GLASGOW, Scotland — Nearly 5,000 athletes, 71 countries, 17 sporting disciplines, 11 days of competition, one goal.

That flood of athletes came to Glasgow for one of three shades of medals, and most have developed the taste and desire for the golden, shiny one that goes to winners. The gold medal, as elusive as it is, will always stand as the symbol of what to aspire to.

In the reality of competition, however, some have had to settle for second best. Third even. Most have left the XX Commonwealth Games empty-handed.

But most, if not all, will take away priceless memories.

The sweet taste of victory will linger for those who have triumphed. Equally, the bitterness of defeat will be something that many of these athletes will try to wish away, but it will be imprinted on their minds for a long time to come.

And even for those who were not here to compete, they, too, have been wowed by this city of 600,000 wonderful souls. The multi-sport spectacle had been billed ‘the friendly games’, and indeed they were.

The warmth, generosity of spirit, kind words, and helping hand were constant features exhibited by the Scottish. The only thing that changed constantly here was the typical British weather, schizophrenic by nature.

“It’s been good, apart from the weather, Glasgow has been good,” said Jamaican sprinting superstar, Usain Bolt, an icon of the games.

From an organisational standpoint, Glasgow passed every test with flying colours.

“They have done extremely well and we should not forget the big role played by the volunteers — the drivers, the escorts, and everybody were so friendly, even when you were wrong and making mistakes, they were still friendly and that’s why we called it the friendly games,” said president of the Jamaica Olympic Association and former head of the Commonwealth Games Federation, Mike Fennell.

And Jamaica ought to be in love with Glasgow, because its people and those of Jamaica, share many similarities. If nothing else, they seemed to have opened their doors and hearts to Jamaicans here.

In addition, Glasgow was the scene of Jamaica’s richest plunder at these games, ending the 11 days of competition with a fantastic 22 medals — 10 gold, four silver and eight bronze.

So people like technical director of Jamaica’s high-quality team of coaches at the games, Maurice Wilson, ought to think highly of the host, because he had it good in every way.

“I think Glasgow was a fantastic host country… and I think one day they can host the Olympics. In addition, their organisation and management were very good,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

The Scottish’s love and admiration for Jamaica fully came to the fore when the action moved to Hampden Park, the ground on which many intriguing battles were fought and won.

The way in which the locals embrace Jamaica’s athletes, especially the world’s fastest man Bolt, was simply unbelievable. They drooled over the Jamaicans, cheered them on and celebrated every victory as if it were their own.

And, amazingly, they also shared in the agony of the visitors’ defeats and mishaps. When competitor Annsert Whyte crashed into the hurdle in the men’s 400m final, the ‘oohs’ reverberated through the 55,000-capaity Hampden Park.

Nickel Ashmeade, the 100m bronze medallist, is an elite athlete who has performed in all the great cathedrals of track and field, but was bowled over by the people of Glasgow.

“It’s crazy, it’s overwhelming. I have never seen anything like this before,” he said.

And his teammate Kemar Bailey-Cole, who won gold in the straight sprint and the record-breaking 4x100m relays, said he was moved that the people came out in the pouring rain to support and celebrate with the Jamaicans, even as the latter’s medal run was in full flight.

“The crowd was great out there and they came out even in the rain, in the cold and everything, and they just came out for us, so I have to say kudos to the atmosphere out there,” said the Racers Track Club star on the rise.

Gold medallist in the relays and silver in the 100m flat, Veronica Campbell Brown was also impressed by the city and local folk alike.

“Glasgow is nice, I enjoyed the crowd as they are so energetic and they support everybody, and that’s one of the most beautiful things about being here.”

It’s almost certain to be the collective view of the 1,500 accredited journalists covering the games that Glasgow 2014 lived up to its slogan: “People Make Glasgow.”

Glasgow itself, especially its throbbing City Centre, is a metropolis that mirrors old British charm and contemporary trends — both seemingly meeting in a crossroads of time.

But it will not be easy for first-time visitors to quickly forget this town, or how they put on a good show for the world to see.

Those bagpipes — played before each medal ceremony and men in kilts — were scary at first. But after hearing them over and over again, they became sweet music to the ears. However, their tunes were not as pleasant and effective as the numerous Bob Marley classics that were belted out whenever the Jamaicans lit up Hampden Park.

Just as they got these games off, Glasgow closed the show on Sunday night with another colourful ceremony as a send-off party for its visitors.

After some two weeks of being transformed into a massive theatre for the pursuit of sporting excellence, Glasgow can now back to its peace and quiet.

Good-bye, Glasgow!