IBTimes UK has compiled some Twitter reactions after Simone Biles led Team USA as the flag-bearer at the closing ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympics.
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Thousands of fans braved strong winds and sporadic rains to watch the closing ceremony in iconic Maracana Stadium, a finale meant to be both one last bash and to take care of some business – namely signal the transition to the 2020 Summer Olympics in Japan.
Rio, a charming and handsome city, got a tremendous exposure by hosting the Games and hopes to capitalise on the upshot achieved through a tourism boost as one of the enduring legacies of the global sporting extravaganza.
Such was the demand, it reported, the closing ceremony itself was delayed. The ceremony opened with original footage of Alberto Santos Dumont, the man that Brazilians recognize as the inventor of the airplane. “We didn’t leave anything important unaddressed”, said Augusta Porto, 36, a translator and Rio resident.
The Games initiated at the same stadium 16 days ago rounded off, amidst the rainy and wet night, with a spectacular show of sporting spirit as the world’s best athletes converged to bid farewell to the 31st Olympiad.
“I also wish to thank the city of Rio de Janeiro, and the entire country of Brazil, for hosting an incredible Games”, she said. The athletes poured into the stadium, under the rain, waving their fflags, shaking their body to the samba and clicking selfies.
But Sunday’s party was all about Brazil, created to be more low-key than the opening ceremony, which focused heavily on Rio.
Singer Lenine performs during the closing ceremony. Like, in the pool, Michael Phelps swam into retirement, the US great adding five golds to a tally that now stands at 23, among a total of 28 medals. His lie enraged Brazilians and Americans alike. American gymnast Simone Biles asserted her dominance with four golds, swimmer Michael Phelps added five more to up his staggering total to 23, and the world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt, put on his usual show with three golds just days before his 30th birthday.
Rio received around 5,00,000 visitors during the Olympic Games.
One of the major concerns for Brazilians is what will be the final cost of the Games for a country in the midst of its deepest economic recession since the 1930s and how much they actually helped improve the city’s infrastructure.
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The governor of the Japanese capital was present at the event and took the games’ flag from the president of the IOC, Thomas Bach.
