Olympics 2016: From Ryan Lochte’s Scandal To Simone Biles’ Domination — The Biggest Moments From Rio
The 2016 Rio Olympics are officially over.
This year’s events featured incredible individual achievements, serious injuries, and plenty of drama. With the closing ceremonies now complete, here is a look back at Rio’s biggest moments.
For starters, Ryan Lochte and his fellow American swimmers created a lot of controversy over their robbery scandal.
According to Hollywood Life, Lochte and his teammates turned to the police after they reportedly got robbed at gunpoint in Rio. However, after a short investigation, Rio police accused Lochte of lying about the incident.
While Lochte stuck by his story, the other swimmers eventually confessed that the robbery was a lie. Lochte eventually came clean, but not before Al Roker destroyed him live on the Today Show. (below)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6DYGDeRXJ4
Apart from the high-profile scandal, Simone Biles made a huge splash in Rio.
Not only did she win four gold medals, but the 19-year-old gymnast quickly won over fans with her skills on the vault, balance beam, and floor.
Phelps won 5 gold medals in Rio, including the 200-meter butterfly and the 4×100 meter relay.
When it was all said and done, Phelps walked away with the most medals in the history of the Olympics.
Of course, Phelps also made a huge splash online.
According to Time, the world’s greatest athlete will go down in history with one of the best memes from Rio.
When you know you’re going to see this meme for the next month. #PhelpsFace pic.twitter.com/N3axBEK0hI
— M.A.Larson (@M_A_Larson) August 9, 2016
Phelps was caught glowering by himself under a hoody before facing off with Chad le Clos in the pool. The ensuing meme quickly made rounds on social media with the tag, #PhelpsFace.
In regards to injuries, this year featured several heartbreaking ones.
Samir Ait Said, a gymnast from France, broke his leg during the vault qualifying round. Said’s leg snapped while he attempted a dismount.
Meanwhile, one of the more memorable moments came when Shaunae Miller won gold after diving across the finish line in the 400-meter race.
Not only was the diving finish one of the best photos from the Olympics, but it also led fans to suggest Miller should become a part of Bahamas’ diving team in four years.
Miller wasn’t the only athlete to offer fans a great snapshot at the finish line.
Apart from winning another gold for the 200-meter dash, Usain Bolt took the time to turn around and grin at his opponents during the race’s semifinals. The image has already become an iconic part of Bolt’s greatness and begs for an appropriate caption.
While fans wondered about the psychedelic vibe at Rio’s opening ceremony, things got particularly weird when one of the diving pools turned green overnight.
The green pool had most people adjusting their televisions, but Olympic officials claim that hydrogen peroxide and algae were to blame.
Lastly, the Olympic games wouldn’t be complete without true displays of sportsmanship.
According to ABC News, New Zealand’s Nikki Hamblin and Unites States’ Abbey D’Agostino showed what true sportsmanship is like after Hamblin went down during the 5,000-meter race.
While these moments were some of Rio’s finest, there were plenty others — including Simone Manuel becoming the first African-American female swimmer to take home an individual gold medal — that helped cement the Rio Olympics as one of the most memorable games in recent history.
Tell us! What was your favorite moment from the 2016 Olympics? Let us know in the comments below.
[Photo by Matt Hazlett/Getty Images]
