China now an Olympic power

BEIJING -- Dazzling red and gold fireworks lit the skies over the Bird's Nest National Stadium during the Beijing Olympics' closing ceremony Sunday.

How appropriate.

These were China's Games. And the host country, as expected, established itself as a new power in the Olympic movement, winning a stunning 51 gold medals.

Home advantage aside, get used to it. As the Olympic movement turns its focus to London 2012, China's golden dominance is only expected to grow.

While U.S. Olympic Committee officials touted these Games as the most successful for the Americans, no nation could match the medal-focused force of China.

China easily outpaced the U.S. and the rest of the world in golds.

China joined the 1988 Unified Team (55), the 1972 Soviet Union team (50) and the 1908 Great Britain team (56) as the only countries to reach 50 golds in a non-boycotted Games.

The U.S. was second with 36, Russia was third with 19, and Great Britain was fourth with 16.

The American contingent, however, did win the overall medal tally for the fourth straight Olympics, racking up 110 medals to China's 100. The U.S. set a record in a full-participation Games. Its previous best was 108 medals in Barcelona in 1992.

But the IOC's medal table is rated by number of golds won.

"China has won the most gold medals, and the United States of America has won the most total medals," said Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee. "And I believe each country will highlight what suits it best."

As for American gold, the U.S. matched its mark in Athens in 2004 and was one off its total in Barcelona and Sydney in 2000.

"The citizens of the United States of America, and even the rest of the world, can be proud of the participation of the United States and our team here," said Peter Ueberroth, chairman of the USOC. "We're congratulating them. We understand, at the same time, the Chinese team is fantastic. We'll have to redouble our efforts in future Games."

That's because the most populous country in the world, which only returned to the Olympics in 1984, has decided the Games are worth investing in. Drumming up new resources to remain competitive will be a continued focus for the USOC.

And it's not just China the United States has to keep an eye on -- nations such as Russia and Great Britain are also making moves. More than 120 Olympic records were set in Beijing, and a record 87 countries won medals.

Ueberroth said the U.S. will continue to evaluate where it can improve its medal performance.

"You have to try to fill in the spots," he said. "We have to watch people coming behind us. The Chinese have earned their place in these Games."