The city will then hand over the Olympic flag to Tokyo, site of the 2020 Summer Games, and extinguish the Olympic flame, burning since August 5, in a small, environmentally friendly cauldron.
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Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain and the Olympic rings were all honored during a lighthearted farewell, with Brazil’s cultural and artistic heritage also celebrated. He has repeated this astonishing feat at three successive Olympic Games – a unique “Triple-Triple”.
Kuwait did not send a team to Rio 2016, but many Kuwaiti athletes competed under the Olympic flag. In swimming 16 gold medals were won, including five by Michael Phelps (three in relays, two individual) and four by Ledecky (three individual, one relay).
But Sunday’s party was all about Brazil, created to be more low-key than the opening ceremony, which focused heavily on Rio. “The Japanese government will … work hard so it will be the best Olympics ever”, Abe said as he met Japanese medal-winners earlier.
Security scares and logistical problems were a feature of South America’s first Olympics, held against the backdrop of Brazil’s political and economic crisis. Swathes of empty seats also caused disquiet in a country better know for its passion for football than the less familiar Olympics events.
Now, the flagbearers! Sakshi Malik, who won India’s first medal at the Rio Olympics was carrying the tricolour at the closing ceremony.
“Closing ceremonies ready”, Biles wrote on the photo posted to her Snapchat account.
On a sodden final day, Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge, 31, shone with his seventh win in eight marathons, timing 2hr 8min 44sec to win by more than a minute. The US basketball “Dream Team” of NBA stars claimed the 306th and final gold of the Games with a crushing 96-66 win over Serbia.
As far as medal toppers are concerned, United States of America dominated the medal table with a tally of 119 (44 gold, 37 silver, 38 bronze) followed by Great Britain (27 gold, 22 silver, 17 bronze) and China (26 gold, 18 silver, 26 bronze) at second and third spot, respectively. “We are one of those sporting superpowers now”, beamed UK Sport chief executive Liz Nicholl.
For China, the world s most populous country, it was the worst Olympics for 20 years – especially sobering after topping the standings at Beijing 2008 and finishing second in 2012. The Balkan nation returned home with a gold medal after Majlinda Kelmendi was victorious in the 52kg judo competition.
The Rio Olympics finished with a breathtaking carnival-divine final service, and the official handover to 2020 sponsors Tokyo.
Soccer-crazed Brazil got partial payback against Germany, winning gold two years after a 7-1 World Cup semi-final shellacking that left Brazilians fuming. Britain’s athletes wore shoes with soles that lit up in changing colors of red, white and blue, while Tongan taekwondo athlete Pita Taufatofua danced onstage in a grass skirt as a DJ performed, reprising a moment that captured attention when he carried the flag for his country during the opening ceremony. Photo: EPA So colourful!
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Off-field scandal also struck during the Games as police seized passports, phones and computers in a raid on the Irish Olympic office, following the arrest of Irish International Olympic Committee member Patrick Hickey over an alleged black market tickets scam.
