The British, they had a Games to savor as well.
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The host country usually gets a significant medal boost, but Brazil received a relatively modest one, going from 17 medals in London to 19 in Rio.
A total of 67 medals with 27 golds put Team GB second in the medal table – above China for the first time since it returned to the Games in 1984.
Isinbayeva competed in three Olympic Games – at Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008, where she won gold, and London 2012, where she collected bronze. The British team enjoyed its most successful Games in aquatics, gymnastics, taekwondo and triathlon while topping the medal table outright in cycling rowing, triathlon and sailing.
Katie Ledecky hauled in four golds and a silver as she smashed the world record in the 400-meter and 800-meter freestyles along the way. If the USA were divided into two countries, one male and the other female, those 27 golds for the women would tie them with Britain for most of any country, put them one ahead of China, and far ahead of the American men and everyone else.
“Got ’em”, Felix said, smiling. These youngsters are getting in the finals, next they will be winning medals.
If Peaty’s success in the pool was only to be expected after a dominant season, other gold medals were less so.
The previous record for US medals at a fully attended Olympics was 110, set at Beijing eight years ago.
Cyclist Laura Trott also made British Olympic history, becoming the first woman to win four Olympic gold medals.
The Rio Games also marked the end of Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva’s brilliant career.
Downing Street has given its backing to a bumper honours list to recognise more of Team GB’s medal-winning athletes following its best ever Olympic performance in Rio.
In a nod to one of the nation’s best-loved exports – games giant Nintendo – Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was “helped’ to the games by Super Mario before appearing in the stadium out of a giant green pipe”.
Mo Farah, 33, who completed the “double double” of winning the 5,000m and 10,000m at successive Olympics, pledged to race again at the athletics World Championships in London next year. “Winning medals and just one after the other”.
The Russians and the Chinese probably didn’t feel the same.
If American athletes were divided into two separate countries – male and female – the women would rank third in gold medals and fourth in total medals.
US swimmer Lilly King beat Russia’s Yulia Efimova for the 100-meter breaststroke gold, doing so after saying the games should have no room for dopers.
He said: “In 2017 for sure you’ll see me on the track, I owe it for the people, the public”.
“It was not positive”, Efimova told the BBC.
Richardson-Walsh and wife Helen became the first same-sex married couple to win an Olympic gold in the same final in the historic victory over the Netherlands.
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And having ensured Team GB kept hold of the crown Heath is now tied with Tim Brabants and David Florence as the most decorated British Olympic canoeist of all time with three medals, although he is the quickest of the trio to achieve the feat with Rio 2016 just his second Games.
