There was less buzz on the Beijing streets for tonight's closing ceremony than there was for the Opening Ceremony 16 days ago. Crowds that filled the police-lined streets close to the Bird's Nest then were largely absent tonight, although several corners still were packed.

When it comes to the medal count, Americans are on the defensive while China has overachieved. But you won't find the Chinese gloating. Still, China's success means more to this nation, than it does to America.

China's goal coming into the Beijing Games was clear: win the race for most gold medals. With a dominant victory in hand, China now faces questions about how to spread the its athletic success across the nation.

Hosting the Olympics has ushered in substantial change across Chinese society, while the nation's gold medal haul has replaced Liu Xiang as the memory of choice from the 2008 Games.

When Alan Paul came to watch China's Zou Shiming fight for a shot at the gold, he expected pandemonium in the crowd. What he didn't expect is that it would come from the Mongolians.

With just three days until the Games end, China is on its way to winning the race for most gold medals. As expected, it has dominated sports such as weightlifting and diving. But it has found new areas of success, too.

With televisions across Beijing tuned in to the host country's basketball quarterfinal against Lithuania, Alan Paul visits a local diner to take in the excitement. Though it's another early exit for China, the hoop dreams go undiminished.

China's success in this year's beach volleyball competition is amazing to sport's fans and observers. The country only began competing internationally in the sport about a decade ago and in 2008, two of the final four teams in the women's tournament are from China.