traffic during the Games - to be converted into bus lanes after the Games to speed up journey times and encourage Beijingers to leave their cars at home. The fact that the tightly controlled state media is being given the freedom to debate these issues means that the issue is at the very least being considered at a governmental level.

Politicians are acutely aware of a rising sense of activism among the urban middle-classes over environmental issues in China, and of the dangers of not responding to these concerns. Over the past 18 months, there have been a number of large-scale public demonstrations against factories, landfills and other large-scale polluting industries - see my previous blog post on the issue. Whereas in the past, such public gatherings would have been quickly, and if necessary violently, dispersed by the police, all have largely been allowed to pass off peacefully, although organisers were reportedly questioned and harassed after the event.

Just last weekend, an estimated 500 residents of Changying, in the city's eastern suburbs, took to the streets to protest against the continued operation of a large waste disposal facility close to their homes. According to Hong Kong-based human rights groups, two protestors were injured in clashes with security officials, while another is reported missing. However, eyewitness reports suggested that the protest was peaceful and well-behaved.

In a couple of weeks, the Paralympics will be over, the Beijing 2008 bunting will come down and, in all likelihood, most if not all of the temporary pollution restrictions will be lifted. But the Games have undoubtedly emboldened Beijingers - both helping them to believe that they are now living in a truly a globally recognised and admired city, but also in giving them the confidence to stand up for their rights.

In the aftermath of every Olympic games, there is plenty of talk about legacy. From an overhauled infrastructure to the dozens of new venues and hundreds of shiny new hotels, shopping centres and apartment complexes that were rushed to completion in time for the Games, the Olympics has most definitely left its mark on Beijing.

The 1988 Games in Seoul ushered in a period of rapid political liberalisation and reform. I do not see this happening in China. But by empowering citizens at a local level to express their views and stand up for their interests, these Olympics have changed Beijing society. And if the end result is a realisation that the heavily polluting, heavy industry growth model that has fuelled China's economic transformation over the past 30 years is unsustainable, then these Games may have left the most important legacy imaginable, not just for China's 1.3 billion citizens, but for the world as a whole.

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After 16 days of a flawlessly executed Olympics, which has at every stage been meticulously planned, with barely a blade of grass out of place, along came London last night and, in eight shambolic minutes, reminded everyone that a little bit of chaos can, in fact be a good thing.

From the moment an unkempt Boris Johnson, suit jacket unbuttoned and hands in pockets, waddled into the Bird's Nest, the mood of the Closing Ceremony - which, to that point had been impressive but ultimately rather cold - changed. Johnson, a huge grin on his face, stood on the podium waving sheepishly, clearly not quite sure what to do with his hands.

He grabbed the Olympic flag off IOC president Jacques Rogge, managed to get it tangled up, before waving it a few times - it was supposed to be six but I don't think Boris was counting - signalling the handover of the Games to London. Johnson departed, hands alternating between his pockets, and shaking hands with the rather bemused mayor of Beijing, Liu Qi.

Then the lights dimmed, and in drove a bus. We were promised an iconic red London double-decker, but the plain red coach was more reminiscent of a rail replacement bus on the London-Norwich mainline. The doors opened and out jumped a team of multicultural dancers, reading the papers and twirling umbrellas. After three minutes of chaos - a little girl appeared at one point to clamber over some bodies (apparently she had been chosen by Blue Peter viewers) - the roof opened to reveal Leona Lewis, looking terrified that the raised platform she was standing on was about to topple and fall, and a white-haired Jimmy Page, clearly delighted that organisers had decided to cut straight to his guitar solo.

The mostly Chinese crowd looked on in stunned silence. A few tapped their feet awkwardly. Then the star attraction, David Beckham, appeared on the top deck, accompanied by a very attractive, scantily clad violinist - why not, I guess - and to the delight of the crowd proceeded to kick an oversized football randomly in the direction of the Olympic volunteers in the stadium.

Then, as quickly as it began, it was all over, the bus framed by some frankly pathetic-looking flashing umbrellas as it departed the stadium. London's surreal interlude to another Chinese show of power was complete.

Objectively, London's opening salvo to the 2012 Olympic Games last night was awful. Our ramshackle assortment of entertainment and somewhat ham-fisted attempts at comedy - I was half expecting three buses to come along at once but I guess that would have pushed the show way over budget - paled in comparison to Zhang Yimou's vast, highly choreographed, and visually stunning set-pieces.

But after an Olympic Games that, while incredibly impressive, have been distinctly lacking in fun and spontaneity, the fact that an attempt was made at humour, and that the overriding air was one of self-deprecation, was a blessed reminder that some nations are confident enough to be able to laugh at themselves.

China has been a consummate host over this past Olympic fortnight. Never before has a Games been run so smoothly, perhaps never again will we see such impressive venues. And the people of Beijing have been incredibly welcoming and friendly.

But the overall air of intense national pride - when 10,000 people are joylessly yelling "China must win, China must win," over and over again, the effect is faintly terrifying - coupled with China's acute sensitivity and complete inability to take any form of criticism whatsoever, can wear down even the most supportive of guests - I'm talking about myself here.

