Olympics Showed Britain's Potential

The finish line is in sight. After two weeks of exertion, of triumph and dejection, of glittering victory and head-down defeat that have been the focus not just of British attention but of the gaze of the entire world, the London Olympics of 2012 will soon be over – and the reflection will begin. In truth, the reflection has been under way from the very start, from an opening ceremony that did not serve up mere spectacle but asked its audience, particularly its British audience, to think. Danny Boyle's spectacular, so beautifully executed and ingeniously conceived it lingers in the mind even as the closing draws near, stood apart from its predecessors thanks not only to its humour and eccentricity, but also because it had something to say.