It was a mild sunny midweek day in the Estadio Joao Havelange in Rio which was  serving as the main hub for the track and field events.The 5,000 metres heats were on.Abbey D’Agostino of USA and Nikki Hamblin of New Zealand  were vying for a place in the final.Four laps fromt he end , they collided. D’Agostino twisted her leg and Hamblin pulled her up.The two helped each other to the finish, where they came in last.The spirit of Olympics was clearly reflected in this act of  sportsmanship displayed by the two athletes, as Hamblin waited at the finish line for considerable time for Abbey to finish and end up in  a warm embrace.They both were given entries to the final in a good will  gesture by the authorities.The Pierre de Courbertin medal from the IOC was awarded to only its second and third woman recepients.

The opening ceremony of the first Olympics staged in South America was held at the historic Maracana stadium on 5 August amidst a colourful display that also showcased environmental concern with appeal for conservation and prevention of global warming. Famous for the football it has given to the world, Brazil welcomed the parade of a record 207 nations.They featured  Kosovo and South Sudan, IOC’s newest members.Two new sports were added, Golf and the  Rugby sevens.With the ceremony, all the pre games hype of Zika virus and the doping scams were laid to rest.The Olympic cauldron was lit by Vandelei Cordeiro de Lima, the Men’s marathon bronze medallist at the 2004 Athens Summer games.

For many,the Games represented a culmination of intensive hard work and dedication that took four years to achieve.For some,even a lifetime.Many won’t get another shot. Some like Michael Phelps overcame a childhood of  difficulties to become the most decorated Olympian. Achieving five golds, he took his tally to a record 28 in these Games, 23 of them golds,in the pool.Truly sensational from the Baltimore Bullet.The pool had other amazing feats. Katinka Hosszu carried on Hungary’s swim medal run taking 3 golds.Katie Ledecky ,the Stanford grad, had one better with four golds while her colleague Simone Manuel became the first African American female to win a gold in individual event when she tied in the 100 metres freestyle.Adam Peaty began the record for British overseas haul  by smashing a  world record en route to his 100 metre breaststroke gold.It was soon going to become a memorable haul for Team GB.

Away from the pool,at 19, Simone Biles became a star in the Rio Olympic arena, capturing four golds and a bronze, becoming the most decorated medallist in a single Olympics.as an American gymnast.The Ohio teenager’s routines in the floor exercise, vault, individual and team all arounds  were unmatchable.Nadia Comaneci would be proud.

In the Velodrome,cycling lay witness to an amazing feat. Each member of the British track cycling team bagged a medal as their domination from London 2012 continued.The had six golds in ten events. Such  achievements  exceeded expectations even though in the track world championships earlier in the year,Team GB had five golds in tally of nine medals. The track team were led by lovebirds Jason Kenny and Laura Trott who surpassed national records in golds winning the Kierin and Omnium events.

China claimed a sweep of the table tennis events in all four disciplines.Ma Long and Ding Ning captured individual golds beating compatriots and then  led the team events to glory. Ning defeated compatriot Li Xiaoxia in the women’s individual finale but combined with her to take the team events.Long led China to the team victory  after  beating Zhang Jike in the individual final.China added the women ‘s team Volleyball gold.One of their popular successes was in  Badminton men’s singles where world champion Chen Long beat an industrious Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia in straight sets.

Asia  was well represented in the top honours. In addition to the Chinese honours,their eastern neighbours were also in form.Korea cleaned up the Archery events. The hosts of the next Olympics, Japan, found wrestling to  their women’s expertise, nabbing four of the six golds on offer.Judo provided them with three more gongs.Whilst west of Xinjiang province the Uzbeks were on fire leading the boxers  with three golds.Iran laid claim to five wrestling medals and two weightlifting golds and in the blue ribbon swim meet of 100 metre freestyle, Joseph Schooling was head of the class for Singapore.Even Vietnam made a name for themselves in shooting event of 10 metre  air pistol.

Speaking of the shooters,the first gold of the Olympics was taken by an American teenager, Virginia Thrasher initiating a huge medal run  for the Stars and Stripes.The Barra Olympic park was left buzzing,the Favelas of Rio chirping, Copa Cabana whistling,the global  media tweeting and the Olympic  torch which crossed 300 Brazilian cities including all 26 state capitals  was continually blazing.Rio de Janiero welcomed all and  had become the ” New World”  for the Olympics as per its motto but more was to come. As the sun will have to give way to change in weather, a certain thunder of energy from the skies and on  its earth  was imminent. Pode Vir Rio !

(To be continued)