China should take a great deal of confidence from these Games. Not only has it proved its international doubters wrong in the organisational stakes, its athletes achieved their ambition by topping the medal table by a significant margin.

Hopefully, this should also go someway towards ridding the country of its largely self-imposed victim complex. The state-sanctioned version of history, taught to hundreds of millions of schoolchildren across China, is one of a nation that was repeatedly humiliated by the rest of the world, but which, thanks to the glorious efforts of the Communist Party since 1979 - the first thirty years are conveniently glossed over - has regained its rightful place as a global superpower.

There is no denying that China has suffered at the hands of both the Western imperial powers and Japan over the past 200 years, and it is understandable that there should be some lingering bitterness and resentment. And the government deserves a great deal of credit for lifting its people out of poverty and ushering in economic growth on an unprecedented scale.

But the fact is that China is no longer a victim - it is the world's emerging superpower, its economy is almost single-handedly preventing us from sliding into an all-out global recession right now, and it is moving from being the low-cost workshop of the world into one which, increasingly, is outsourcing its designs and expertise overseas. The sooner it realises this, the quicker it will be accepted, and trusted, by the rest of the world.

If these Olympics can go some way towards enabling the Chinese to be confident enough to make a fool of themselves in front of hundreds of millions of viewers and not really care, then the billions of pounds it has ploughed into these Games may just have been worth it.

But judging by Hu Jintao's fixed, steely gaze as he watched over the closing fireworks last night, I fear that the Chinese government is still a long way off being able to do so.

For all the latest Olympic news, commentary and analysis, check out MSN's Beijing Olympics special report.

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Over the past fortnight, numerous commentators have drawn attention to Article 6 of the Olympic charter, a document which purports to set out the guiding principles of the world's most high-profile sporting event.

"The Olympics are competitions between athletes in individual or team events, not between countries," it reads. How does this square, people have asked, with the obsession at these Olympics with the medal table? Has the spirit of the Olympics been lost forever?

The reality is that, for as long as I can remember, the Olympics have always been hugely nationalistic affairs. In the 70s and 80s, the US and Russia fought it out for gold medal domination - in the 21st century, the battle for global superpower supremacy is now between the US and China.

In the past, Brits have taken a somewhat aloof and superior air to the scramble for medals occurring all around us because, at previous Olympics, we have languished well down the medal table. But Team GB's historically strong showing in Beijing has meant that this time around we too have been glued to the medal table. We have come to regard fourth place in an Olympics event as a disappointing failure, rather than a plucky effort by an underdog. Even bronze medals have been met with disappointment in some quarters.

Is this a sign that the days of us celebrating individual athletic achievement are over? Have we abandoned our sense of sportsmanship. Are we now set to engage in the brash, nationalistic kind of support that we have, for years, looked down upon? Are we all about to turn into Australians?

In a word, no. To my mind, there is nothing contradictory about supporting your country at the Olympics and celebrating the individual sporting achievements of the athletes on show.

At these Games, I have celebrated every British medal. But I have also marvelled at the sheer brilliance and bravery of competitors from around the world, from the almost superhuman achievements of Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt to the sheer determination of Paula Radcliffe battling through the pain barrier to limp across the finish line in the women's marathon last Sunday. In the Bird's Nest on Friday night, I leapt into the air when the Australian pole-vaulter Steve Hooker, having already won gold, went on to break the Olympic record. I didn't care that his medal meant that Australia had crept one medal closer to overhauling Team GB in the table. It was a stunning show of individual skill, strength of character and endurance. These achievements transcended nationality – they were a celebration of humanity.

As the Beijing Olympics draw to a close, a Games on a scale the likes of which we have never seen, and may well never see again, we should celebrate Team GB's strong showing in the medal table. We should no longer view ourselves as plucky underdogs, we have shown that we can compete with the world's strongest sporting superpowers. There is nothing to feel guilty about in doing so.

But blinkered nationalism should not blind us to the individual achievements at these Games. My abiding memory of these Olympics will be Usain Bolt surging down the track to win the 100m. As a demonstration of human achievement, it is difficult to top. And it had nothing to do with his nationality. Or the medal table.

For all the latest Olympic news, commentary and analysis, check out MSN's Beijing Olympics special report.

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The atmosphere inside the Bird's Nest last night was electric from the start, but as soon as the yellow tracksuit-clad figure of Usain Bolt sauntered onto the track, it was clear that the star of the show had arrived.

The crowd rose to its feet as one, the stadium illuminated by a sea of camera flashes. A Chinese fan a few seats across from me reached into his bag and unfurled a giant Jamaican flag.

And when he was passed the baton, on the third leg of Jamaica's 4x100m relay team, he didn't disappoint. He surged round the bend, the gap between him and his nearest challenger extending with every stride, before executing the smoothest of handovers to Asafa Powell, who carried on his momentum, crossing the line in 37.10 seconds to smash the world record. Bolt ran behind him all the way to the finish, his arm outstreched in celebration. It was pure drama, and it was breathtaking.

