The 2016 Rio Olympics in Pics

U.S. track and field superstar Ashton Eaton took home the gold medal in the decathlon on Aug. 18, earning 8869 points. American Trey Hardee took silver with 8671 points, while Leonel Suarez of Cuba earned Bronze with 8523. The victory marks Eaton's second straight Olympic gold in the event after coming in first at the 2012 London Games.

American boxer Claressa Shields dominated the Netherlands' Nouchka Fontijn in the women's 75kg championship bout, winning by unanimous decision and earning her second straight gold medal in the event on Aug. 21. Shields is the first U.S. boxer to win two gold medals, and after the 21-year-old pugilist received the hardware on the podium, she reached into her pocket and pulled out the gold she won at the 2012 London Games, draping both around her neck in triumph.

Brazil's men's volleyball team gave the home crowd something to cheer for by taking home the gold medal after defeating Italy 3-0 in the finals on Aug. 21.

20-year-old Kyle Snyder became America's youngest Olympic wrestling champion after his 2-1 victory over Khetag Goziumov of Azerbaijan, earning the gold medal on Aug. 21

Ethiopia's Feyisa Lilesa put his life at risk on Aug. 21 while crossing the finish line of the men's marathon, in which he earned the silver medal. Lilesa crossed his arms above his head in a sign of protest against his government.



"The Ethiopian government are killing the Oromo people and taking their land and resources so the Oromo people are protesting and I support the protest as I am Oromo," the 26-year-old track and field runner said at a press conference after the event. "If I go back to Ethiopia maybe they will kill me. If not kill me, they will put me in prison. I have not decided yet, but maybe I will move to another country."

Head Mongolian wrestling coache Tserenbaatar Tsogtbayar and assistant coach Byambarenchin Bayaraa stripped their clothes off in angry protest on Aug. 21 after their athlete, Ganzorigiin Mandakhnaran, lost the bronze medal match to Ikhtiyor Navruzov of Uzbekistan, due to a penalty point the judges awarded Navruzov after the match had ended. The coaches protested after being told the point was uncontestable. After pulling off their clothes, security escorted the coaches off the mat.

U.S. track and field stars Courtney Okolo, Natasha Hastings, Phyllis Francis and Allyson Felix took home the gold medal in the women's 4x400m relay on Aug. 21, marking the sixth consecutive gold for American in the event. It was also the sixth Rio medal for Felix, and ninth in total, making her the most decorated U.S. female track and field Olympian in history.

The United States basketball team -- made up of Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Paul George, DeMarcus Cousins, Kyrie Irving, DeAndre Jordan, Jimmy Butler, Harrison Barnes, DeMar RDeRozan, Draymond Green, Kyle Lowrey and Klay Thompson -- took home the gold medal in men's basketball on Aug. 21, thrashing Serbia 96-66 and extending their Olympic winning streak to 52 games. Mike Krzyzewski, who is set to retire as the coach of Team U.S.A., has also made history as the first coach to win three golds.

U.S. diver David Boudia squeaked by in the men's 10m platform preliminary on Aug. 19, ending the event in 10th place. However, the 27-year-old diving star came back in the finals, taking home the bronze on Aug. 20. After having won gold in the event at the 2012 London Games, Boudia became the first American man to medal in the event in two straight Olympic Games since Greg Louganis in the 1980s.

Brazil won its first Olympic gold in men's soccer on Aug. 20, narrowly defeating Germany 5-4 in penalty kicks. While Brazil has won five World Cups, it has never taken home the coveted Olympic title. Soccer star Neymar, who earlier in the Rio Games score the fasted goal in Olympic history against Hondouras, scored the winning point with his penalty kick and cemented his name forever in the record books.

U.S. track and field runner Matthew Centrowitz Jr. held the lead in the men's 1500m on Aug. 20 for almost the entire race and ended up winning America's first gold medal in the event since 1908. The title was especially meaningful for Centrowitz’s father, Matthew Sr., who competed in the same event in the 1976 Olympic Games.

