Stars of the summer
Simone Biles, Usain Bolt, Team GB and this man. Look up “Pride comes before a fall” in any decent Dictionary of Phrase and Fable reprint next year and you’ll find Haitian hurdler Jeffrey Julmis, giving the cameras some classic cool-as-ice posturing before the start of his 110m race – then going head over heels at the first hurdle.
Sometimes that confidence will kill ya #jeffreyjulmis pic.twitter.com/pdhU6eBeWd
— BallerAlert (@balleralert) August 17, 2016
Suit of the summer
IOC head Thomas Bach - surveying Rio’s empty seats, public protests, doping crisis, global criticism and touting scandal involving the arrest of the IOC’s Pat Hickey – and picking out Brazil fans heckling a pole vaulter as being against “the Olympic spirit”. Bach: “This is shocking behaviour… it’s unacceptable at the Olympics.”
Most uplifting cameo
Came on day one – Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima standing in for Pelé as the official cauldron lighter, 12 years after being robbed of Olympic marathon gold when a drunk, defrocked Irish priest ran on to the course and shoved him into a barrier.
Double-take moment
Also came in the opening ceremony – the event marking the start of a project notorious for violent favela clearances. Helping provide the soundtrack: funk singer Ludmilla, with her Happiness Rap – featuring lyrics: “I just want to be happy in the favela where I was born.”
Best narrative twist
1) Pre-Games, US media warned how their athletes were at risk from Brazil’s crime epidemic; 2) Post-Games, US officials apologised after four US athletes made up a story about Rio gun crime as cover for their night out vandalising a petrol station. A US statement condemned “lapses in judgement and conduct”.
Most overwhelmed
Fiji’s government: dropping a long-standing plan to redesign the national flag, partly because of the patriotic euphoria that followed their first ever medal. PM Voreqe Bainimarama: “I remain convinced that we need to replace these colonial symbols – but just not for the foreseeable future.” Also taking a relaxed view during the public meltdown that followed their rugby sevens gold in week one – Fiji police spokesperson Ana Naisoro: “There is disruption on the roads, congestion, it’s chaos here. But, ah – we’re unconcerned.”
Press release of the summer
Amateur boxing’s governing body Aiba – issuing a robust statement defending its public image after the controversy over judging decisions. “Since the beginning of Rio 2016 Aiba has conducted 250 bouts and remains fully committed to a zero tolerance policy towards fair play in boxing.”
Biggest struggle with irony
Russia’s sports minister, Vitaly Mutko, attacking Rio organisers last week for taking no action over foreign fans booing Russian athletes – accusing officials of failing to uphold Olympic integrity. Mutko said crowds were “not sporting” and must be controlled. “Organisers must protect the competition, and the competitors.”
Story of the summer
Syrian teen Yusra Mardini – winning her heat in the 100m butterfly for the Refugee Team in week one, a year after surviving the capsize of a six-man dinghy carrying 20 refugees towards Lesbos. Mardini spent three hours in the sea helping drag the boat to shore. “I just thought it would be a real shame if I drowned, because I’m a swimmer.” She called the Rio experience “really cool … there are a lot of stories about me now and a lot of people who want to take my picture. This is really good, because it’s helping to spread our message. What everyone in the Refugee Team is saying now is that this does not stop here … This is not the end.”
Best attitude
Body-shamed 5ft 9in, 12.5st Ethiopia swimmer Robel Kiros Habte, reflecting on his mixed press this summer. “They have used dirty language against me and called me fat and a big man and a whale. But Ethiopia is not a swimmers’ country and I have not trained in an Olympic size pool. How could I have won gold? Anyway, now I will lose weight. When I go to Canada for the world championships, I will show them.”
Most remiss
French fencer Enzo Lefort – going into the Games declaring: “I’ve given everything to get here. It’s important not to be distracted” – then being booed by the crowd after his phone fell out of his pocket mid-bout.
