So that’s it then. Sixteen days of (mostly) fantastic international competition are behind us, and now we get to look forward to Bears season. Just kidding, we know it’s all about the Cubs for as long as their World Series hopes are alive.
The good news? We have to wait only about 18 months until the Opening Ceremony for the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. That’ll be here soon, right?
Here’s how the last few days of the Games of the 31st Olympiad played out.
WE LOVED IT WHEN …
Matt Centrowitz broke a 108-year drought. No, not THAT 108-year drought. The 26-year-old became the first American since 1908 to win the 1,500 meters, improving on his fourth-place finish at the 2012 Games. “There’s nothing like it,” Centrowitz told USA Today. “It doesn’t compare to anything else I’ve won in my life. Doing my victory lap, I literally kept screaming to everyone I know ‘Are you kidding me?’ ” Now imagine that feeling all over Chicago. We can get used to that feeling, for sure.
U.S. women’s water polo players had their coach’s back. Right before the Olympics began, Adam Krikorian learned his brother died of a heart attack. He went home to California to attend to his family and his grief, then returned to coach the Americans to their second straight gold medal. After the final match Friday, the players pulled their coaches into the pool, as is tradition. Then, one by one, they draped their gold medals around Krikorian’s neck. The symbolic gesture was touching because coaches don’t get gold medals, you see.
“For him to pull his team together after hearing that news hours before [the games began] and be able to sit down and talk to his team in that situation is so telling of his character,” team captain Maggie Steffens told USA Today. “He was telling us to enjoy the moment, enjoy opening ceremonies, don’t worry about me, you be you, this is our dream, live it. This is a coach who just went through something so traumatic. We wanted to be strong for him, but he was strong for us and that’s why he’s the best coach in the world.”
Sixes were wild. First, the U.S. women’s basketball team won its sixth straight gold medal, topping Spain 101-72 in the final on Saturday. Totally expected, but nevertheless remarkable, especially when you consider the team won its eight games in Rio by an average of 37.25 points. BTW, the Americans now have won 49 straight in Olympic competition. Yes, that’s more than the men. Sky star Elena Delle Donne, for her part, never wanted to be woken up if she was dreaming.
“Yeah, I kept looking at it,” she told the Tribune about her gold medal. “Is this real life? Oh, my goodness, somebody pinch me.”
Later on Saturday, the U.S. women won the 4×400-meter relay, the sixth consecutive time they’ve come out on top in that race. The victory also gave Allyson Felix her sixth gold medal and her ninth total medal. So the most decorated female track athlete in U.S. history also is now tied for most medals among all female track and field athletes; Merlene Ottey of Jamaica also has nine. Most impressive.
(Congrats to the U.S. men, too, who won the 4×400-meter relay after losing to the Bahamas in 2012.)
Usain Bolt went out on top. Although it’s too bad the American men were disqualified in the 4×100-meter relay, this just feels right. The “fastest man on Earth” and arguably the most electric (see what we did there?) Olympian of all time finished his Olympic career with gold on Friday. Anything less would have felt a bit incomplete.
A history-making boxer did it again. In 2012, Claressa Shields became the first U.S. woman to win a boxing gold. On Sunday, she defended her middleweight title to become the first U.S. woman and only second American ever to win two boxing golds, and the first U.S. boxer to win them in back-to-back games. Nice!
U.S. men’s volleyball rallied for a bronze. The guys had a bummer few days. First, they faced a last-minute loss to Italy on Friday, which bumped them out of the gold-medal match. Then, on Sunday, credentials trouble forced them to walk several blocks to their bronze-medal match—in the rain—and once they made it they soon found themselves down two sets to none against Russia. But they rallied and got it done, taking the final three sets to claim the bronze. Way to keep fighting, guys.
Men’s basketball put a nice bow on the games for Team USA. In the final hours of competition on Sunday, the men picked up one last gold for the USA, beating Serbia 96-66 in the final. That’s the third straight for U.S. men’s basketball, whose team for this year included the Bulls’ Jimmy Butler. Congrats!
Simone Biles carried the U.S. flag in the closing ceremony. Longtime Olympic star Michael Phelps led Team USA into the games; first-time Olympic star Biles was chosen for the honor of leading them out. A fitting choice, no? What a wonderful way to end the competition.
