The games come to a close.

[Aero]

The 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the 31st modern Olympiad, has come to a close tonight...

I AM SAD!!!

I love the Olympics so much. It is the one time where the entire world comes together, and even though it is in competition, there is also so much support and spirit. The athletic spirit. The Olympic spirit. I watched every single night, and watched all of the gymnastics related sports, too. There are incredible athletes all over the world. So much inspiration, and so much emotion. It certainly has inspired me to become a better coach.

Please share your favorite Olympic experiences, regardless of the sport, country, or athlete. I know I have many!

 

[txgymfan]

My favorite part was introducing oldest girl to the Olympics. We watched volleyball and water polo and pole vault ( "That's a sport?!"). She snuggled up to me watching gymnastics live on my iPad. I usually watch alone so sharing it this year was fun!

Athletes Simone Biles and Aly Raisman and Katie Ledecky their amazing performances and phenomenal attitudes impressed me beyond words. All three were incredible!

Michael Phelps showed maturity this Olympics in and out of the pool. He was always a great athlete but this year he showed much more leadership outside of the pool.

 

[wandrewsjr]

Unbelievably impressed with team GB and team Brasil at these games. They had both shining individual/team stories and an excellent overall showing considering the relative size/wealth of their nations.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

Unbelievably impressed with team GB and team Brasil at these games. They had both shining individual/team stories and an excellent overall showing considering the relative size/wealth of their nations.

#smugface

 

[GymDad9.9]

#smugface

Well deserved....

 

[duyetanh]

The south African who won the gold medal in track and set a world record and was in lane EIGHT; he never once looked around, and his 74 year old coach about lost it in the stands. He will forever for me be an Olympic memory. They showed Usain Bolt and the other Jamaicans coming out to get ready for the 100 meter final and nbc actually got their reaction to his world record. It was awesome. Being fuzzy headed due to no sleep (up doing grad course work), I am sadly brain farting on the young gentleman's name and length of the race, but I wanted to say it was the 400 meters. It was amazing. Also amazing was the American who won the track each thay no American has won since 1908...his family went ballistic in the stands. Ironically, I hate to run. Perhaps that is why these memories will stay with me.

The gymnastics and swimming moments for me are too many to mention. And I figure thise will get mentioned enough. So I went with some different ones. Heck, the 19 year old getting the first gold of the games for shooting was cool also, because of her story.

 

[GymDad9.9]

The south African who won the gold medal in track and set a world record and was in lane EIGHT; he never once looked around, and his 74 year old coach about lost it in the stands. He will forever for me be an Olympic memory. They showed Usain Bolt and the other Jamaicans coming out to get ready for the 100 meter final and nbc actually got their reaction to his world record. It was awesome. Being fuzzy headed due to no sleep (up doing grad course work), I am sadly brain farting on the young gentleman's name and length of the race, but I wanted to say it was the 400 meters. It was amazing. Also amazing was the American who won the track each thay no American has won since 1908...his family went ballistic in the stands. Ironically, I hate to run. Perhaps that is why these memories will stay with me.

The gymnastics and swimming moments for me are too many to mention. And I figure thise will get mentioned enough. So I went with some different ones. Heck, the 19 year old getting the first gold of the games for shooting was cool also, because of her story.

Matthew Centrowitz, Jr. was the winner of the 1500 meters that hadn't been won since 1908.

 

[wnl256]

This win. When Ledecky finished, her competitors literally weren't even in the picture!

 

[wnl256]

Shinzo Abe jumping out of a Mario Bros tube at the closing ceremonies. That's a hint of what's to come.... Japan doing the Olympics is going to be a really fun thing to watch!

 

[txgymfan]

Kim Rhode won a medal in her 6th straight Olympics ( and got very little press). 6 Olympics, 6 medals. Amazing!

 

[Dahlia]

I am so excited for Japan! I spent a couple of weeks a few years back in Tokyo, so this will be the first Olympics where I really know the city they are held in before they are held! It should be fun! Plus, Japan is just so good with the details and design and such. I bet it'll be spectacular and they probably won't have all the issues of the Rio games concerning housing not being done, etc. I only wish I could go!

(I am also super excited to see baseball return to the Olympics and the introduction of Sports Climbing!)

 

[GymDad9.9]

I am so excited for Japan! I spent a couple of weeks a few years back in Tokyo, so this will be the first Olympics where I really know the city they are held in before they are held! It should be fun! Plus, Japan is just so good with the details and design and such. I bet it'll be spectacular and they probably won't have all the issues of the Rio games concerning housing not being done, etc. I only wish I could go!

(I am also super excited to see baseball return to the Olympics and the introduction of Sports Climbing!)

Japan is high on my bucket list.

 

[LindyHopper]

Kim Rhode won a medal in her 6th straight Olympics ( and got very little press). 6 Olympics, 6 medals. Amazing!

And the first person to win a medal on 5 different continents