BEIJING--In an unprecedented gesture of gratitude, three newly-elected members of the Athletes' Commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) presented flower bouquets to 12 Chinese and foreign volunteers of the Beijing Olympics at the Games' closing ceremony in the National Stadium, or the Bird's Nest, in north Beijing on Sunday night.

The twelve represented not only the 70,000-strong volunteers working at the Games facilities, but also some 1.4 million others who helped the Games organizers in security, transport, information and lodging services.