The Canadian delegation enters the Coliseum during the closing ceremony of the Special Olympics World Games.(USC Photo/Gus Ruelas)
Goodwill abounds at close of Special Olympics
The final festivities salute the athletes, coaches, volunteers and supporters who came together for a successful and inspirational event
The Special Olympics World Games, which began with great fanfare in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on July 25, came to a close Sunday.
More than 38,000 turned out for the event, which included the traditional extinguishing of the flame, the handoff of the flag to the next host (Austria) and songs by pop star Carly Rae Jepsen.
The Los Angeles games — the largest Special Olympics World Games in its 47-year history with 165 participating nations — attracted 350,000 spectators to 25 competitions.