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World athletes that competed at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and the flags of the 204 participating delegations are ushered into the National Stadium, or the Bird's Nest, at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games closing ceremony in Beijing, capital of China, on Aug. 24, 2008. [Guo Dayue/Xinhua]
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When all his teammates were gone, Narcisse lingered for a while on the field, reluctant to leave the National Indoor Stadium close to the Bird's Nest. The glory could be his last game.
Narcisse, who began playing at seven, encountered the Icelandic team in his debut in 2000. Back then neither Narcisse nor his team were as strong as they are today.
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Members of the Canadian Olympic Delegation enter the National Stadium, or the Bird's Nest, during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games closing ceremony in Beijing, capital of China, on Aug. 24, 2008. [Yang Lei/Xinhua]
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Now at 28, he will probably retire, after years of struggling with cartilage injuries, a world championship in 2001, and now a final Olympic title.
"You were true role models. You have shown us the unifying power of sport," Rogge said of the worldwide athletes to the Games. "The Olympic spirit lives in the warm embrace of competitors from nations in conflict. Keep that spirit alive when you return home."
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World athletes that competed at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and the flags of the 204 participating delegations are ushered into the National Stadium, or the Bird's Nest, at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games closing ceremony in Beijing, capital of China, on Aug. 24, 2008. [Yang Lei/Xinhua]
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