There was a lot more talk than usual heading into
this year's Olympics, and for good reason. From the Zika scare that
created somewhere in the region of 160,000 known cases in Brazil before
the games even began to general safety concerns, many believed Rio was
ill-equipped to host the 2016 Summer Olympics – hence the birth of the
much-used hashtag, #RioProblems.
Nevertheless, Rio went on to surpass just about everyone's expectations over the last few weeks and gave us moments we will never forget in true Olympic fashion. Sure, the opening ceremony wasn’t as glamorous as we've come to expect there were a few scary mishaps along the way, green pools and a whole lot of Ryan Lochte, but there was also no shortage of highlights throughout these games.
With that in mind, let’s look at moments in particular that stood out from the crowd.
Nevertheless, Rio went on to surpass just about everyone's expectations over the last few weeks and gave us moments we will never forget in true Olympic fashion. Sure, the opening ceremony wasn’t as glamorous as we've come to expect there were a few scary mishaps along the way, green pools and a whole lot of Ryan Lochte, but there was also no shortage of highlights throughout these games.
With that in mind, let’s look at moments in particular that stood out from the crowd.
Best: Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt Leave on Top
With this likely being the last we'll see of Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt at the Olympics, they both received the send-offs they deserved – sparkly medals, hilarious memes and all. Following five gold medals in these games alone, Phelps further distanced himself as the most decorated Olympic athlete with 23 gold medals to his name. For Bolt, he pulled off the rare triple-triple in three consecutive Olympics and tied Carl Lewis and Paavo Nurmi for the most gold medals in athletics history.
Worst: Ryan Lochte
There aren't many other ways to put it: #LochteGate was/has been/continues to be an absolute shitstorm. From Lochte changing his story several times to two of his teammates getting pulled off of a plane by Brazilian police while the other agreed to donate $11,000 to a local sports academy in order to leave Rio, the entire process was a mess. Lochte's Twitter apology and interview with TODAY didn’t put much of an end to it, either.
Best: The Rise of the Simones
Speaking of megastars doing things we've never seen before, Simone Biles and Simone Manuel also made history in these Olympic games. Biles became the first U.S. gymnast to win four gold medals in a single Olympics and Manuel became the first African-American swimmer to win gold in an individual event. Thanks to their success, "Simone baby name" received a significant bump on Google in the month of August, so a pretty solid Olympics overall for the Simones.
Best: Shaunae Miller's Winning Dive
In perhaps the most memorable moment from these Olympics, Shaunae Miller prevented Allyson Felix from adding to her legacy by diving head-first into the finish line in the 400-meter final. "The Dive," as it has become known, was immediately put under a microscope with many believing Miller’s fall shouldn't have been allowed even though it was perfectly legal. Either way, it made for a thrilling finish and one that will forever be remembered.
Worst: Hope Solo's Bad Loss
Hope Solo spent a few days in the news for all the wrong reasons. Following Team USA's loss to Sweden in the soccer quarterfinals, Solo got on the bad side of some of her teammates and the International Olympic Committee by saying: "We played a bunch of cowards. The best team did not win today. I strongly, firmly believe that." It certainly wasn’t the best display of Olympic spirit, especially seeing as Sweden went on to win silver while Team USA failed to medal.
Best: Feyisa Lilesa's Protest
The Olympics have long been a platform for making political statements, both through performance and through outright acts like the raising of a fist at the podium. Ethiopian runner Feyisa Lilesa raising his hands above his head to make an "X" will undoubtedly stand as one of the most unforgettable of Olympic protests both for what it means, and the Olympian's bravery.Lilesa was protesting the Ethiopian government's murder of over 400 Oromo people since November, the country's largest ethnic group. It's an act that could mean the medal winner might not be able to go home.
"The Ethiopian government is killing my people, so I stand with all protests anywhere, as Oromo is my tribe," Lilesa said after the race.
Best: Monica Puig Beats the Odds
Despite being ranked No. 34 in the world, Monica Puig was the last woman standing in the women's tennis singles and helped Puerto Rico secure its first ever Olympic gold medal. Making her accomplishment all the more impressive: Puig had defeated a top-10 player just once in her career prior to these games, only to take down two – Garbine Muguruza in the third round and Angelique Kerber in the final – in her quest for gold.