I'm not sure if International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge was among the 91,000 spectators in the stadium last night. But if he was, I hope he was feeling suitably humbled.

Rogge on Thursday criticised Bolt for his showboating reaction to winning both the 100m last Saturday, and the 200m on Wednesday, breaking the world record both times. "He is a young man but he should show more respect for his rivals. That would be more in the spirit of the Olympic ideal," he said.

That Rogge should invoke the "Olympic ideal" is laughable. The modern Olympics are so far removed from its founding principles as to be almost unrecognisable. They are a corporate, political platform in which nations rather than individuals battle it out in a show of power. Competitors from many countries, most notably China, are taken away from their families at an early age and have undergone gruelling training regimes all in preparation for these Olympics. Some resort to taking performance-enhancing substances in a bid to gain an extra advantage.

So when someone comes along with not only extraordinary raw talent, but a personality to back it up, the IOC should embrace him with open arms. The build-up to these Games were so political that it was easy to forget that they were supposed to be a sporting event. The performance of outstanding individuals, most notably Bolt, and US swimmer, Michael Phelps, as well as, from a British perspective, Team GB's outstanding medal haul so far, have helped to focus attention back where it should have been all along - on the athletes themselves.

Bolt in this sense has done more to uphold the Olympic ideal than almost anyone else at these Games. He has demonstrated just how powerfully the human body can perform and will doubtless have inspired generations of children all across the world to become athletes. He has earned the right to show off - let him enjoy his moment.

As Bolt and his Jamaican relay teammates conducted a lap of honour around the stadium, thousands of fans clambered to the front in a bid to catch a glimpse of the world's new sporting icon. He stopped to sign autographs a few metres away from me, smiling and posing for the cameras. A Chinese fan held out his baseball cap and the triple-champion autographed it. The fan shrieked, jumping up and down on the spot. "Oh my god, I can't believe it," he said. "I can't believe it." He called his mum. "Bolt just signed my hat, Bolt just signed my hat," he said, then promptly burst into tears. Anybody whose sheer sporting excellence can make a grown man cry deserves everyone's respect. Got that, Jacques?

For all the latest Olympic news, commentary and analysis, check out MSN's Beijing Olympics special report.

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I have been blown away by the sheer athletic prowess of the competitors on display at these Olympics.

Years of dedication, preparation and hard work have gone into ensuring that every athlete is in the best possible shape. The gold medallists may grab the headlines. But even those finishing in sixth or seventh place in a final are usually smashing their personal bests to do so.

Of course, such meticulous preparation requires a great deal of sacrifice. Usain Bolt may have bragged that he ate chicken nuggets for lunch hours before smashing the 100m world record, but most athletes here in Beijing have been eating scientific diets for months. No fast food and definitely no booze. And as for sex, most athletes are forced to abstain in order to ensure that their energy is fully channeled into their performance on the track or in the pool, not in the bedroom.

So you can only imagine the sense of release once their sporting participation at the Olympics is over. They want to go out, let their hair down, get drunk and maybe get lucky at the end of the night.

Because many of Beijing's largest clubs are located within the grounds of the Worker's Stadium and have been ordered to close for the duration of the Olympics, as all venues are out-of-bounds when they are not hosting events, athletes looking for a night out have congregated in a small number of clubs that have quickly become the places to party during these Olympics. These establishments are charging extortionate cover charges and have adopted extremely selective door policies. Even being a medal winner doesn't necessarily guarantee you entry. A friend watched a bronze medallist, who was proudly wearing his medal around his neck, get turned away from one of the Olympic party hotspots, China Doll.

These clubs are largely off-limits to non-athlete males like myself, but last night, thanks to a friend of a friend, I got a taste of the uniquely charged atmosphere of an Olympics party at Club Bud, a massive sprawling venue hired out by Budweiser.

As I waited in line, athletes and coaches, some wearing medals and tracksuits, others dressed up for a big night out, streamed into the club, ready to let loose. Inside, six-foot-seven swimmers downed free pints of beer, while medal winners shuffled awkwardly on the dancefloor. Groups of men were eyeing up women across the bar, egging each other on to go and chat them up. Couples snogged on red faux-velvet sofas.

Given that most of them probably hadn't had a drink for at least a month, there were unsurprisingly a line of casualties sitting slumped in corners, or staggering around outside, the most talented sportspeople of our generation reduced to dribbling wrecks in the car park of a club.

It shouldn't have come as a surprise, but it was nevertheless strange to realise that these sports stars, who appear almost super-human when they are competing, are, in fact, just normal young people on a night out when removed from the sporting arena.

Tonight I'm off to the Bird's Nest for what promises to be a stellar evening of athletics, and most likely I will once again be blown away by the achievements of the athletes on display. But once they're done with their events, many of them will shower, change, and head on out for a night on the town. And wake up tomorrow morning with a stinking hangover.

For all the latest Olympic news, commentary and analysis, check out MSN's Beijing Olympics special report.

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