Great Britain's star diver, Tom Daley, shocked the world when he failed to qualify for the semifinals in the men's 10m platform preliminary on Aug. 19, coming in last place in the event. Daley was once ranked No. 1 in the world in the 10m dive and took home the bronze in the event at the 2012 London Games.

America's Abbey D'Agostino and Nikki Hamblin of New Zealand may not have medaled at the Olympic games this year, but they aren't going home empty handed. The athletes were awarded the special Olympic Pierre de Coubertin medal for sportsmanship after they collided during the women's 5,000m event on Aug. 16, and both runners paused mid-race to make sure the other was alright. D'Agostino continued the race despite suffering a torn ACL, sprained MCL and torn meniscus.

Usain Bolt earned his ninth gold medal on Aug. 19 after anchoring the Jamaican team in the men's 4x100m relay. The win also gave Bolt an unprecedented "triple-triple," after winning gold in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay in the 2008 Beijing Games, the 2012 London Games and now the 2016 Rio Games. Bolt now has more gold medals than any other Olympic athlete, aside from Michael Phelps who finished his Olympic career in Rio with his 23th gold.

DeAndre Jordan could hardly contain his excitement before the U.S. Men's basketball team defeated Spain, 82-76, in the semifinal match on Aug 19.

Team USA will move on to the gold medal game against Serbia on Sunday.

The U.S. Women's Water Polo team celebrates after defeating Italy to take the gold medal on Aug 19.

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt kisses his gold medal during the ceremony for the 200m on Aug 19.



Bolt finished the race in 19.78 seconds to hold on to three-peat in the event, also winning gold in Beijing (2008) and London (2012).

German soccer player Dzsenifer Marozsan celebrates after a goal against Sweden. The German women's team took gold in Rio on Aug. 19.



This is Germany's first gold medal in women's soccer, and the first time since 2000 in Sydney that the U.S. women’s team haven't won the event, after their disappointing upset last week.

Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross celebrate after defeating Brazil in the women's beach Volleyball bronze medal match on Aug 17.

U.S. track and field stars Brianna Rollins, Nia Ali and Kristi Castlin took home the gold, silver and bronze medals respectively in the women's 100m hurdles on Aug. 17.




Rollins' win marks the first gold the U.S. has earned in any track event during the Rio Games. America's monumental first, second and third place finishes also marks the first time any country has swept the 100m hurdles as well as the first time female U.S. athletes have swept any Olympic event.

Helen Maroulis won the U.S. its first-ever Olympic gold medal in wrestling, after defeating three-time reigning Olympic champion and 13-time world champion Saori Yoshida of Japan in the women's 56kg event on Aug. 18.

U.S. track and field star Tianna Bartoletta set a personal record in the women's long jump, leaping 7.17 meters and capturing the gold medal on Aug. 18. This marks the 30-year-old runner's second gold after earning her first with the U.S. team in the 4x100m relay at the 2012 London Games.

Jamaican sprinting superstar Usain Bolt and Canadian up-and-comer Andre de Grasse shared a friendly moment of jovial competition at the end of the men's 200m semi-finals when de Grasse caught up with Bolt toward the end of the race. The two shared a smile and, reportedly, even a quick chat while sprinting at an insane speed. Bolt still managed to come in first, and the two hugged after the race.

U.S. track and field runners Allyson Felix, English Gardner, Morolake Akinosun and Tianna Bartoletta were granted a second chance to run the 4x100m relay semi-final after arguing that a Brazilian runner bumped into them during the race, causing them to drop their baton.




The team made the most of the opportunity on Aug. 18. To qualify, Felix, Gardner, Akinosun and Bartoletta had to beat 42.70 seconds -- the time set by China -- and ended up posting a time of 41.77, meaning they will advance to the finals on Aug. 19.

