August 19, 2008 9:36 AM
The Load Out
The match had ended two hours earlier. Rafael Nadal had won the gold medal in the men's tennis singles final; he'd long since left the building.
From the stands, I had sat and watched as the volunteers at center court said their final goodbyes. Their role in the Games was already over.
But two hours after the match ended, as I was about to head home, I noticed one last volunteer. He'd snuck out onto center court to take a final picture. At first, he tried to set up his camera on the umpire's chair and use the self-timer, but the flash wouldn't go off. So he handed his camera off to the last security guard and struck a pose, his shadow cast across the court.
I'm not sure that the international media or the athletes would agree to it, but watching that volunteer take that last photo, I was reminded of the fact that if China had their way, they'd probably never want these Games to end. They're loving the attention so far.
A few more images and words below in this audio postcard from the hours after it all ended at center court:
