If they gave out medals for Best Olympic Hosting, China would have taken the gold for sure.The 2008 Olympics in Beijing holds the new record for the most-watched event in U.S. television history. In history! I can only think that if so many people were glued to their TVs, or maybe TiVos,  they weren't out and about burning up gallons of high-dollar gas on the highways.

China took home the most gold medals, but we had the most medals overall with 110 (36 of those gold to China's 51). THe 16 days of competition were in every way, a success. Including the way that China managed their notoriously noxious city: since the Games began on Aug. 8, the air quality in Beijing has been the best it's been during summer in over 10 years. The capital pulled 3.3 million vehicles off the road, closed factories in Beijing and neighboring provinces, suspended most urban construction projects and removed vehicles from the road that failed to meet emissions standards. The efforts paid off and according to Du Shaozhong, deputy director of the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau, they won't end with the Games.

"For example, we will accelerate the removal and treatment of heavily-polluting vehicles, and step up construction site dust reduction," he said. "Project builders in Beijing must increase their input in environment protection," Du said in a press conference.

Read more about it here.

Now, London 2012, show us whatcha' got?!