WE HATED IT WHEN …
Jordan Burroughs was reduced to tears. Yes, the freestyle wrestler had an incredible 130-2 record before he lost twice in these Olympics. But he seemed to take his performance awfully hard. “I didn’t see my son walk for the first time. … I left my wife at home with two kids in Nebraska for long periods of time to go to training camps and tournaments in foreign countries,” Burroughs told TeamUSA.org. “But she did that joyfully, not begrudgingly, because she knew on days like these I always performed. Now I feel like I let her down and I let my family down.” We wish he could have those moments with his son back, but he’ll have to settle for knowing there are many more ahead, and no one can take away the gold he won in London.
This fake robbery thing kept blowing up. And really, it probably isn’t over yet. Shame on those swimmers for blaming Rio and not their terrible behavior, and for trying to cover the whole thing up. That said, at least Ryan Lochte and Co. finally are owning up to their actions. “This is why I’m taking full responsibility for my actions, because if I didn’t over-exaggerate the story … none of this would have happened,” Lochte told NBC’s Matt Lauer. Can’t disagree with him there.
The rhythmic gymnastics team finished dead last. However, Natalie McGiffert, Kiana Eide, Alisa Kano, Monica Rokhman and Kristen Shaldybin, who train in the northern suburbs, can take comfort in knowing they were the first rhythmic gymnastics team from the U.S. to qualify for the Olympics. The only other time an American team competed, in 1996, the U.S. received a courtesy berth as the host nation. “We weren’t really thinking of scores or placements today. We just wanted to end on a good note,” McGiffert told the Tribune. “After four years, we’re a project that’s finally complete.”
More Top Picks Trimmer
WORD OF THE DAY
Relief
Heading into the Rio Games, it felt like any day escaping a monumental calamity was a victory, never mind what happened in any competition. Fortunately, these Olympics were not the disaster some envisioned. Now we hope Brazil finds the strength to rise to its feet after being knocked down by all the economic, social and political turmoil it has endured recently. Perhaps the nation’s people can find strength in all they’ve seen the past two weeks.
FINAL MEDAL TABLE
1. United States: 45 gold, 37 silver, 38 bronze (120 total)
2. China: 26 gold, 18 silver, 26 bronze (70)
3. Great Britain: 27 gold, 22 silver, 17 bronze (56)
USA! USA!
American medal winners at the Rio Games
Gold (45): Claressa Shields, boxing; Kyle Snyder, freestyle wrestling (97 kg); U.S. women, 400-meter relay; Connor Fields, men’s BMX; U.S. women, water polo; U.S. women, basketball; Matt Centrowitz, 1,500 meters (track and field); U.S. women, 1,600-meter relay (track and field); U.S. men, 1,600-meter relay (track and field); Gwen Jorgensen, triathlon; Dalilah Muhammad, 400-meter hurdles (track and field); Ryan Crouser, shot put (track and field); Ashton Eaton, decathlon (track and field); Helen Maroulis, freestyle wrestling (53 kg); Kerron Clement, 400-meter hurdles (track and field); Tianna Bartoletta, long jump (track and field); Brianna Rollins, 100-meter hurdles (track and field); Simone Biles, floor exercise (gymnastics); Christian Taylor, triple jump (track and field); Simone Biles, vault (gymnastics); Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Jack Sock, mixed doubles (tennis); Jeff Henderson, long jump; U.S. men, 400-meter medley relay (swimming); U.S. women, 400-meter medley relay (swimming); Katie Ledecky, 800-meter freestyle; Maya DiRado, 200-meter backstroke (swimming); Anthony Ervin, 50-meter freestyle (swimming); U.S., women’s eight rowing; Michelle Carter, shot put; Ryan Murphy, 200-meter backstroke (swimming); Simone Manuel, 100-meter freestyle (swimming); Michael Phelps, 