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The greatest show on Earth has come to a close. Not only had the greatest athletes from all over the world flocked to be part of Rio 2016, so had the greatest photographers in the world. Therefore, along with the myriad feelings evoked during the course of the titanic two and a half weeks, we also have some stunning photographs to remember these Olympic Games by.
If some photos tell a story to touch the heart, some others will be preserved for ages as proof of photographic excellence – like the one above, showing Colombia’s Caterine Ibarguen competing in the Women’s Triple Jump final.
100m – Gatlin comes close 2nd behind Bolt
If there were any doubts as to whether Usain Bolt could replicate his dominant show from past editions of the Olympics, the 100 metre event would have been enough to put such doubts aside. He maintained a big lead over all other competitors in the heats and the semifinal.
The second photo of Bolt, which seems to show him grinning as he looks back on the field before crossing the finish line, has been dubbed as the most iconic photograph of Rio 2016. Getty photographer Cameron Spence is known to be in the running for the Pulitzer Prize for having captured this moment.
In the final of the 100 metre sprint, Bolt was up against his longtime nemesis, USA’s Justin Gatlin. True to billing, Gatlin was fastest off the blocks and was in the lead till about 70 metres, till the familiar sight of a yellow shirt coming from behind and taking the lead soured his night. Till almost the last second of the race, it had looked like Bolt would miss out on first place to Gatlin. Young Andre de Grasse of Canada took third place.
200m – Bolt shares a laugh with Canadian youngster
Next up for Bolt was the 200 metre sprint, his last ever Olympics event in an individual capacity. Gatlin was knocked out in the semifinal, but it was a moment from the other semifinal that was the highlight of this event. Bolt raced ahead, leaving the rest of the field behind from around the halfway mark, but Canadian De Grasse stuck to him, himself also sprinting ahead of the other competitors.
The 21-year-old Canadian, evidently marked out for greatness, almost pulled alongside Bolt, as the two of them shared a smile and even seemed to say something to each other before the finish line, as the other sprinters looked on in bemusement. At the finish line, Bolt pulled away, mock-reprimanding De Grasse with a wagging finger. Could this moment be remembered in years to come as the moment when the baton of greatness was passed on from the Jamaican juggernaut to this Canadian youngster?
4*100m relay – Despair for Gatlin’s USA overshadows Bolt’s last race
The last episode in the Usain Bolt saga at the Olympics was to be the 4*100 metre sprint relay, to also feature a final showdown with Gatlin and his American team. Bolt's swansong successfully gave Jamaica the gold medal, but the spotlight after the race was not on him. It was on the USA team, who were caught in the most pathetic of situations.
They had finished at third place, and were celebrating with flags draped around them. However, as they would come to realise, USA were disqualified because Gatlin had crossed the designated box before the baton had been passed to him. Midway in their victory lap, all the American team members seemed to notice this latest development on the scoreboard at the same time, reacting with shock and disbelief.
The spotlight had shifted from Bolt, despite it being his last race. As if by dramatic irony, it was completely focussed on the despair of Gatlin, the biggest rival in his career.
Phelps’ last swim
Rio 2016 was an emotional time for fans of Michael Phelps, the king of the pool for more than a decade. Despite some signs that Phelps would consider coming back from retirement for Tokyo 2020 too, Phelps himself brushed all such suggestions aside, stressing that these were to be his final appearance at the Olympics. Never known to show his emotions in public, there was a hint of tears as Phelps waved to the crowd one final time after his last race.
Like Bolt, Phelps was overshadowed as well at the end of his last ver Olympics event. In the 100 metre freestyle final, Phelps was tied 2nd with two other legends of the pool – Chad le Clos of South Africa and Laszlo Cseh of Hungary. First place, however, belonged to Joseph Schooling of Singapore, the unlikeliest gold medalist.
Mo Farah falls down, gets up, wins 2 golds
If Usain Bolt is the undisputed champion of short distance running, his equivalent in medium distance running would be Great Britain’s Mohammed Farah. Also competing in his last Olympic Games, Farah came first in both his events – the 10,000 metre and the 5,000 metre races.
He was at last position for a good while during both these races, even taking a tumble after a collision with a competitor in the 10,000 metre final. He got back to his feet, later explaining that he had promised his daughter a gold medal and could hardly give up then. He clinched the 10,000 metre final by half a second. He repeated similar heroics in the 5,000 metre final, moving from last to first position from the 7th lap to the third last lap.
The characteristic celebration on the podium followed. What a Rio 2016 this was for the greatest of all times – Bolt, Phelps and Farah!
The spirit of the Olympics
The story that sums up the 2016 Olympic Games for many is what happened between New Zealand’s Nikki Hamblin and USA’s Abbey D’Agostino in their 5,000 metre semifinal race. First, there was a collision that saw both of the athletes falling to the ground. D’Agostino helped Hamblin to her feet, and the two continued with the rest of the field.
Then, tragedy struck, as D’Agostino clutched her legs and collapsed, brought down by cramps. Hamblin stopped in her tracks, helped the American to her feet, and ran alongside her till a wheelchair was brought. Neither of them won gold, silver or bronze, but they were both awarded with the Pierre de Coubertin medal for exhibiting the true spirit of the Olympics.
Kristin Armstrong etched her named as a legend with her third gold medal in the Women’s Road Cycling Time Trial event, finishing the race in excruciating circumstances. Returning from retirement for a second time, the 43-year-old American was bleeding from the nose towards the end of her race and showing signs of exhaustion.
As she crossed the finish line, she collapsed on the road in tears as her son came up to be with her. She said later, with a touch of laconic humour, that she would now have to teach her son how someone can cry even after winning.
