The 31st Olympiad held in Rio came to an end yesterday 21st August 2016 with a very colorful closing ceremony at the Maracana stadium.
During the ceremony, the Olympic flame was extinguished at the stadium, signaling that the Rio Games are officially over.
International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach gave a poignant speech during the ceremony that saw Toyko’s new governor, Yuriko Koike, the first woman to hold that job, happily accept the Olympic flag from Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes.
The 2020 Summer Games is set to be hosted in Tokyo. And to the delight of the crowd gathered at the stadium, a video showed Japan’s Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, who announced he won’t make it to Rio in time.
So Abe turned into the Japanese video game plumber Mario and then popped up in the flesh out of a huge green pipe in the stadium that he allegedly used as a shortcut to get from Tokyo to Rio.
During the first Olympic games in 1896, all of the medals were handed out on the last day. Now, only one event receives its medals at the Summer Games’ closing ceremonies – the men’s marathon.
Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge won Sunday’s marathon in the time of 2 hours, 8 minutes and 44 seconds. Feyisa Lilesa of Ethiopia was second, and American Galen Rupp took bronze.
Highlights of the closing ceremony include:
- The Maracana was turned into a street carnival as the ceremony celebrated Brazil’s art, music and dance.
- Highlights included human formations of iconic Rio landmarks Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf Mountain.
- The Olympic flame was extinguished by a rain shower, which then gave life to a large tree sculpture to symbolise rebirth.
- The Rio carnival anthem ‘Cidade Maravilhosa’ played as the party reached a crescendo.
- Brazilian model Izabel Goulart led a parade of 50 women and 200 dancers, who were joined by a sound truck containing 12 carnival queens.
- Launch of the 24 hour Olympic channel.
The ceremony concluded with a confetti and firework show.
See more photos below:
Awesome…