RIO DE JANEIRO — A bit of melancholy and unbridled joy converged at the closing ceremony of the 2016 Olympics on Sunday as Brazil breathed a collective sigh of relief for having pulled off South America’s first Games.
It was far from a perfect execution by Brazil, which battled with empty seats, security scares and a mysterious green diving pool. But two late gold medals for the host country in its two favorite sports, men’s soccer and volleyball, helped smooth some of the rough edges around the Games for Brazilians.
From the Maracana where it all began 16 days ago, the final event kicked off with a birdseye view over Rio’s world-famous landmarks, Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf Mountain, before the formation of the five Olympic rings. Wind and rain blew through Brazil’s most storied stadium.
Nostalgic notes from the traditional music of Rio’s neighborhoods set the stage for the entry of hundreds of the 11,000 athletes who came to Rio and the last medal ceremony, for the men’s marathon run early in the day.
The city will hand over the Olympic flag to Tokyo, site of the 2020 Summer Games, and extinguish the Olympic flame, burning since Aug. 5 in a small, environmentally friendly cauldron.
Rio will be remembered for the comeback of American swimmer Michael Phelps, who won five golds and one silver to reinforce his distinction as the most decorated Olympian of all time.
Jamaica’s Usain Bolt drew down the curtain on his brilliant Olympic career by securing a sweep of the sprint titles for a third successive Games. And American gymnast Simone Biles, the U.S. flag bearer in the closing ceremony, kicked off her Olympic run by tying the record of four gold medals in a single Games.
‘With all of our problems’
At times, it was hard to focus on the great sporting moments happening across the sprawling city.
A low point for Rio came when Ryan Lochte, one of America’s most decorated swimmers, said he was robbed at gunpoint. That ignited further security concerns after a series of assaults against government ministers, athletes and tourists.
But Lochte’s story quickly unraveled when police discovered he fabricated his story to cover up his vandalizing a gas station after a drunken night out with three teammates. His lie enraged Brazilians and Americans alike.
Brazilians could take heart in the fact that there were no major mishaps or breaches after deadly attacks in Europe and the United States had prompted the biggest security operation in Brazil’s history. The military and police presence was extraordinary with 85,000 troops fanned out across venues, streets and transport hubs, double the deployment in London four years ago.
“Even with all our problems we pulled off a good Olympics. Nothing too bad happened and I’d say it was better than expected,” said Nivea Araujo, a Rio resident attending the closing ceremony.
For many in the soccer mad nation, the best Olympic moments happened in the Maracana, where Brazil defeated Germany in soccer on Saturday and pieced together a widely hailed opening ceremony despite a tight budget.
“We are in a difficult moment as a country right now, we can’t hide that, but the Games were scheduled and I’m glad we could enjoy them,” said Alessandro Freitas, also from Rio.
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 come Monday, with the Games no longer a distraction, Brazil gets back to its dour reality of dueling political and economic crises. An impeachment vote in coming days could lead to the permanent ouster of suspended President Dilma Rousseff.
Kenya’s Kipchoge wins men’s marathon
Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge won the men’s Olympic marathon with a dominating performance, running alone into the Sambadrome and finishing in two hours, eight minutes and 44 seconds on Sunday.
Ethiopia’s Feyisa Lilesa claimed the silver medal and American Galen Rupp took the bronze in humid conditions on a rain-slicked course.
Kipchoge, 31, began to split the field after around 30 kilometers, starting with a group of a dozen runners about him that slowly dropped away until he ran the final kilometers alone.
“It was a bit slow so I decided to take over. Maybe it was the rain, maybe not. Everyone wants a medal. I was coming here for gold,” said Kipchoge, who has won seven of the eight marathons he has entered, including two London Marathon victories.
In previous Olympic appearances, in 2004 and 2008, he had competed in the 5,000 meters before shifting his focus to the longer distance.
Rupp, 30, also made the transition from a short event but did so at the same Games, having finished fifth in the men’s 10,000 meters eight days ago.
“I was emotionally drained after the 10K, but I got it out of the system and decided to have an attacking race,” Rupp said. “Maybe this is my best event.”
As he crossed the line, Lilesa raised his crossed arms in the air, a gesture of solidarity with members of his tribe who have faced violent government reprisals to their protests against a plan to redevelop farmland.
Farah does the double
On Saturday, Briton Mo Farah joined the ranks of the all-time distance greats by becoming just the second man to retain both Olympic track long distance titles after adding a brilliant 5,000-meter gold to his 10,000 at the Rio Games.
On a sparkling final night of track and field, Matthew Centrowitz won an unexepcted 1,500-meter gold for the United States, its first in the event since 1908.
The nation also won both 4×400 relays to stretch its winning margin in the track and field medal count.
Caster Semenya cruised to victory in the women’s 800, Germany’s Thomas Roehler won the javelin and 37-year-old high jumper Ruth Beitia won Spain’s first Olympic gold in women’s track and field.
With Bolt finally moving aside, Farah took center stage for his double-double to emulate Finland’s Lasse Viren (1972 and 1976).
Having also done the double twice at the world championships, Farah proved he is up there with the best endurance performers of all time.
He never looked like being beaten on Saturday, winning gold with a consummate display of control and finishing power.
“To do it again is incredible,” said Farah. “I have that drive, it’s just me.
“I can’t quite believe it. I wished for just one medal as a junior. It has been a long journey but if you dream of something, have ambitions and are willing to work hard then you can get your dreams.”
Centrowitz might have been dreaming of a minor medal but found himself in the box seat with a brilliant tactical run in the 1,500 and had too much finishing speed for defending champion Taoufik Makhloufi of Algeria.
“Doing my victory lap, I literally kept screaming to everyone I know, ‘Are you kidding me?’” Centrowitz said.
There was no surprise in the women’s 800 where Semenya delivered gold, the first Olympic track and field title for a South African woman in 64 years, having looked unbeatable all year and having to deal with the pressure of questions over her gender.
“The coaches told me to just focus on running, nothing else,” said Semenya, who is reported to produce excess testosterone that some feel gives her an unfair advantage.
“Sport is meant to unite people. I think that’s what we need to keep doing.”
In the women’s 4×400 relay, the United States collected its sixth straight gold in a streak going back to Atlanta 1996, with Allyson Felix bumping her career gold medal tally up to six.
In the final event of the night, perhaps fittingly given the sport’s recent travails, former doper LaShawn Merritt ran a blistering anchor leg to return the men’s 4×400 title to the United States.
After being upset by the Bahamas four years ago, the Americans turned the tables to record their 17th victory in the event.