Beijing/London - London is in the best of moods for the 2012 Olympics after a light-hearted presentation of itself at the lavish closing ceremony for the Beijing Games.

Football David Beckham said he was fovercome with emotion after the handover of the Olympic flag by China to London Mayor Boris Johnson, who promised a memorable Games in four years' time.

No one in the London organizing committee LOCOG is in the least bit worried the British capital will fail to live up to the organizational perfection of the Games in Beijing.

"We have not been intimidated," said LOCOG chairman Sebastian Coe. "We knew that China would have first-class sporting facilities. But big does not necessarily mean better."

After Britain's unexpected tally of 19 Olympic golds, the nation's press was over the moon.

The Sun even had the answer to how London would follow up on the perfection of Beijing - by stressing the fun factor of the Games.

"It wont be by trying to emulate Chinas ruthlessly organised, flawlessly delivered, bank-breaking exhibitionism, tremendous though it was to watch.

Itll be with fun: a touch of British eccentricity, a pinch of irony, a little self-deprecating humour," the newspaper said.

More than 100 British LOCOG employees gathered valuable experience in Beijing before and during the 16 days of Olympic competition.

"It was the first Olympics for many of them," said Coe. For some it was akin to watching their children wake up, open the curtain, and experience snow for the first time."

The double Olympic 1500m champion said he would follow on from Beijing ans make the London Games an "Athletes Olympics." He also ruled out rescheduling events for the sake of television interests.

In Beijing, the powerful US network NBC was able to see to it that the swimming finals were held in the morning so they could be shown back home on the prime time evening slots.

The success of the British team makes Coe's job that bit easier. Prime Minister Gordon Brown might be fighting for his political life, but backing for the Games by the public and in the media is enormous.

Beijing was the best performance by a British Olympic squad for a century. In 1908, when London previously hosted the Games, British athletes collected 56 golds.

"What is important are really big British moments," said Coe.