French fencer Enzo Lefort's phone dropped off from his pocket when fighting German fencer Peter Joppich #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/6jQwdF94L3
— People's Daily,China (@PDChina) August 9, 2016
Most upbeat
Finnish weightlifter Milko Olavi Tokola – not bothered after images of him fainting head-first off the stage while celebrating went viral. “I know it was on TV, I don’t care! I feel no embarrassment. Hey, I’m an Olympic athlete. I’m just happy.”
Most taken aback
a) Twitter user @joeclarke, reacting to tweets congratulating him on a different Joe Clarke’s K1 canoe slalom gold. “Guys, thank you … but I am currently sitting here ready to start my night shift in Worthing.” And b) the manager of Perrys Motor Sales Ltd in Bolton, @JasonKenny. “I’m an overweight 46yr old. I am NOT at the olympics!”
Quote of the summer
Rio 2016 official spokesperson Mario Andrada – explaining last week why organisers couldn’t be expected to just fix the green water in the pool overnight: “Chemistry is not an exact science.”
Most resilient
Dutch gymnast Yuri van Gelder, expelled from Rio for late night drinking, denying wrongdoing, and going to court to demand “a business class ticket back to Rio”. The judge rejected his case. Dutch media: “Once he was Lord of the Rings. Now he’s Lord of the Drinks.”
Moment of the summer
Nikki Hamblin and Abbey D’Agostino helping each other finish the 5,000m. Hamblin: “When I went down it was like: ‘What’s happening? Why am I on the ground?’. And suddenly there’s this hand on my shoulder, like: ‘Get up, get up, we have to finish this!’ That girl is the Olympic spirit, right there.”
Best death stares
1) Michael Phelps. 2) Boomer Phelps.
Most down to earth
Nineteen-year-old American shooter Ginny Thrasher – the first champion of the Games with gold in the women’s 10m air rifle. She was back in her physics class at West Virginia University last week, settling down “to normalcy and routine … I’m still kind of putting myself back together. Hopefully I’ll get to that soon.”
Spare a thought for …
South Africa’s women’s football striker Shiwe Nogwanya, taken off on a stretcher against Sweden on day minus two – 54 hours before the opening ceremony. And Britain’s Lutalo Muhammad – giving the summer’s most tearful interview after his last-second taekwondo final defeat. “I’m so distraught, so sorry for all the people who stayed up late to cheer. I let them down.”
Best observed tradition
Fact: every international sports event needs a flag and anthem gaffe to liven up the opening exchanges. Rio delivered both in week one – causing a diplomatic incident with China over wrongly-orientated flag stars, and playing an unidentified piece of music as the Nigeria men’s footballers stood to attention in Manaus.
TV ratings: the stars …
a) Clare Balding – hasn’t paused for breath since 5 August; b) Irish brothers Gary and Paul O’Donovan, going viral with their craic-based interview on RTE about Nutella, peeing in cups and how bad they felt about being in Rio due to missing the Rio-themed parties back in Skibbereen; c) Bradley Wiggins – taking time out after his gold medal to do his Phil Hindes impression. And d) Kiribati weightlifter David Katoatau, performing the Games’ best viral dance hit after his lifts.
… and the rest
a) Canada’s CBC apologised twice early on –once for a swimming commentator mistaking Michael Phelps for Ryan Lochte all the way through the 200m individual medley, then again when a different swimming commentator who thought he was off-air said: “The little 14-year-old from China dropped the ball, baby. Too excited, went out like stink, died like a pig”; b) US official broadcaster NBC earned its own tribute hashtag #NBCfail for a string of pundit and delayed-coverage based-complaints, and for throwing to five ad breaks in the first half hour of the opening ceremony; c) John Inverdale; and d) The otherwise top-drawer BBC graphics team, who didn’t think it through before showing a table of the most Googled athletes of the summer – which featured Oscar Pistorius at No2.
Most enduring debate
Surrounded the official, heavily focus-grouped Rio 2016 logo – a design a year in the making, which was turned into mantelpiece souvenirs for medal winners. It was, said organisers, an “inspirational” take on the “sinuous curves” of Sugarloaf Mountain. The internet preferred “rainbow jockstrap”.
