The biggest haul was on August 12, when the United States won 12 medals, four of them gold. Anthony came to Rio despite the urging of NBA friends to stay home and has been playing fierce basketball since the U.S.’s first game 119-62 win over China, with the stats to prove it.
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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. And this was the first Olympics since 1988 in Seoul that Korea failed to win a medal in table tennis.
In gymnastics, where China won four gold medals in London, they won none at all in Rio, prompting comments from the sport’s boss that China need to move with the times.
For the fourth consecutive games, USA swimmer Michael Phelps left with more medals than anyone else. Michael Phelps won 6 medals this year to bring his total Olympic count to 28.
There were also silver medals for Madeline Groves (women’s 200m butterfly), the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay team, Mitch Larkin (men’s 200m backstroke) and the women’s 4x100m medley relay team, while the men’s 4x100m freestyle and medley relay teams, and McKeon (women’s 200m freestyle), took bronze.
At one end of the age spectrum was 58-year-old Nick Skelton, wining showjumping gold in his seventh Games, and at the other the youngest member of the entire Great Britain delegation, Amy Tinkler, who took an unexpected bronze in the women’s floor final at the age of just 16.
“Got ’em”, Felix said, smiling. “Winning gold medals does not mean everything anymore in China”. Laura Trott’s double in Rio made her the all-time leading woman with four.
Team USA’s final medal count of 121 was its highest ever at an Olympics held overseas, topping the previous mark of 110 in Beijing eight years ago.
Since that nadir, Great Britain has become only the second country to increase its medal total at five successive summer Olympic Games.
But having spent twice what the BOA had ever spent on its preparations for these Games, Sweeney said the same amount would be invested in Tokyo.
“But I’m happy with the result and when you play for your country there is some extra power it gives you and I think that drove me on the golf course”.
Mo Farah won his fourth Olympic gold on the night Great Britain surpassed their London 2012 medals haul at the Rio Games.
The belated taekwondo competition provided plenty of thrills and spills with Jade Jones clinching an historic second consecutive gold medal and team-mate Lutalo Muhammad falling agonisingly short when he was beaten with one second remaining of his final bout. “I tried to do something nobody else has ever done”, said Phelps.
Speaking to The Guardian, Trott said, “To do what I did in London and to come here and do it again, honestly I can not believe it”.
The Russians and the Chinese probably didn’t feel the same.
A Chinese national flag with incorrectly oriented stars was raised at the ceremony when the Chinese women’s volleyball team claimed the top spot on the podium, China Central Television (CCTV) posted on its official Sina Weibo account.
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With the support of UK Sport’s strategic direction and investment of National lottery and Government funds, working in close partnership with the British Olympic Association (BOA) to provide the best possible final preparation and competition environment for Team GB in Brazil, British athletes, supported by their national governing bodies, have bucked this trend by securing 66* medals in Rio.
