Twins carry NZ flag at closing ceremony

Fairfax Media

GOLDEN GIRLS: Olympic rowing gold medalists Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell carry the New Zealand flag at the Olympic closing ceremony.

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New Zealand double gold medallists Caroline and Georgine Evers-Swindell disconcerted organisers somewhat as they prepared to carry the flag into the Bird's Nest stadium for last night's spectacular Olympics closing ceremony.

New Zealand chef de mission Dave Currie, speaking as the team returned back to the Olympic Village after, said the fact that New Zealand had two flagbearers where every other country had just one seemed to throw organisers a little as the team prepared to march into the stadium.

"There seemed to be a little consternation that two people were carrying the flag into the stadium," Currie said last night.

"But it was a nice way to recognise what they'd achieved."

The Evers-Swindells swooped through in the last possible split second of the women's double sculls at Shunyi to pip Germany for the gold, overcoming 18 months of injury woes and hashed results in a stunning comeback.

Currie said it had been a particularly tough choice this year because three gold medals had been won.

"Ultimately it came down to recognising Caroline and Georgina's extraordinary performance at Beijing but also taking into account their performance in Athens, " he said.

Currie said a good proportion of the team had returned to the stadium for the closing ceremony, celebrating a nine-medal haul which included three golds.

"We've been here for six weeks and it's been two weeks of pretty intense competition. It's nice to celebrate a bit – the closing ceremony was amazing."

The team had a farewell function scheduled for tomorrow night before heading back to the slightly cooler climes of the tail-end of a New Zealand winter, Currie said.

The closing ceremony, another singing, dancing and fireworks spectacular, marked the end of 17 days of frenetic sporting activity during which more than 40 world records and 120 Olympic records were broken.

The biggest stars of the games were American swimmer Michael Phelps, the first person to win eight gold medals at a single Olympics, and electrifying Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, the winner of three gold medals.

But the Games were also a success for New Zealand which had its most successful Olympics since 1992, winning nine medals.

In addition to the Evers-Swindells, shot putter Valerie Vili and board sailor Tom Ashley won golds, cyclist Hayden Roulston won silver in the 4000m individual pursuit and was part of the bronze-winning team  pursuit foursome, and other bronzes were won by 1500m runner Nick Willis, triathlete Bevan Docherty, single sculler Mahe Drysdale and the men's pair of George Bridgewater and Nathan Twaddle.

Just before the closing ceremony, oarsman Hamish Bond was revealed as New Zealand's 1000th Olympian. The 22-year-old from Dunedin was part of the coxless four which finished seventh last weekend.

New Zealand Olympic Committee secretary-general Barry Maister named Bond as No 1000 as the team was preparing to make its way to the closing ceremony.

Athletes were numbered alphabetically by Games. No 1 was Harry Kerr, who competed at the 1908 London Olympics, winning a bronze in the 3500m track walk.

-Fairfax Media/NZPA