Russia took third place at the Beijing Olympic Games with 72 medals - 23 gold, 21 silver and 28 bronze.
China came first, with a total of 100 medals (51-21-28), the exact number the country had set itself as a target before the Games began. The United States came second with 110 medals, but fewer golds. (36-38-36).
Great Britain took fourth place with 47 medals (19-13-15), their most successful games for a century.
Russia took four fewer golds at the Beijing Olympics than in Athens in 2004.
At the Olympic closing ceremony on Sunday, International Olympic Committee President
Jacques Rogge declared the Beijing Olympic Games closed.
"You have shown us the unifying power of sport," he told athletes in the National Stadium.
"The world learned about China - and China learned about the world," Rogge said.
"These were a truly exceptional Games."
"And now, in accordance with tradition, I declare the Games of the XXIX Olympiad closed, and I call upon the youth of the world to assemble four years from now in London to celebrate the Games of the XXX Olympiad," he said.
Rogge said earlier at a news conference that the most memorable moment for him was when the Russian and Georgian medal winners in the air pistol competition embraced each other despite fighting in South Ossetia. He said the best individual performances were by U.S. swimmer
Michael Phelps and Jamaican sprinter
Usain Bolt.
Phelps set a new Olympic record of eight gold medals. Bolt won three gold medals in the 100m, 200m and 4 x 100m relay, and in doing so set three new world records.
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