Wrestler Kaori Icho made history on Aug. 17, when she won the gold medal in the women's 58kg event, defeating Russia's Valeria Koblova. After winning the gold medal in the women's 63kg event at the 2004 Athens Games, the 2008 Beijing Games and the 2012 London Games, she's now the first wrestler ever to win four Olympic gold medals. Additionally, she has become the first female athlete in any sport to win gold in an individual event at four Olympics.

Brazilian soccer star Neymar scored the fastest goal in Olympic history on Aug. 17, scoring just 15 seconds into the match against Honduras, which Brazil ended up winning 6-0.

Indian wrestler Sakshi Malik took home the bronze in the women's freestyle 58kg event on Aug. 17, earning her country's first medal from the Rio Games. Malik also became only the fourth female athlete from India to earn an Olympic medal.

U.S. track and field star Jenny Simpson won the bronze medal in the women's 1500m event on Aug. 16, which marks the first medal earned by an American athlete in the event.

Kerri Walsh Jennings' attempt at winning a fourth straight gold medal in women's beach volleyball was derailed on Aug. 16, when she and fellow American April Ross were defeated by Brazil's Agatha and Barbara -- who go by their first names only, following Brazilian soccer tradition -- in straight sets.

U.S. gymnast Simone Biles battled back from a bronze medal on the balance beam to earn a gold medal in the women's floor exercise on Aug. 16. The 19-year-old superstar wrapped up her first Olympic Games with four gold medals and one bronze. Meanwhile, Biles' teammate, Aly Raisman, earned silver in the event, and ends her second Olympic Games with one gold and two silver medals.

Cyclist Jason Kenny of Great Britain took home his sixth Olympic gold medal, and his third from the Rio Games, when he came in first in the men's keirin. The 28-year-old cycling star also took home the gold in the men's sprint and men's team sprint events earlier this week.

Germany's Sebastian Brendel defended his Olympic title in the men's canoe single 1,000m on Aug. 16, taking home the gold for the second straight time and successfully fending off tough challenger Isaquias Queiroz dos Santos of Brazil. It was certainly an emotional victory for Brendel as it comes just one day after Germany's canoe coach, Stefan Henze, died in a tragic car crash near the Rio Olympic Park.

Sprinter David Rudisha of Kenya won the gold medal in the men's 800m on Aug. 16, becoming the first track and field runner to retain the title in the event at two consecutive games since New Zealand's Peter Snell in 1964.




"I am so excited," Rudisha said after the momentous victory. "It is the greatest moment of my career."

American track and field sprint athlete Allyson Felix came up just short of taking home the gold in the women's 400m dash on Aug. 15 after Shaunae Miller of the Bahamas made a dramatic and unexpected leap to victory by diving across the finish line.

Track and field superstar Emma Coburn took home the bronze in the women's 3000m steeplechase on Aug. 12, becoming the first U.S. woman to medal in the challenging event since its introduction in the women's Olympic platform in 2008.

Before Chinese diver He Zi won the silver medal in the women's diving 3m springboard final on Aug. 15, she'd already won the heart of fellow diver Qin Kai. So, to show his love, Kai popped the question to Zi in front of everyone at the Maria Lenk Aquatics Centre after she received her medal, and the two are now engaged.

Laurie Hernandez and Simone Biles of the U.S. women's gymnastics team took home the silver and bronze medals respectively in the women's balance beam finals on Aug. 15. While Sanne Wevers of the Netherlands took home the gold, Biles' bronze was notably impressive given the 18-year-old all-around champion’s unexpected stumble. However, given the high level of difficulty of her routine, which she carried out otherwise flawlessly, she still earned an impressive score.

Egyptian judoka lslam El Shehaby was sent home from Rio on Aug. 15 after he refused to shake the hand of his competitor, Or Sasson of Israel, following their bout on Aug. 12. After Sasson defeated El Shehaby, both men returned to their places in front of the referee, and as Sasson bowed and reached out to shake hands, El Shehaby backed up and refused before walking off. For his actions, he was sent home by his own team and officially reprimanded by the International Olympic Committee.

