Welcome to the live updates of the Rio Olympics closing ceremony. As expected the United States of America walked away with the highest medals tally. Rio Olympics on Sunday winded up with a carnival of activities. India ended up with a silver and bronze.
Live updates (in IST)
0704 hours; Send in Super Mario, of course with a little political help. To the delight of a crowd gathered at the Maracana stadium Sunday for the closing ceremonies of the Rio Games, a video showed Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe, who announces he won’t make it to Rio in time. So Abe turned into the Japanese video game plumber Mario and then popped up in the flesh out of a huge green pipe in the stadium that he allegedly used as a shortcut to get from Tokyo to Rio. Mario and Abe weren’t alone.
0658 hours: Rio Olympics flame extinguished.
0656 hours: A colourful end to the 31st Olympiad at Brazil which successfully conducted the 31st Olympiad despite a lack of funds, deep recession and social turmoil.
0654 hours: IOC president Thomas Bach says the Rio Olympics, marked by empty stadiums and overshadowed by doping scandals, were "marvellous" after the United States takes the last gold in an all-star basketball final to extend its domination of the medal table.
0650 hours: A beautiful exhibition of dance from the Brazilians as the Rio 2016 comes to an end.
0649 hours: While athletes from around the world packed the Rio Games closing ceremony, one of the biggest stars was absent Brazil soccer great Pele. Instead, the three-time football World Cup champion went to Twitter to celebrate Brazil’s first gold medal in his sport.
Parabéns para todos os envolvidos, especialmente para o meu amigo Sr. Carlos Nuzman, presidente do Comitê Olímpico Brasileiro. >#Olympics
— Pelé (@Pele) >August 21, 2016
0648 hours: Thomas Bach declares the 31st Olympiad closed and welcomes the athletes to the Tokyo 2020 and says "Bye Bye Rio".
President of the IOC Thomas Bach declares the 31st Olympiad closed and says goodbye and thanks to >#Rio2016 ! >pic.twitter.com/cSThHp7WFp
— Rio 2016 (@Rio2016_en) >August 22, 2016
0647 hours: Thomas Bach thanks the people of Brazil for the successful completion of 31st Olympiad.
0645 hours: The Olympic cup is awarded to the Brazilian people and six representatives accept the cup now.
0640 hours: International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach now making his final speech at the Rio Olympics closing ceremony. Bach thanking all the volunteers at the Rio Olympics.
0639 hours: A very passionate speech from the president of the Olympics organising committee.
0631 hours: Tokyo governor accepts Olympic flag at closing ceremony, symbolizing end of Rio Games and transition to 2020.
>@Olympics already I want to go to Tokyo soon !!!
— Roberta Silva (@roobertasilva) >August 22, 2016
0630 hours: The Olympic Organising Committee thanks the IOC chief Thomas Bach and others during the closing ceremomy.
0627 hours: It's see you in Tokyo 2020.
0623 hours: Fans witness the graphical display of welcoming of Japan. Wow!! What a splendid performance.
0622 hours: Brazil and the world bid farewell Sunday to the first Olympic Games in South America, a 16—day spectacle that combined numerous highlight reel moments with ugly and even bizarre episodes that sometimes overshadowed the competitions. Thousands of fans braved strong winds and sporadic rains to watch the closing ceremony in iconic Maracana Stadium, a finale meant to be both one last bash and to take care of some business namely signal the transition to the 2020 Summer Olympics in Japan.
IOC chief Thomas Bach (centre) hands the Olympic flag to the Governor of Tokyo Yuriko Koike during the closing ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday. Photo: AFP 0619 hours : It's bye bye Brazil and welcoming Japan.
0618 hours: The national anthem of Japan is playing as the next Olympics will be held at Tokyo 2020.
0617 hours: The Brazilian national anthem ends with a fans cheering with frenzy.
0612 hours: The national anthem of Greece is being played at the closing ceremony.
0609 hours: The organisers thank everyone including volunteers of the Rio Olympics 2016.
0608 hours: The lively music during the closing ceremony of the Rio Games is keeping spectators and athletes are their feet at Maracana Stadium. Olympic athletes danced, smiled and took selifes as they entered the stadium Sunday night and walked around the arena’s floor during the flag procession. DJs played lively music and some spectators got out of out their seats to dance and do the “wave.” The crowd also got to see performers shake it to frevo, a frenetic dance that, if it’s even possible, makes samba seem like a staid ballroom affair. Holding a small umbrella, the dancers jumped up and down, seeming to march and incorporate acrobatics at the same time. They shook it to “Vassourinhas,” which means “small brooms,” a popular song that was also the name of a famous club in the northeastern city of Recife.
I wish the >@Olympics lasted a month. Enjoying the last minutes of it, watching the >#ClosingCeremony>#Olympics>#Rio2016
— VeroKatze (@DrVeroKatze) >August 22, 2016
0602 hours: IAAF chief Sebastian Coe gives away the gold, silver and bronze medal to the marathon winners.
