What was the star of one of the "all-time great" Olympics? It was quite simply Paris, due to the imagination of the organizers in placing temporary venues among world-renowned landmarks.
That is the view of Hugh Robertson, the British minister responsible for delivering the 2012 London Games, and two former IOC executives.
From beach volleyball at the Eiffel Tower to the elegant surroundings of the Palace of Versailles for the equestrian events and the grandeur of the Grand Palais for fencing and taekwondo, the Paris Games were a veritable tourists' guide to the "City of Light."