Hard to believe that there are only 36 short hours left. The football final between Argentina and Nigeria is under way at the Bird's Nest, the baseball medal games are progressing, and the mountain bike competition for women is on -- all in hot, clear, smog-free conditions. Here are a few more items of Day 15 interest.

HANDBALL: The gold medal match in the women's tournament is destined to be a memorable clash, as the two survivors are the only two undefeated teams in the tournament, Russia and Norway. It's also a rehash of the 2007 World Championship title game from last December, which was a similar clash of unbeatens. Russia won 29-24.

Russia lifted the cup, but Katja Nyberg was named tournament MVP a year ago. Former Finnish citizen Nyberg and current team captain Gro Hammerseng have helped revive a dormant handball power. Norway won silvers in 1988 and 1992, bronzed in Sydney eight years ago. Hammerseng and Nyberg are an out lesbian couple.

As for the defending silver medalist South Koreans, winners of gold in 1988 and 1992 before a three-Olympiad Danish reign, the tournament came to an abrupt and controversial end on Day 13.

Norway held a 28-25 lead with 1:15 remaining, and the Koreans deposited three quick goals to tie the score with five seconds left. After running the length of the floor, Hammerseng unleashed a flying shot that was as close a call as there can be. It appeared to pass the goal line just as the clock hit 30 minutes (handball counts up), and Norway escaped with a 29-28 win that avenged both Seoul and Barcelona losses at once.

The Koreans staged a sit-in protest, not leaving their bench for half an hour, and later filed protests with the world handball body and the Court of Arbitration for Sport. It was the capper of an odd year, which saw a complete replay of the Asian Olympic qualifying tournaments after a scandal involving Middle Eastern referees.

FIELD HOCKEY: Much less drama and intrigue in field hockey these days, at least the off-field kind. The top four teams in the world made the semifinals, and there was a minor upset when resurgent Spain stormed back from a two-goal hole to shock defending Olympic gold medalists and world No. 1 Australia 3-2.

Neither the Aussies nor the Netherlands had lost a game in pool play, but they'll end up playing for bronze. Germany overcame the Dutch in the other semi, but it came down to penalty strokes after a 1-1 deadlock. Not only that, it was tied 3-3 after all five shooters had made attempts for both teams, and a Christopher Zeller goal was followed by a rare Taeke Taekema miss for Holland. A German celebration (above) ensued.

It's a good bet that the gold medal match will go to extra time as well -- the last two have.

There will be a lot of talk in this space about London 2012 in coming days, especially in regards to the potential for fascinating contrast. Usually, no two consecutive meetings of the youth of the world are even remotely similar, but this has the look of a night-and-day split. While the surrounding areas have been unusually quiet these past two weeks, England is promising a spillover party in the streets. And while the details of the Closing Ceremonies have been guarded like nuclear secrets, London's organizers have given out so much detail about their eight-minute handover presentation that you can practically see the thing play out in your head.

London's set will start with a red London double-decker bus driving around the Bird's Nest stadium. The bus will be backed by a musical sequence which combines elements of the shipping forecast, Jersualem, Greensleeves and harmonies based on the chimes of Big Ben. Hoy, Pendleton and Reade, dressed as everyday Londoners, will then follow on their bikes. Three dance groups will also be involved - the Royal Opera House, street dance theatre group ZooNation and CandoCo, a company which specialises in mixing performers with and without disabilities. The dancers will surround the double-decker when it comes to a halt at a bus stop, and a 10-year-old girl from east London, Tayyiba Dudhwala, will emerge to receive a football from another girl, Erika Tham.

The bus will then transform itself, with the top half folding down in segments to show a privet hedge cut into shapes of the London skyline: Tower Bridge, Battersea Power Station, the Houses of Parliament, while a phalanx of black umbrellas will be unfurled alongside.

We even know that rock fogey Jimmy Page and poplet Leona Lewis will emerge to offer a rendition of Led Zeppelin "Whole Lotta Love." We're even aware that the racy lyrics will be changed from "every inch of my love" to "every bit of my love" for the occasion.

And this will follow an organizing committee that banned a South Korean broadcaster for leaking Opening Ceremony rehearsal footage in July.

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