Sprinter Wayde Van Niekerk of South Africa claimed gold in the men's 400m on Aug. 14 with a world record time of 43.03 seconds. The 24-year-old runner's time finally beat Michael Johnson's record time of 43.18 seconds, a milestone that remained unchallenged for 17 years.




"Thanks for all the kind words," Johnson tweeted after Van Niekerk’s run. "I'll always have the memory of the accomplishment of breaking it. Like the 200 I think it's in good hands."

Great Britain's tennis ace Andy Murray won gold in the men's singles finals on Aug. 14, making him one of the first contemporary male competitors to win two gold medals in the event, after taking home the gold at the London Games in 2012.




Murray also made sure to pay credit to female tennis stars after the win, when BBC presenter John Inverdale asked, "You're the first person ever to win two Olympic tennis gold medals. That's an extraordinary feat, isn't it?"




"Well, I think Venus and Serena [Williams] have won about four [gold medals] each," Murray replied, correcting Inverdale with a smile.

Puerto Rican tennis player Monica Puig earned the Caribbean island its first Olympic gold medal on Aug. 13, after the 22-year-old athlete -- who ranked No. 33 in the world -- dominated Germany's Angelique Kerber --ranked No. 2 in the world -- in the women's singles final.

Jamaica's Usain Bolt sprinted his way into history on Aug. 14 when he won the gold medal in the men's 100m dash to become the first athlete to win three straight Olympic titles in the event.

Venus Williams fell short of winning the gold when she and Rajeev Ram lost to fellow Americans Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Jack Sock in the mixed-doubles final on Aug. 14. While the loss kept Williams from becoming a five-time gold medalist, she still made history with the silver, becoming only the second tennis player in history to win five medals. The feat hadn't been accomplished since Kathleen McKane Godfree of Great Britain at the 1924 Paris Games.

Russian wrestler Roman Vlasov may have been choked unconscious by Croatia's Bozo Starcevic in the 75kg Greco-Roman semi-finals, but that didn't stop him from coming back to defeat Starcevic and advance to the finals where he dominated Mark Madsen of Denmark and took home the gold on Aug. 14.

Simone Manuel, Kathleen Baker, Lilly King and Dana Vollmer – all individual medalists in Rio – represented the U.S. in the 4x100m medley on Aug. 13, where they won the gold medal, beating out Australia by almost two seconds and earning America's 1000th Summer Olympics gold.

21-year-old swimmer Joseph Schooling of Singapore grew up idolizing Michael Phelps, and even snapped a photo with the American dynamo when he was only 13. So it was even more amazing when Schooling went on defeat Phelps in the 100m butterfly on Aug. 13. Schooling took home the gold while Phelps tied with South Africa's Chad le Clos and Laszlo Cseh of Hungary for the silver.

Mariel Zagunis, Dagmara Wozniak, Monica Aksamit and Ibtihaj Muhammad of the U.S. women's fencing team fought hard to take home the bronze on Aug. 13, after defeating Poland in the team sabre quarterfinals. Muhammad, who made history when the Games began as the first U.S. athlete to ever compete at the Olympics while wearing a hijab made history again by becoming the first American women to win an Olympic medal in a hijab as well.

Track and field star Mo Farah of Great Britain didn't let a little thing like falling down during the Men's 10,000m keep him from coming back and winning the gold in the event on Aug. 13. After double-medaling at the 2012 London Games, the 33-year-old distance runner is now the only British track and field athlete to hold three Olympic titles.

America's Michelle Carter threw her way into history when she won the gold medal in women's shot put on Aug. 12. The 30-year-old powerhouse's winning throw, which was also her personal best, came in at 20.63 meters, and earned Carter the first gold medal won by any U.S. woman in the event. It also put an end to the impressive three-time consecutive gold medal-winning streak for Valerie Adams of New Zealand.

