LONDON (AP) - Olympic athletes today are learning how to get gold, silver and bronze through airport security.
Hours after last night's closing ceremonies, thousands of athletes began arriving at a special terminal at London's Heathrow Airport for their flights home.
American rower Esther Lofgren was proudly wearing the gold medal she won. But that wasn't the only highlight of the games for her. She says it was "just amazing" to watch other athletes compete -- including Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt.
An Olympic security official, meanwhile, says he's proud that there were no serious problems during the games. About 250 people were arrested, but there were no terror incidents or disruptive protests. Security coordinator Chris Allison says, "The focus has been exactly where we wanted -- on the sport and not security."
In London, traffic is returning to normal today. Many commuters had steered clear of London during the games, after a campaign urging them to use public transport.
Some taxi drivers say they're ecstatic that the games are over. During the Olympics, many drivers were banned from using special lanes for athletes and officials. One driver says a lot of his colleagues "barely broke even during the games."
