Greek Pop Icons Close Olympics
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In the end, it didn't matter which dream teams the other countries brought &#151; Greece had its own during the closing ceremony. An all-star lineup of Greek pop icons had Olympic Stadium rocking Sunday night with classic songs and new hits amid glittering fireworks, clouds of confetti and balloons.
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Greece&#39;s top two sprinters pulled out of the Olympic Games Wednesday after inflicting six days of embarrassment on their country in a hide-and-seek contest with anti-doping enforcers.
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International Olympic Committee  President Jacques Rogge declared the Athens Games closed on  Sunday, praising the organizers for a fantastic Olympics.
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ATHENS, Greece - US Secretary of State Colin Powell canceled a weekend visit to attend the closing ceremony of the Olympics, prompting Greek communists who had organized anti-American protests in central Athens to claim victory Saturday.
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The Greek sprinters Kostantinos Kenteris and Ekaterini Thanou  facing sanctions after missing drugs tests  quit the Games yesterday to avoid the humiliation of being thrown out by the IOC.
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They will be dancing in the aisles at  the Olympic closing ceremony when Greece throws a giant  Bacchanalian bash for athletes and fans.
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Athens -- It&#39;s a good thing the Olympics end today. It seems the American team has overstayed its welcome by a few days. For the most part, the Greeks have been outstanding hosts.
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The heady days of the Athens Games are over. Colorful banners have been pulled down and stadiums built in a rush of last-minute construction lay empty. Now Greeks are bracing for the Olympic-sized bill.
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FOR most spectators in the Olympic stadium, the lavish closing ceremony in Athens last night was a chance to revel in the self-congratulation and relief that traditionally comprise end-of-games euphoria.
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The pessimism among Greeks before the Olympics has been replaced by fierce optimism and pride. So donât even think about criticizing the Games, especially if youâre Greek.
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ATHENS -- It was a long goodbye almost a week in the making, but Greece&#39;s troubled star sprinters have finally left the Olympic building.
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ATHENS, Greece - Under a well-timed full moon to conclude a near-cloudless three weeks, the 2004 Summer Olympics came to an end Sunday night with music, dancing and the last of nearly 1,000 medals.
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Thousands of athletes, sports officials and visitors to Athens began leaving the Greek capital Monday in a mass post-Olympic exodus.
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They leave the Olympics with gold medals for the third straight time, olive wreaths crowning their heads and a lasting legacy that&#39;s just a shade off perfection.
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Athens stages a low-key but emotional Paralympics closing ceremony.
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ATHENS, Greece Aug. 18, 2004  Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou pulled out of the Athens Games on Wednesday, nearly a week after they missed a drug test and were later hospitalized following a suspicious motorcycle crash.
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Controversial Greek sprinters and doping suspects Kostadinos Kenteris and Ekaterini Thanou quit the Olympic Games on Wednesday moments after exiting an IOC inquiry which could have expelled them for missing a mandatory drugs test.