The city handed over the Olympic flag to Tokyo, site of the 2020 Summer Games, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe appeared in the stadium dressed as popular video game character Mario, tunnelling from Tokyo to Rio.
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Luckily for the United States, it was mostly good news coming out of Rio. When Britain started to begin punching its weight again in Sydney 2000, with 11 golds, the hosts joked that they could win only in sports where you have to sit down.
Let’s take a look at some notable winners and losers from the Rio Olympics.
Brazil’s football team’s talisman Neymar delivered a national obsession, scoring the winning penalty in the final against Germany to secure an elusive first-ever gold for the five-time world champions.
And, though none of them clinched any medals, their participation was widely saluted online as a sign of hope for refugees around the world. The men, however, weren’t as impressive.
Up until August 8, all of the US gold medals had been won by D.C. -area athletes, and five of the team’s 12 total. “Thanks to my teammates’ hard efforts, I had the opportunity to show my spiking skills”. Bill Sweeney, British Olympic Association CEO added: “It has been a brilliant Games but this is not an overnight success. this is 20 years in the making and we’ve now enjoyed five successive Games of medal growth”.
When Richard Kruse fell agonisingly short of winning a fencing medal on the first full day of the Rio Olympics, few could have envisaged the British gold rush to come.
Of all the wonderful performances by Team GB in the velodrome in Brazil, perhaps none were as emotional as that of Becky James in the keirin.
With Zhao, who turns 30 shortly, also expected to announce her retirement soon, and Fu aged 32, China needs a new generation of younger players if it’s to keep its grip tightly on Olympic gold medals.
Thirty-three medals from one team isn’t too bad at all.
Usain Bolt finished off his triple-triple – three Olympics, three sprint golds in each – for Jamaica, in what he said was his last games.
In the last of 306 medal ceremonies, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach draped the gold around the neck of Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge, victor of the men’s marathon earlier in the day.
Hungary is not known for its swimming success and it’s not a top competitor in relay events, but Katinka Hosszú had an incredible run in Rio.
Mrs May’s official spokeswoman said: “She is extremely proud of what we have achieved in Rio”. It was a moment every Brazil soccer fan won’t soon forget.
Or the residents of a notorious Rio slum who watched one of their own win Brazil’s first gold, in the judo arena.
And 10 teams – including the independent team – won their first golds, including Monica Puig in women’s tennis for Puerto Rico. The defending gold medalists lost in the quarterfinals to Sweden, who were led by former USWNT manager Pia Sundhage.
But the American was injured and had difficulty completing the race, so Hamblin supported her and the pair finished the race together.
The U.S.’ top women’s beach volleyball duo failed to win gold after losing to Brazil in the semifinals.
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Ratings were down compared to London in 2012. While it is true that cycling, rowing, sailing, equestrian and canoeing have continued to provide the bulk of the golds, the joke no longer holds water as Britain have won in Rio across 15 sports, more than any other nation. “So much love and support throughout my career and I just wanted this one for them”.