Olympics’ stage for women usually not even seen
Kimia Alizadeh Zenoorin scripted history by becoming the first female medalist from Iran, bringing forth a frenzy of celebration in a country that is not used to celebrating the achievements of women. Wearing a traditional headscarf over the usual gear, Zenoorin won the bronze medal in the 57 kg taekwondo event.
Egypt’s beach volleyball team also provided a great picture, proving why the Olympics is such an important event. Up against teams like Italy and Germany, their outfits were in contrast to their opponents’. There was no disparity in the level of commitment shown or joy after points though.
Shows of passion and sportsmanship
There was a sensational finish to the Women’s 400 metre sprint, as Allyson Felix of the USA was beaten just at the last millisecond by a perfectly timed dive by Shaunae Miller of the Bahamas. The entire field was even at the last bend, and Felix was slightly in the lead as the finish line loomed. Miller put in a dive, just getting to the rope before silver medalist Felix.
There were some opinions following the race that such a dive was illegal, but no such ruling could be found in the official rulebook, and Miller was given the gold medal in one of the closest photo finish races ever.
The Women’s Badminton Singles final was an emotional affair. On one side was PV Sindhu, going where no Indian had gone before. On the other was Carolina Marin, who had got an Olympics tattoo after the humiliation of a group stage exit in the 2012 Olympics. As the match was settled in three games, Marin flung her racquet away in a moment of shock, emitting the final scream of the day. Sindhu walked over to her vanquisher and congratulated her, also showing a sporting gesture by putting Marin’s racquet near her bag.
Brazil’s first ever Olympics triumph
The final of the Football event between Brazil and Germany was a special occasion for a number of reasons. Held on the second last night of the Games, it was an unofficial closing event for many. The hosts Brazil were facing Germany, at the scene of the crime where they had been dismantled 7-1 in the World Cup semifinal in 2014.
Maracana Stadium was bathed in yellow for the end-to-end clash, in a match that saw several attempts strike the posts and the bar. It was Neymar who slotted in the last penalty kick of the shootout, collapsing to the ground in tears immediately afterwards. The whole Brazil team piled up on top of him, and the whole stadium would have followed suit too if they could have.
Neymar – the hero of Brazil’s first ever Olympics gold medal in the nation’s favourite game.
Hometown heroes
Ranking at 13th spot with 7 gold medals, Rio 2016 was the most successful Olympic Games for hosts Brazil. Emotions rained down in the events where a Brazilian was competing, as the entire country seemed to be found at these arenas. Rafaela Silva with the crowd after her 57 kg Judo gold, Maicon Siqueira with the crowd after his 80kg Taekwondo bronze.
Love in the time of medals
Love was in the air, as is often seen on the sidelines of the greatest shows of human spirit. Alison Cerutti of Brazil celebrated with the crowd after a match point, a beautiful moment arrived after a rugby match when volunteer Marjorie Enya proposed to her longtime girlfriend and Brazilian rugby player Isadora Cerullo, China’s He Zi received a marriage proposal n the podium from fellow diver Qin Kai.
The Hahner twins from Germany created a photo finish at the end of the Women’s Marathon of an entirely different nature, crossing the finish line holding hands. However, German authorities have taken a dim view of the situation, alleging that the sisters pulled off a stunt to garner attention rather than giving their best.
The power of the Olympics – a historic selfie with North Korea’s Hong Un-Jong and South Korea’s Lee Eun-Ju. While decades of political tension keeps the people of the two neighbouring countries apart, these two gymnasts showed the world the power of rising above – both above vaults as well as petty divisions.
David Katoatau of Kiribati became an internet sensation for his celebrations. Weightlifting celebrations are rarely animated, but Katoatau of Kiribati is most unlike all other weightlifters. He danced after every successful lift, drawing huge cheers from the crowd. He said afterwards that his dance was an attempt to catch people’s attention regarding the plight of Kiribati – an island in the Pacific which is one of the places hardest hit by climate change and is undergoing rapid soil erosion.
One of the sweetest victories at Rio 2016 was Great Britain’s triumph in the Women’s Hockey final over Netherlands, the winner of the last two Olympic Games and the undisputed favourite this time around as well. After a dramatic shootout, it was GBR who claimed a first ever gold medal at this event.
Michael Conlan of Ireland and Vladimir Nikitin of Russia were involved in one of the bloodiest boxing bouts at Rio 2016, but their match made more news for what Conlan did afterwards. He reacted to the loss by showing his middle finger to the judges and going on a rant in front of cameras about how boxing judges were biased. Conlan’s rant made a lot of news, and as a direct consequence or not, some judges were sacked. However, it is expected that Conlan will be punished for his angry reaction.
China’s Chen Long weeps in joy after beating Malaysia’s Lee Ching Wei in the Men’s Badminton Singles final. Forever having been in the legendary Lin Dan’s shadow, this was Long’s first Olympics gold medal.
Some of the most stunning performances at Rio 2016 came from women, all of whom have crossed unbelievable hurdles to reach this stage – Gymnast Aly Raisman from USA, wrestler Sakshi Malik from India, sprinter Caster Semenya from South Africa.
The two most singular explosive entries made into the Olympics stage at Rio 2016 is of two American women – Gymnast Simone Biles and swimmer Katie Ledecky. Biles won 4 gold medals and 1 bronze medal, in what is surely only the start of one of the greatest careers of all time. As for Ledecky, she was miles ahead from her competitors, making it a regular practice to reach the finish line and wait for everybody else to catch up. Ledecky also has a haul of 5 gold and 1 silver from Rio 2016. Biles and Ledecky are surely two greats who will lord over the sporting landscape for the next decade.
