And, so it ends. The winds are knocking signs down in the Olympic Games venues, saying ‘The party’s over, move on’. The skies opened for the closing ceremony, literally raining on the athletes’ parade and forcing them to don transparent ponchos. The winter chill is here in Rio. And, it looks like only the Canadians were ready for this. They turned up with for the parade with woollen mitts in their national colours, complete with the maple leaf.
Brazilian aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont made an appearance again. The Brazilians are not ready to give credit to the Wright brothers. Especially after l’affaire Ryan Lochte. But, that was nice detective work. Nailed the American’s black lie in style.
The medal ceremony that got the most eyeballs was also during the ceremony. For the men’s marathon, Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya took gold, Feyisa Lilesa of Ethiopia silver and Galen Rupp of USA bronze.
Brazil Olympic Committee president Carlos Arthur Nuzman took a long time to blow his trumpet, while International Olympic Committee Chairman kept it crisp and to the point. He knows all about points, after all, he won the fencing team gold in Montreal 1976.
What took the cake in the closing ceremony was Japanese premier Shinzo Abe’s entrance as Super Mario. The part featuring Tokyo 2020 showcased everything that the Japanese are appreciated for—manga, technology, Super Mario, Doraemon, precision and cherry blossoms. And, the Brazilians showcased what the world envies about them—bossa nova, samba, party and carnival!
The party is over, folks. Now, for the hangover.
