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| The South Korean flag bearer, lower left, along with the North Korean flag bearer, second from right, enter the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, at the Olympics closing ceremony, Sunday. / Yonhap |
By Choi Ha-young
At the Rio Olympics closing ceremony, the flag bearers of each country capped the last moments of the 31st Summer Olympics at Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday.
The South and North Korean flag bearers entered the stadium side by side, just a few meters apart, reminding the viewers of a similar historic scene at the 2000 Sydney Olympics in which the two Koreas entered together bearing one flag symbolizing unification.
South Korea's bronze medalist wrestler Kim Hyun-woo, who competed in men's Greco-Roman 75kg class, carried the national flag. North Korean wrestler Yun Won-chol from the same event walked near Kim, holding the North Korean national flag.
Kim missed his second Olympic gold by a controversial ruling in favor of Russia, Aug. 15. His tears shed at the medal ceremony as he received the bronze medal moved many Korean Olympic fans. The medal he won while overcoming an arm injury is considered more valuable than any gold to many of his fans.
Judoka Popole Misenga represented the Refugee Olympic Team in the closing ceremony, carrying the International Olympic Committee (IOC) flag. The 24-year-old, originally from Democratic Republic of the Congo, was eliminated in the round of 16 by South Korean judo world champion Gwak Dong-han.
"It was an honor to fight a world champion," said Misenga, impressing audiences.
American gymnast Simone Biles who won four gold and one bronze medal in Rio enjoyed the opportunity to be the first female gymnast flag bearer. "Dreams DO come true," she posted on Twitter after her team was awarded the medal.
"It's an incredible honor to be selected as the flag bearer by my Team USA teammates," Biles said in a statement.
Amid a gender controversy, Caster Semenya of South Africa represented her country. The gold medalist in the female 800 meter race suffered from a scandal due to an excessive level of testosterone.
While International Association of Athletics Federations called for scrutiny of her body, netizens have criticized that such inspection is "discriminatory." "I know Caster Semenya is a woman because people are trying to control her body," one user wrote on Twitter.
Many athletes including South Korea's gold-winning archers returned home before the ceremony, being concerned with safety in Rio.
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