(From left) Silver medallist Ethiopia's Feyisa Liesa, gold medallist Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge and bronze medallist USA's Galen Rupp pose on the podium of the men's marathon during the closing ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday. Photo: AFP Retweeted Olympics ( >@Olympics ): >#ClosingCeremony>#Rio2016>#Olympics>#RioToTokyo>pic.twitter.com/7pfyxISPiU>https://t.co/y5eg8ZedPF
— Dinalva Heloiza (@Dyhelo) >August 22, 2016
0600 hours: The victory ceremony of men's marathon is going on.
Dancers perform during the closing ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday. Photo: AFP. 0557 hours: It's dazzling of colours at the Rio 2016 closing ceremony. The mascot now waving to the fans. Fans go frenzy as the mega event nearing ending.
>#FeyisaLilesa , SilverMedalist: "The Ethiopian gov't is killing my people." >#OromoProtests>https://t.co/0jTqcwQLIW>pic.twitter.com/5UQhnHFZVp
— Prevent Genocide Org (@PrevGenocide) >August 21, 2016
0550 hrs: And the drizzle is now thick enough to shine in the projector lights drenching the stadium. Dancers are kicking up splashes of puddles as they leap and bound and bust moves.
Meanwhile, this is a story that's been trending on Twitter for a while now...
Sad to see the Closing Ceremony of the Olympics. These weeks sure went by fast! >#SummerOlympics>#ClosingCeremony>#sports>#rio
— Raney Simmon (@rainydaysc18) >August 22, 2016
At the end of his race, Ethiopian marathon-runner Feyisa Lilesa had flashed a sign with his hands that could have easily meant "Cuff me so I don't attempt to run 26 miles ever again". But the sign actually was a semaphore of solidarity for the Oromo people of his home nation, who are locked in protests with the government against encroachment into indigenous lands and villages.
Sad to see the Closing Ceremony of the Olympics. These weeks sure went by fast! >#SummerOlympics>#ClosingCeremony>#sports>#rio
— Raney Simmon (@rainydaysc18) >August 22, 2016
0536 hrs: Julia Michaels, dressed in a vivid green unitard, is now crooning 'Carry Me' to a montage of athletes acting even more perile. But it's cute because they don't just have brawn, brains and brilliance. They have personalities too. Big News: a new Olympics Channel is being launched.
0515 hrs: See, this is what I meant... An entire national contingent of athletes trying to take a mass selfie with one smartphone camera? There's gotta be some crazy resolution on that. No flash required as the metals — er, medals — gleam with their own luminosity. Britain did OK this year at the Olympics, coming in 2nd, behind the U.S. of course, with 67 prizes (27 Golds, 23 Silvers, 17 Bronzes). But their shining glory — their shoes. Get this, shoes that flash red, white and blue. Well, they deserve fulfilment of any and all fanciful footwear fetishes after their fantastic feats.
>#rio>#rio2016>#rioxvi>#roadtorio>#olympics RT >@_angelquezadac : RT >@Olympics : Shoes!!
0451 hrs: Brazilian singer Roberta Sá's samba music fills the stadium as athletes, clad in wind-cheaters and translucent overcoats, walk past in front of the cameras — waving, breaking into little jigs, huge grins, screaming, or generally acting the goat. Some of the athletes are putting on a more entertaining show now after the event, it would seem. Hello, quite a few empty seats in the upper tiers... Why would anyone miss this extravaganza?
0443 hrs: What a sight! A Brazilian dancer, full with fruity costume and elaborate samba headdress, breaks out into a jig in the middle of the stadium. Zoom out a bit further, and a spectacular display of liquid colours and patterns splay out from the dancer at the centre, overlaying the floor of the stadium. Really something to behold, as the flagbearers now make their marchpast.
A close-up photo of the mass choreography that marked the start of the >#ClosingCeremony>https://t.co/ZTeEvuAkVc>pic.twitter.com/Ur3HfynpdZ
— Sunil aka Sunny Bond (@sunny4u007) >August 21, 2016
0430 hrs: The Olympic Cauldron is set rolling at a low simmer as the Rio skies stop their weeping in time for the start.
0410 hrs: As we wait for the ceremony to get underway, here's something to re- meme -ber the 2016 Games by:
The 10 Greatest Memes of the 2016 Rio Olympics >https://t.co/31srEiIpUD
— Bros at the Bar (@BrosAtTheBar) >August 21, 2016
0350 hrs: The itinerary of the ceremony has been kept under the wraps. As should the Maracaña stadium, by the looks of it — gusty weather is threatening to dampen the finale at Rio de Janeiro.
I think the weather gods are mad the Olympics are over. The weather in Rio is foul right now.
— Jonathan Gault (@jgault13) >August 21, 2016
After 17 days worth of excitement, energy and intensity, the 2016 Summer Olympics at Rio de Janeiro will be packing the equipment and tents up.
In the final medal shake-up, it's the United States that takes the honours, with a massive 121 medals (46 Golds, 37 Silvers, 38 Bronzes). That's insane. Although, along expected lines considering they lead the all-time medals tally by over 1,500 medals. Now, that is insane.
At the 2016 Summer Olympics, India competed in 15 sports altogether on the backs of 117 sportspersons. Winning 2 medals — courtesy a Bronze for Sakshi Malik in the 58-kg Freestyle Wrestling and a Silver for PV Sindhu in Women's Badminton singles — India stands at the 67th spot in this season's Olympic rankings.