Best upgrade
Four years ago Desiree Henry was one of the seven cauldron-lighters in London. On Friday she won bronze in the 4x100m.
Best gratitude
Japanese wrestler Risako Kawai – celebrating gold by body-slamming her 56-year-old coach to the mat, twice. “He asked me to lift him on my shoulders. I wanted to be first to slam him.”
Most British moment
Jason Kenny - packing his kit into his supermarket Bag For Life after winning gold. Father Michael told the Bolton News: “He’s not always had a Bag For Life. He recently upgraded from a thin, disposable Tesco bag.”
Best rewards
Honouring employees this month: a) Indian Railways rewarding 58kg freestyle wrestling bronze medallist and Northern Railways senior clerk Sakshi Malik with promotion to the rank of “gazetted officer”, amid reports of a planned “grand felicitation for Sakshi to celebrate her stupendous feat”; and b) The Philippines airforce, promoting weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz from Airwoman 2nd Class to Airwoman 1st Class. Diaz became the nation’s first medallist for 20 years.
Most uncomfortable
The Daily Mail, feeling uneasy last week with two men hugging: “Steady on chaps! Britain’s victorious synchronised divers hug for joy after winning gold – while China’s bronze medallists settle for a manly pat on the back.”
Most encouraging
Less successful divers giving the rest of us hope: Malaysia’s Ahmad Amsyar Azman pulled off a 3m springboard belly flop for 9.75 points; Russia’s Ilya Zakharov entered the water on all fours for 0 points; and fellow Russian Nadezhda Bazhina delivered a rare 3m springboard back flop, also securing 0 points.
Breakthrough media star
Chinese swimmer Fu Yuanhui earned praise back home for engaging interviews, including breaking the sporting taboo of discussing menstruation; not realising she’d won a medal until the interviewer told her; and whooping after her semi‑final victory: “Whoooaah I was so fast! I used all of my mystic energy!”
Nan of the summer
Mavis Williams, 74 – “#OlympicNan” with 7,880 followers after she tweeted her joy over grandson Adam Peaty’s 100m breaststroke gold. Peaty: “She only learned to use an iPad three weeks ago. Do you know how long it took me to reach 7,000 Twitter followers? But her? Overnight, just like that.”
Most inevitable Brexit spat
@LeaveEUOfficial tweeting a montage of Brits including silver medal cyclist Callum Skinner, with the message: “We may be small, but we truly are Great Britain!” Skinner tweeted back an EU flag emoticon, adding: “Thanks for the support, but I wish you wouldn’t use my image to promote your campaign.”
Most relaxed summer
Lifeguards at the Olympic pools – on vigilant standby to rescue any Olympic non-swimmers. 75 guards were on duty during the Games, paid a reported £260 each for the fortnight.
Best of the animals
1) Lorenzo the horse, dancing to “Smooth” by Santana in the individual dressage. 2) And the eye-catching capybaras on the golf course. US team director Andy Levinson: “They sort of look like a dog. Kind of a like a dog-pig.”
Theme of the summer
The early Tinder and Grindr tabloid tryst stories soon gave way to tales of wholesome romance. Among the accepted proposals: rugby sevens venue volunteer Marjorie Enya proposing to Brazil player Isadora Cerullo; British race walker Tom Bosworth proposing to boyfriend Harry Dineley; USA’s Will Claye proposing to girlfriend Queen Harrison; and Chinese diver Qin Kai proposing to fellow diver He Zi, just after she was awarded 3m springboard silver.
Memes of the summer
Were more creative than usual, thanks to Rio events being staged with vivid green-screen style backdrops. It led to multiple online remixes of top level action – including tennis in space, and divers landing in volcanoes.
And the most put out
Japanese pole vaulter Hiroki Ogita – feeling upset by global press coverage suggesting he had knocked the bar off with his penis. “I never expected the foreign media to take me down like this. It’s untrue, and I am devastated that they go so far to make something up to mock and ridicule me so much.” He later tweeted: “Watching again, this is pretty funny, if I say so myself. LOL.”
