by Dave James
ATHENS, Aug 29 (AFP) - The 2004 Olympic Games came to a close on Sunday with the men's marathon celebrating ancient Greece but with the modern curses of security and drugs casting final, depressing clouds over the showpiece.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge told thousands of athletes and spectators at the lavish closing ceremony that the war on drugs was being won despite the final day being marred by two more doping cases as well as an embarrassing security breach.
With the action rounded-up, Rogge was left to praise the Games which had been dogged by spiralling costs and construction delays.
"These were the Games where it became increasingly difficult to cheat and where clean athletes were better protected," Rogge told the closing ceremony at a packed Olympic Stadium.
"These were the Games where you, the athletes, have touched our hearts by your performances, your joys and your tears.
"These were unforgettable, dream Games."
Rogge also praised the Greek organisers.
"You have won. You have won by brilliantly meeting the tough challenge of holding the Games.
He ended in the traditional way.
"I declare the Games of the XXVII Olympiad closed and I call upon the youth of the world to assemble four years from now in Beijing to celebrate with us there the Games of the XXIX Olympiad."
The United States finished top of the medals table with 35 golds and 103 in total with China just behind with 32 golds out of 63 while the final gold of the 301 handed out in the last 17 days went to marathon winner Stefano Baldini of Italy.
But even that race didn't escape controversy as long-time leader Vanderlei de Lima of Brazil was attacked by a spectator five miles from the end of the gruelling race.
Having spent millions of dollars attempting to protect the Games from an Al-Qaeda attack, organisers were finally defeated by a middle-aged defrocked Irish priest.
The marathon intruder was believed to be kilt-wearing Neil Horan who caused chaos at last year's British Formula One Grand Prix at Silverstone when he ran onto the track and was jailed for two months.
On Sunday, he emerged from a throng of spectators, with religious placards draped over his shoulders and ran across the road, pushing De Lima into the crowd.
The Brazilian was freed from the man's grasp and resumed the lead before Baldini pounced.
The incident was the last thing organisers would have wanted to see coming as it did just hours after the menace of drugs had once again overshadowed the action.
Hammer champion Adrian Annus of Hungary was stripped of his gold for a doping offence becoming the third champion to suffer the fate at these Games.
The decision was taken after Annus refused to undergo a new out-of-competition doping test following suspicions that he had tricked testers by switching urine samples in a test after his win on August 22.
Colombian cyclist Maria Luisa Calle Williams also fell foul of the drug laws by testing positive for a banned stimulant and she is to be stripped of her bronze medal from the women's points race.
Cuba's boxers won three of Sunday's six finals to take their tally to five with Yan Bhartelemy taking the light-flyweight title, Guillermo Rigondeaux winning the bantamweight division while three-time world and defending Olympic champion Mario Kindelan put an end to British teenager Amir Khan's hopes of lifting the lightweight gold.
The day's other golds went to Kazakhstan's Bakhtiyar Artayev in the welterweight, America's Andre Ward in the light heavyweight while Russia's Alexander Povetkin was declared the super-heavyweight champion after Egyptian opponent Mohamed Aly was withdrawn after failing his medical.
"He's the best boxer I've seen in a long time," said Khan of Kindelan.
"Maybe next Olympics, I'll get the gold medal."
Russia's Buvaysa Saytiev (74kg), Khadjimourat Gatsalov (96kg) and Cuba's Yandro Quintana (60kg) won the remaining freestyle wrestling golds.
In the team finals, Denmark won their third straight women's handball title defeating South Korea in a dramatic shoot-out after the scores had been locked at 34-34 while Croatia won the men's gold with a 26-24 win against Germany.
Hungary won the men's water polo gold with a 8-7 win against Serbia and Montenegro while world champions Brazil cemented their status as the undisputed best men's volleyball team with 25-15, 24-26, 25-20, 25-22 win over Italy.