RPT-YEARENDER-Olympics-Beijing a success after initial protests

(Repeats yearender first moved at 0002 GMT)

By Karolos Grohmann

ATHENS, Dec 17 (Reuters) - It was to be China's time to shine, a year of celebrations with the Olympic spirit touching the hearts and minds of one-fifth of the world's population as the Olympics headed to Beijing.

Instead, months before the August 8-24 Games, human rights groups disrupted the globally televised torch-lighting ceremony in ancient Olympia, setting off a chain of worldwide protests.

From Paris and London to San Francisco and Seoul, the Beijing Olympics torch relay became a target for human rights protesters as it meandered across the globe.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) faced mounting criticism and bad press for its decision to award the Games to China, given the country's human rights record.

"We are not an activist organisation," IOC chief Jacques Rogge said, defending the decision and saying the Games would bring change to China.

The word "boycott" crept into discussions months before the Games but in the end none materialised. Even Iraq, temporarily suspended weeks before the Olympics, managed to send athletes to China.

By the time the Olympics started with a record 204 teams from around the world parading in the spectacular Bird's Nest stadium, both local organisers and the IOC were under intense media scrutiny.

Internet restrictions for foreign media, pro-Tibet protests and Beijing's air quality grabbed the headlines in the days running up to the Games.

SPORTING EXTRAVAGANZA

However, the dazzling opening ceremony showcasing the might of modern China, which invested an estimated $40 billion to prepare for the Games, set the stage for memorable performances in breathtaking venues.

U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps won a record eight gold medals in spectacular fashion and Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt captured the 100 and 200 metres sprint double as well as a 4x100m relay gold in world record-breaking time.

Defending Olympic 110 metres hurdles champion Liu Xiang, China's biggest hope at the Games, added some drama when he hobbled off the track minutes before his first heat, stunning a capacity Bird's Nest crowd.

Team China, though, were unstoppable, topping the medals table with 51 golds, leaving the United States second with 36. Russia were third and Britain fourth with their best performance in a century and their eyes set firmly on the London 2012 Olympics.