The 2016 Summer Olympics were held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and as it is coming to an end, we have decided to compile some of the best and most memorable moments of the event. Many athletes from all around the globe compete in various sports to show their talent and to earn a medal or two for their country.
Overall, the United States has performed the best, with 121 medals won. With 46 gold medals, they have dominated the Olympics once again, for the fifth time in a row. Great Britain finished second, with 27 gold medals and China was third with a close 26 gold medals.
With over 300 events, there have been many things that we can remember until the next Olympics Games. Let’s take a look at some of the best moments that happened!
8. The opening ceremony
Each opening ceremony has something unique to it, regardless of where the Olympics Games are being held that year. This year, Rio has brought us an unforgettable and epic show that will be remembered for years!
Fireworks, a myriad of amazingly looking dancers, optical illusions, light shows and live performances are only a few of the things that happened. One of the highlights of the evening was, of course, the flag bearers for each of the countries which compete in the games.
If you have missed out on this amazing show, be sure to keep an eye out for it, as it is surely going to be uploaded to YouTube or one of the other major video sharing websites.
7. Katie Ledecky and Michael Phelps
These two athletes had a huge contribution to the success of the US in this year’s Olympics Games, as they won many medals for their country! Katie won 4 gold and one silver medal, while Michael won 5 gold and one silver. They are both excellent swimmers and they have shown the world that they cannot lose when they are trying their hardest.
If you have seen the races that they have been in, you know how excellent they were. When they swim in their favorable races, nobody was able to come close to them; the only real competition was the World Record indicator.
6. Usain Bolt smiles for camera as he wins
When we were first introduced to the Jamaican runner, Usain Bolt, he surprised us with his amazing skills as he beat the world record, back in 2009. Even though he has performed amazingly this year’s Olympics as well, this is not the reason why we are mentioning him.
A hilarious photo has been uploaded to the internet, in which Usain Bolt casually looks to the side, into the camera and smiles, as his competitors struggle to keep up. This shows exactly how much ahead of the competition he really is and that there is nobody who can stop him, at least not yet.
He won 3 gold medals for himself as well as his country in the 2016 Rio Olympics and as soon as the event was over, he started training for the 2020 Olympics, which will be held in Tokyo.
5. Simone Biles, one of the best gymnasts in history
Simone Biles, the 19-year-old gymnast has stunned everyone with her jaw-dropping performance. The reason why she has been entitled the Best Gymnast in History is because of her young age, as well as a total of 5 medals won in her first Olympics Games ever.
We can only speculate about what this young girl is going to accomplish throughout her lifetime and we are excited to see everything that she is capable of!
4. Fiji rugby team wins first gold medal
Fiji has been competing in the Olympics games for a while, but they were never able to win a gold medal, until now! The Fiji rugby team dominated Great Britain with a score of 43-7. Not only that the team fought valiantly, but they finally achieved what they always wanted; a gold medal for their country.
On their arrival home, they are surely going to be celebrated for what they accomplished and this is a proud moment not only for Rugby lovers, but the whole country of Fiji as well!
3. Shaunae Miller lunges for victory
Shaunae Miller, the 22-year-old runner from the Bahamas won the Women’s 400m race by diving into the finish line, as she stumbled at the last few meters. Nobody thought that she could beat the more experienced Allyson Felix who won 2 gold medals this year’s Olympics Games, but she did!
Many people took to social media to express their outrage, but this is a totally legal way of winning, as Shaunae‘s torso crossed the finish line first. There is no reason to be angry, the girl won square and fair and we should all be happy for her.
2. Brazil wins football gold
You might know how badly Brazil lost to Germany in the World Cup, but this is not the case with the Olympics Games. The match started off with Neymar scoring the first goal, which put Brazil in the lead. Germany tied it up and the score stayed the same until the penalty kicks, where Neymar once again showed us why he is the captain of the Brazil team by scoring the gold-winning penalty.
Unfortunately, after the Rio Olympics, Neymar told the team’s coach that he no longer wants to be the captain of the team. This took many people by surprise and nobody really knows the real reason behind his decision.
1. The closing ceremony
Just like the opening ceremony, the closing one is also a huge event which is being viewed by millions around the world. This ceremony indicates the end of the Olympics Games and various shows, performances, and other interesting things happened.
In good old Brazilian fashion, the stage was overrun by samba dancers and everything was colorful and happy. Of course, a closing ceremony would not be the same without amazing fireworks, so that is exactly what the creators of the show delivered and it was amazing!
One of the main attractions of the night was the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who appeared on stage in a Super Mario costume to officially introduce the city that will host the 2020 Olympics Games, Tokyo.