Marksman Kim Rhode blasted her way into the record books when she took home the bronze medal in the skeet shooting event on Aug. 12, making the 37-year-old shooter the first female Olympian to medal in six consecutive games.

The small Pacific nation of Fiji loves their rugby with a passion, so it’s fitting that the country’s first-ever Olympic gold medal came in the rugby sevens. The team was highly favored entering competition, and won against Great Britain in a decisive 43-7 victory on Aug. 11.




"They're all celebrating. They've been celebrating for the last three days," said Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama of his nation of 900,000 after the team's gold medal rout. "We've got celebrations programmed for when [the team] returns ... We are all proud to be Fijians right now."

A lost shoe couldn't keep Ethiopia's Etenesh Diro from completing the Women's 3000m Steeplechase final on Aug. 13. The 25-year-old runner lost her right shoe two-thirds through her race after colliding with a fallen athlete. Realizing she didn't have time to find her footwear, Diro kept running, narrowly making it into the final round.

Maharu Yoshimura of Japan kept his eye on the ball as he served during the Men’s Table Tennis Round One Match against Poland on Aug. 13. 

Argentina's sailing duo Santiago Lange and Cecilia Carranza narrowly avoided capsizing on Aug. 13 while competing in the Nacra 17 Mixed class in Rio's Guanabara Bay.

The Olympics definitely has a fan in Matthew McConaughey, who couldn't keep it together as he cheered on Michael Phelps in the Aquatics Stadium with wife Camila Alves on Aug. 11.

Simone Biles and Aly Raisman, of the U.S. women's gymnastics team, took home the gold and silver medals respectively in the women's individual all-around event on Aug. 11. Biles ended up with a final score of 62.198, while Raisman came in second with 60.098. Russia's Aliya Mustafina finished with a score of 58.665, earning the bronze. Biles' margin of victory was the largest in the history of Olympic women's gymnastics.

American cyclist Kristin Armstrong took home the gold medal in the women's time trial on Aug. 10, making history as the first cyclist, female or male, to win three consecutive golds in the same event. Armstrong, who turned 43 the day after snagging the shiny new hardware, took home the gold in the women's time trial at the 2008 Beijing Games and the 2012 London Games.

American judoka Kayla Harrison dominated the women's 78kg finals match against France's Audrey Tcheumeo, and won her second straight Olympic gold medal on Aug. 11. When Harrison beat out the competition at the 2012 London Games, she became the first American woman to ever win gold.




"I'm happy, I'm retiring," Harrison said shortly after her momentous win. "Two-time Olympic champion, that's it."

Dmitry Balandin of Kazakhstan shocked the world when he claimed victory in a surprising upset in the men's 200m breaststroke on Aug. 10, winning the gold, which was also the first-ever swimming medal for his country. The 21-year-old swimmer, who was the slowest finalist to qualify for the event, beat out American Josh Prenot for the gold medal by just 0.07 seconds. Russian swimmer Anton Chupkov took home the bronze in a close third. Only 0.24 seconds separated first place from third.

American judo champ Travis Stevens battled his way to a silver medal in men's judo on Aug. 9, after trying and failing to medal in the 2008 Beijing Games and the 2012 London Games.



Stevens defeated Georgia' Avtandil Tchrikishvili -- who was ranked No. 1 in the world -- in the semi-finals, to face off against Russia's Khasan Khalmurzaev, who he was unable to best. Stevens is one of only four Americans to win the silver in men's judo; no American has yet won gold in the event.

Michael Phelps hugged and kissed his 3-month-old son, Boomer, after being presented with his 20th gold medal in men's 200m butterfly on Aug. 9. The record-shattering Olympian was joined by his mother, Deborah Phelps, as well as fiancée Nicole Johnson, for the exciting occasion.

American beach volleyball stars Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross won a hard-fought match against Switzerland's Isabelle Forrer and Anouk Verge-Depre on Aug. 9, and are moving on to the round of 16.

