Four more years! Four more years! That is the chant of presidential supporters when a sitting U.S. president is up for re-election. It can also be used in a negative way by the opposition.

But it's most applicable today as the 2008 Beijing Olympics come to a close. It will be four more years before the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXX Olympiad, will be held in London from July 27 through Aug. 12.

That's a long time to wait for something that gives us so much pleasure and pride.

Despite potential for human rights protests, debilitating smog alerts and general concerns at any mega event, these Olympics, for the most part, were fun stuff. But positive Games comment must be tempered with sadness - the random stabbings a half-day after the opening ceremony. Our hearts, thoughts and prayers have been and should continue to be with the Minnesota Todd and Barbara Bachman family.

While it says more about America's competitiveness and nationalism than its previous attitude of world superiority, the Games for many are about winning medals, preferably gold. There is nothing wrong with wanting to win and the United States did quite well in that arena, finishing as the overall total leader in medals and second behind China with gold medals.

But the spirit of the Games, the love of sport and developing relationships through healthy competition, regardless of political ideology, was amazing in 2008 in China as stories of success, failure and effort unfolded day after day, event after event. It is something the world needs to be reminded of - that we are all a part of humanity, vulnerable and need to respect each other.

These Games will be remembers for many things, but some of the U.S. highlights included:

* Michael Phelps' record gold medal swimming haul of eight gold medals.

* Nastia Liukin's five medals including winning the women's all-around gymnastics title.

* Men's beach volleyball players Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser losing their first match and then rebounding to go undefeated in six straight matches to win the gold medal.

* Women's beach volleyball players Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh undefeated gold medal run.

* And the Redeem Team (men's basketball), the gold medal winner, rebounding after the 2004 disaster in Athens.

There were also many non-American highlights, including the freakishly tall (for a sprinter) 6-foot-5-inch Usain Bolt. The Jamaican was a breakout star with insane-like gold-medal world record efforts in the 200 meters (19.30 seconds) and 100 (9.69). He became the first man since Carl Lewis in 1984 to sweep the 100 and 200 gold medals at an Olympics and is the first man ever to break the world marks in both sprints at an Olympics.

It's too bad we have to wait four more years for the next Olympics.

Well, actually, we don't.

Next up is the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Feb. 12-28. While the sports will be different, we hope the event will match that of the party we just witnessed in China.