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| The 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics ended on Aug. 22 / Courtesy of Rio 2016 |
By Lee Han-soo
The 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, the incredible journey of global athletes' show of strength, virtue and dedication, has ended with a grand finale despite harsh weather.
The closing ceremony held in Maracana Stadium ended with Brazil's unique Samba festival.
11,000 athletes from 206 countries participated in the Games, including first appearances by Kosovo, South Sudan and the refugee team.
Thomas Bach, the International Olympic Committee President, called the event "a marvelous Game in a marvelous city."
The closing ceremony also showed athletes from the around the globe entering freely, visualizing a place of global unification.
Shinzo Abe, the Japanese Prime Minister, also made a surprise appearance as Mario, a character from the video game "Super Mario Brothers," to promote the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The 2016 Rio Olympics, which had received much concern over violent local crimes, the Zika virus, public indifference and unfinished structures for the event, has been praised as a success by numerous global media outlets.
South Korea finished eighth in the overall medal standings with nine gold medals, three silver and nine bronze. The flag carrier for the closing ceremony was Kim Hyun-woo, who won a bronze medal in the 75 kilogram Greco-Roman wrestling.
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