Organizers for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo are taking a close look at Rio’s successes and shortcomings this year, hoping to glean solutions to the Japanese capital’s own cost and space challenges. He did not disappoint!
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While the wonderful sprinter’s inhuman speed that has confounded even scientists, is fascinating, his off-track performance is even more so.
A children’s choir also took center stage to sing the country’s national anthem, while other dance and music groups paid tribute to Brazilian culture throughout the program. There have even been baby contests where parents position their infant’s limbs to imitate the move and ask the athlete to decide the victor.
“I’m not the next Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps”.
If your county is not mentioned above, it might still have made the second half. It was Craig’s third Olympic medal (she won a silver in 2008 and gold in 2012).
Team GB also won gold medals across the most sports at this year’s Games, which saw them ascend to the top of the podium in 16 competitions across different disciplines. Plus, many of these women made history: Brianna Rollins, Nia Ali, and Kristi Castlin became the first American women to sweep an event, and Katie Ledecky took home five medals and broke two world records.
Only one other gymnast has served as an Olympic flag bearer: Alfred Jochim, who did so at Opening Ceremonies of the Berlin 1936 Games.
After claiming the Olympic triple jump silver medal, Will Claye proposed to USA hurdler Queen Harrison. He became the first male swimmer to win the 100m butterfly and 200m individual medley titles at three consecutive Games.
Schooling’s gold was Singapore’s first and he returned home a hero.
Two other ex-Trojans-tracksters Allyson Felix of the US (golds in the 400m relay and 1600m relay and silver in the 400m) and Andre De Grasse of Canada (silver in the 200m and bronzes in the 100m and 400m relay)-each won 3 medals. Neymar’s game-winning penalty kick decided a shootout and clinched the men’s soccer gold medal for Brazil, a host that wasn’t a factor in the medal standings but got the gold that it probably wanted most. “History will talk about a Rio de Janeiro before and a much better Rio de Janeiro after the Olympic Games”.
Professor Stephen Reicher, research co-ordinator from St Andrews University, said: “After a tremendous success – like winning the World Cup or, perhaps, doing so well in the Olympics – there is a sense that you can go up to anybody in your community, even a complete stranger, say: ‘Wasn’t that wonderful?’ and they will not only understand you but agree with you”. Phelps finished in a three-way tie for silver.
Of course, no Olympics would be complete without Phelps breaking a record or two.
A street parade is also being organised in both London and Manchester, and Royal Mail is under pressure to have gold mailboxes installed in the suburbs where gold medallists hail, as they did in 2012.
And the most celebrated Olympian of all time, with 23 gold medals to his name, may add the title of gold medal-stacking teacher to his resume. Hungary’s Katina Hosszu finally achieved some Olympic alchemy, converting a lifetime in the training pool into three individual golds.
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One of the more stunning moments of the ceremony focused on the ancient art found in the Serra da Capivara National Park – a UNESCO World Heritage site in northeastern Brazil featuring cave paintings, some more than 25,000 years old.
