You have to give it to the Chinese, they pulled off a show that will be remembered more for its record-setting performances and brilliant opening and closing ceremonies than a senseless killing on the eve of the Games and protests squelched by a lack of permits being issued.

For all the doubts and distressing circumstances being discussed before the Olympics began - poor air quality, shoddy construction of facilities, limitations on a free press and looming protests revolving around Tibet and Darfur - everything became an afterthought for the American spectator glued to their television.

Stars such as Michael Phelps, Kerri Walsh, Misty May-Treanor, Nastia Liukin, Shawn Johnson and a long list of others made sure of that.

About the only thing that went terribly wrong for the U.S. at these Games was the men's and women's track teams woefully underperforming. That wasn't the case for the men's and women's basketball teams, though, which both captured gold with impressive showings.

More so for the men considering the "Redeem Team" dominated up until the final, after being trounced in every world competition following the Athens games in 2000, and then defeated Spain in one of the best basketball games I've ever seen to retake its rightful place atop the basketball summit.

If you were hardy enough to stay up into the wee hours of Saturday night/Sunday morning, you saw the most hard-fought game of hoops played this year. I would put the game above any contest that took place in this past year's NBA playoffs and on par with, if not above, the Memphis-Kansas NCAA title game. It was that intense.

But when it comes to intensity, the Chinese showed more motivation in pulling off a successful show than possibly any country ever has. A $45 billion tab is proof in itself. Add in the fact that the host country won 51 gold medals to lead all nations and you could say the money was well spent. China wanted the spotlight and performed exceptionally under it.

The U.S. won the most medals total with 110 - 36 gold - showing that the Americans still have the most athletic talent in the world overall.

Everyone will obviously remember the entertaining and record-setting triumphs of Phelps in the pool, and Jamaica's Usain Bolt looking like lighting on the track, but Beijing also opened eyes to lesser known sports. One, in particular, will be burned in my memory.

Most of my Olympic conversations from the last week centered around a sport I didn't even know existed: 50-kilometer race walking. It's the single funniest looking sport I've ever seen. It's "Project Runway" meets the Mt. Madonna Challenge. Arms pump like a marathon runner, while the hips switch and sway like they're on Broadway.

From start to finish, though, China took center stage.

The country's resolve to continue the improvements it made for the Games - cleaner air, open Internet access and a freer press - is no laughing matter. The world can only hope that the advancements continue. But in the end, China should take pride in the fact that the world has a better opinion of it than it had going into the Games. After 16 days, I'm cautiously optimistic.