London’s eight minute handover segment followed the transfer of the Paralympic flag to the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, 60 years after the first sporting event for competitors with a disability was staged at Stoke Mandeville, just outside London.

For the first time, an organising committee has used the same themes and told a story in two halves for both handover segments. The Paralympic presentation will showcase the next generation of young performers and represents a connection between culture and sport.

The handover ceremony featured a series of high-impact innovative dance sequences, musical moments and iconic landmarks, identifying London as host city for the next Paralympic Games.

The iconic London bus reappeared, representing the journey from Beijing to London in the Olympic handover segment. In the Paralympic Closing Ceremony it represented the journey from Beijing back to London. As it left the stadium, it was transformed from its traditional red colour to the striking London 2012 Paralympic logo.

The Paralympic Handover segment was also marked by a host of UK-wide Paralympic Games-focussed activities for millions of young people across the UK. London 2012 has provided learning materials to help schools and colleges celebrate the Paralympic Games coming home. Over 5,000 schools are involved in different activities. The festivities across the nation give young people their first taste of the inspiration that will be found throughout the London 2012 domestic education programme called “Get Set” which goes live on 18th September.

There were also a series of live sites with big screens in the UK, including London’s Trafalgar Square, relaying live coverage of the Closing Ceremony.

The handover segment, in chronological order, included:


Sebastian Coe, Chairman of the London 2012 Organising Committee, said: 'The Beijing Paralympic Games Closing Ceremony was spectacular and we are proud to have taken part in it and to present a snapshot of London and the UK to the world. Our segment was a statement of intent that our Games will be inspiring and fun, and get the whole world involved. We are proud to be the next summer Paralympic host city. I congratulate Beijing for being superb hosts for both Games, to the Chinese team for topping the Paralympic medals table, and to ParalympicsGB for a stunning performance in coming second.'

Sam Hegedus, who performed as Lord Nelson in the segment, said: 'I have played at many concerts but this is a truly global event. To be part of it is incredible. I love how the Games combines sport, culture, art, music and so many forms of artistic performance and expression. I feel truly honoured to be part of the handover, and to have been in the role of one of Britain’s great heroes. It is great to have the opportunity to have been involved in something so meaningful and now to see the Games come to London.'

Cherisse Osei, the drummer, who currently plays with pop sensation Mika, said: 'It has been such a fabulous experience to be part of the Paralympic Games here in Beijing. The city has been buzzing and the vastness of the stadium and the whole atmosphere makes me realise that we are lucky that the Games are coming to London in 2012. I have grown up in London, one of the greatest cities in the world, and I know it is going to be a wonderful setting for the Olympics and Paralympics in 2012.'

Ade Adepitan, British Wheelchair Basketball Paralympian, said: 'It’s true that the Paralympic Games are the most exciting and unique sporting event in the world. I think it is also the most inspiring event of any kind - sporting or non-sporting. I hope that by bringing the Olympic and Paralympic Games to London, we will encourage more young people to take up sport and follow their dreams. I was proud to take part in this segment representing London and the UK.'

London’s segment came approximately two-thirds of the way through the closing ceremony. The Paralympic flag was handed from the International Paralympic Committee Chairman Sir Philip Craven to the Mayor of London Boris Johnson.

– Ends –

For further information please contact the London 2012 Press Office on +44 (0)203 2012 100

Notes to editors: 

View full details of the London 2012 cast and organisations involved in the segment (PDF, 2.3MB).

Dave Weir (T54) won silver in the 400m, bronze in the 5000m, and gold in the 880m and 1500 gold. He is from Wallington in Surrey, and this is his third Paralympic Games. Shelly Woods (T54) won bronze in the 5000m and silver in the 1500m. She is from Blackpool, this is her first Games and she won the 100th medal of the ParalympicsGB medal haul. Eleanor Simmonds (S6) won gold in the 100m freestyle and 400m freestyle. Originally from Walsall, she moved to Swansea in Wales to train. Aged 13, she is the youngest member of the ParalympicsGB team. David Roberts won gold in the 50m and 100m freestyle, the 400m freestyle and the 4 X 100 relay team, to equal Tanni Grey-Thompson’s tally of medals won. David comes from Pontypridd in Wales. The gold medal BC1/BC2 Boccia gold medal team are Nigel Murray from Leamington Spa, Dan Bentley from Great Dunmow, Essex, Zoe Robinson from Bury in Lancashire, and David Smith from Eastleigh in Hampshire. Murray also won the BC2 Boccia individual silver.

The London 2012 Paralympic Games in 2012 will take place from 29th August to 9th September, using the same Village and many of the same venues as the Olympic Games. The London 2012 Organising Committee is responsible for the staging of the Games. Most of the Paralympic venues are set in two zones, the Olympic Park in east London and the River Zone incorporating Greenwich and the ExCeL centre. These two zones are just 15 minutes apart.

• An arrangement of the national anthem performed by the choir of the Harrow International School in Beijing, arranged by musical director Philip Shepherd;
• The London double decker bus entered the stadium in the same open formation in which it left the Olympic ceremony, revealing an interior that is predominantly green with lush grass and a hedge cut into the shape of the London skyline;
• The bus was led in by British wheelchair basketball Paralympian Ade Adepitan, and nine-year-old Gareth Picken, who won a BBC Blue Peter competition to take part in the ceremony;
• On high-rising elevators, a young female drummer emerged with a full drum kit, followed by a recreation of the statue of Lord Nelson, , a great British hero and a famous disabled person, transposed from his iconic perch in Trafalgar Square to a more contemporary column. His eye patch was replaced by sunglasses, his sword with a guitar to represent the party that will be the London Games, appealing to the youth of the world;
• A dance challenge then took place between street dance group Zoo Nation and CandoCo who are a contemporary dance group with disabled and able-bodied performers;
• On a third rising elevator, a tea lady emerged with cakes and sandwiches signalling that for the British everything stops for tea;
• Performers from a range of backgrounds dressed as Londoners reflected the diversity of London life and the ambition for the London 2012 Games to be for everyone;
• The unfolded petals on the roof of the bus then closed, as the bus returned to its normal shape. It left the Stadium wrapped in the vibrant London 2012 Paralympic logo, symbolising London’s own journey of transformation as a host city for the 2012 Games;
• The bus was accompanied by ParalympicsGB medal winners – Dave Weir, Shelly Woods, Eleanor Simmonds, David Roberts, and the gold medal winning Boccia team of Nigel Murray, Dan Bentley, Zoe Robinson and David Smith. For more details please see notes to editors at the end of this release.