Worst: Islam El Shehaby's Shuns Or Sasson
Want another example of bad sportsmanship? In a more politically charged exchange, Egypt's Islam El Shehaby refused to bow or shake Israel's Or Sasson's hand after losing in the opening round of judoka, which broke just about every rule – written and non-written – in the book. El Shehaby was booed by the crowd for not paying respect to his opponents and was quickly sent back to Cairo by way of the International Olympic Committee.
Best: Sarah Elizabeth Robles Stunts on Haters
Sarah Elizabeth Robles becoming the first American since 2000 to win an Olympic medal in weightlifting would've been memorable enough had she not also tweeted that the "things that used to get me bullied are the things that made me become an Olympian" three months ago. It's probably safe to assume all those people who used to poke fun at her are now drowning in their words.
Best: Americans Dominate the Pool
Katie Ledecky and Michael Phelps are gifts that keep on giving. Winning medals and crushing records. Phelps showed up and continued his legacy that will probably nearly impossible for anybody to catch, while Ledecky was almost in another country with new records and medals by the time her competitors caught up. And then there was Lilly King in all of her badass glory.
Worst: Green Pools
Having to dive into a green swimming pool is one thing. Having to dive into a green swimming pool that also makes an entire building smell like a fart because hydrogen peroxide was poured into it – although that might not have actually been the case – is another. It didn't stop China from winning seven of the available eight diving gold medals, though, which was the country's best showing since 2008.
Best: Fiji’s First Gold Medal
Fiji's first Olympic gold medal was particularly meaningful because the country was struck with tragedy earlier this year when Cyclone Winston claimed 44 lives and caused over $1 billion worth of damage. Other than giving them new public holiday to celebrate, government officials estimate that the medal will generate around $200 million in tourism and investment. The Olympics are all about feel good stories, and the success of Fiji's Rugby 7s team is certainly one of them.
Worst: Renaud Lavillenie Booed
Rio wasn't very kind to French pole vaulter Renaud Lavillenie. Since he was competing for a gold medal against Brazil's Thiago Braz da Silva, the home crowd booed Lavillenie whenever he was vaulting in an attempt to throw him off of his game. The crowd rubbed salt in the wound by also booing him on the medal podium – perhaps because Lavillenie compared his case to Jesse Owens' – and Lavillenie broke down into tears. In the aftermath, the International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said the behavior was "unacceptable at the Olympics."
Best: Ibtihaj Muhammad Makes History
It's no surprise that Ibtihaj Muhammad almost edged out Michael Phelps as the flag-bearer for the United States in the opening ceremony. Not only did she become the first American athlete ever to wear hijab at the Olympics, she also became the first American to win a medal while wearing a hijab when she helped Team USA defeat Italy for the bronze medal in the women's sabre. Beyond her Olympic success, Muhammad is fully aware of her impact on a global scale and is excited to "challenge the stereotypes and misconceptions people have about Muslim women."
Worst: Injuries
Unfortunately, injuries tend to come with the territory in sporting events of an Olympic scale. Throughout these games, we saw French gymnast Samir Ait Said snap his leg in a way all too familiar to Team USA's Paul George, Dutch cyclist Annemiek van Vleuten suffer a concussion and three cracks in her spine following a scary crash in the women’s road race and Australian wrestler Talgat Ilyasov dislocate his elbow in the men's freestyle competition. There was plenty more where all that came from, too.
Best: Nikki Hamblin's Ultimate Act of Kindness
For giving up on her chance to medal by helping Abbey D'Agostino in the middle of the 5000-meter qualifier, New Zealand's Nikki Hamblin leaves Rio with perhaps the most prestigious honor of them all: The Pierre de Coubertin medal, which is reserved for those who best demonstrate the Olympic spirit and has only been awarded 17 times since it was inaugurated in 1964. I guess this means nice people don't always finish last, huh?Ryan Lochte has issued an apology for fabricated Rio robbery story.
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