200-meter individual medley (swimming); Kayla Harrison, judo (78 kg); Simone Biles, gymnastics, all-around; U.S. women, 800-meter freestyle relay (swimming); Katie Ledecky, 200-meter freestyle (swimming); Kristin Armstrong, women’s cycling, individual time trial; Michael Phelps, 200-meter butterfly (swimming); U.S. men, 800-meter freestyle relay (swimming); U.S. women, team gymnastics; Ryan Murphy, 100-meter backstroke (swimming); Lilly King, 100-meter breaststroke (swimming); U.S. men, 400-meter freestyle relay (swimming); Katie Ledecky, 400-meter freestyle (swimming); Ginny Thrasher, 10-meter air rifle
Silver (37): Sandi Morris, pole vault; Alise Post, BMX; Shakur Stevenson, boxing, bantamweight; Paul Chelimo, 5,000 meters (track and field); Joe Kovacs, shot put (track and field); Brittney Reese, long jump (track and field); Nia Ali, 100-meter hurdles (track and field); U.S. team, equestrian jumping; Evan Jager, steeplechase (track and field); Sarah Hammer, women’s omnium (cycling); Aly Raisman, floor exercise (gymnastics); Danell Leyva, parallel bars (gymnastics); Danell Leyva, horizontal bar (gymnastics); Will Claye, triple jump (track and field); Allyson Felix, 400 meters (track and field); Justin Gatlin, 100 meters (track and field); Laurie Hernandez, balance beam (gymnastics); Madison Kocian, uneven bars (gymnastics); Venus Williams and Rajeev Ram, mixed doubles (tennis); Connor Jager, 1,500-meter freestyle (swimming); U.S. women, team pursuit (cycling); Torie Bowie, 100 meters (track and field); Simone Manuel, 50-meter freestyle (swimming); Gevvie Stone, women’s single sculls (rowing); Michael Phelps, 100-meter butterfly (swimming); Aly Raisman, gymnastics, all-around; Josh Prenot, 200-meter breaststroke (swimming); Daryl Homer, fencing, individual sabre; Sam Dorman and Michael Hixon, 3-meter platform synchronized diving; Travis Stevens, judo (81 kg); Kathleen Baker, 100-meter backstroke (swimming); David Boudia and Steele Johnson, synchronized diving (10-meter platform); U.S. women, 400-meter freestyle relay; U.S. men, team archery; Maya DiRado, 400-meter individual medley (swimming); Chase Kalisz, 400-meter individual medley (swimming); Alexander Massialas, men’s individual foil (fencing)
Bronze (38): U.S. men, volleyball; J’Den Cox, freestyle wrestling, 86 kg; Tervel Dlagnev, freestyle wrestling, 125 kg; Jackie Galloway, taekwondo, 67 kg; U.S. women, volleyball; Ashley Spencer, 400-meter hurdles (track and field); Tori Bowie, 200 meters (track and field); Kerry Walsh Jennings and April Ross, beach volleyball; Kristi Castlin, 100-meter hurdles (track and field); Jenny Simpson, 1,500 meters (track and field); Caleb Paine, Finn class sailing; Sam Kendricks, pole vault (track and field); Clayton Murphy, 800 meters (track and field); LaShawn Merritt, 400 meters (track and field); Emma Coburn, steeplechase (track and field); Simone Biles, balance beam (gymnastics); Sarah Robles, +75kg weightlifting; Alexander Naddour, pommel horse (gymnastics); Matt Kuchar, golf; Nico Hernandez, boxing (light flyweight); U.S. women, team sabre (fencing); U.S. men, team foil (fencing); Nathan Adrian, 50-meter freestyle, (swimming); Kim Rhode, skeet shooting; U.S. team, dressage (equestrian); Brady Ellison, archery; U.S. men, tennis doubles; Nathan Adrian, 100-meter freestyle (swimming); Maya DiRado, 200-meter individual medley (swimming); Phillip Dutton, equestrian individual eventing; Conor Dwyer, 200-meter freestyle (swimming); David Plummer, 100-meter backstroke (swimming); Katie Meili, 100-meter breaststroke (swimming); Cody Miller, 100-meter breaststroke (swimming); Leah Smith, 400-meter freestyle (swimming); Corey Cogdell-Unrein, trap shooting (shooting); Dana Vollmer, 100-meter butterfly (swimming)
@redeyesportschi | [email protected]
Tribune news services and RedEye’s Margaux Henquinet contributed.