The U.S. women's gymnastics team, which includes Olympic vets Aly Raisman and Gabby Douglas as well as first-timers Simone Biles, Laurie Hernandez and Madison Kocian, took home the team gold on Aug. 9. The so-called "Final Five" dominated the competition, coming in several points head of Russia, who took home the silver medal, and China, who won bronze.

Serena Williams' time in the Rio Olympic Games came to an end on Aug. 9 after she lost two straight sets against Elina Svitolina of the Ukraine. Williams previously lost during the doubles competition, alongside sister Venus Williams, making this the 34-year-old tennis star's first Olympics since 2004 without taking home any medals.

Irish boxer Paddy Barnes, 29, lost a hard-fought match against Spain's Samuel Carmona, 20, after going toe-to-toe in an three evenly matched rounds on Aug. 8. Barnes, the defending bronze medalist who fought at light-flyweight, has been very vocal about struggling to make the required weight, and told the BBC after his loss, "This weight category is not for me. I need to move up."




This wasn't the extent of Irish boxing's bad luck at the Rio games. Pugilist Michael O'Reilly had to drop out of games after failing a drug test taken before he flew to Rio. O'Reilly was hoping a second test would exonerate him, however Ireland withdrew him from the competition on Aug. 9.

Serena Williams commanded the court on Aug. 8 when she beat French competitor Alize Cornet to advance to the women's singles third round.

U.S. divers David Boudia and Steele Johnson took home silver medals on Aug. 8 in men's synchronized 10m platform final. Divers Chen Aisen and Lin Yue of China won gold.

Fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad made history on Aug. 8, when she became the first U.S. athlete to compete at the Olympics while wearing a hijab. Muhammad won the first round in women's individual sabre, but came up short in the second round, losing to French fencer Cecilia Berder. However, Muhammad will still be competing in the team round on Aug. 13.

Koji Yamamuro, Kohei Uchimura, Yusuke Tanaka, Kenzo Shirai and Ryohei Kato of Japan's men's gymnastics team took home gold medals after their impressive performances during the men's team finals on Aug. 8.

The U.S. women's gymnastics team proved just how formidable they really are on August 7, when 22-year-old Aly Raisman, who won gold in the team and floor competitions in London, and 19-year-old Simone Biles won spots in the all-around finals. The U.S. women finished 10 points ahead of the second-place finishers, China.

America's rising swimming superstar, Katie Ledecky, won her prelim heat in the women's 400m freestyle on August 7. The 19-year-old phenom finished in 3:58.71, smashing the Olympic record by almost three seconds, and coming within milliseconds of breaking her own world record of 3:58:37.

Venus and Serena Williams lost in the first round of Olympics doubles tennis against Lucie Safarova and Barbora Strycova of the Czech Republic on August 7. It's the first time the sisters have lost together at the Olympics after having won gold at the Sydney Games in 2000, the Beijing Games in 2008 and the London Games in 2012.

Oksana Chusovitina of Uzbekistan proved age is just a number when the 41-year-old gymnast took the floor on August 7, meaning she's now competed in a record seven Olympic games. Chusovitina first competed at the Barcelona Games in 1992, representing the Unified Team.

Yusra Mardini is an 18-year-old Syrian refugee who was on a boat with 19 others trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea in 2015 when the vessel broke and began to take on water. Mardini, her sister, and two others heroically jumped into the waters to swim for three hours, pushing the sinking dinghy to land, saving the lives of her fellow passengers.




Mardini, a member of the Refugee Olympic Team, won the opening heat of the women's 100m butterfly on August 6, but she did not qualify for the semi-finals. However, she'll get another chance to advance on Wednesday when she takes on the women's 100m freestyle competition.

Germany's Andreas Toba couldn't help but get emotional after he was ruled out during the qualifying event for men's Artistic Gymnastics on August 6. The 25-year-old gymnast suffered a cruciate ligament injury to his right knee during his floor routine.

It was all over in an instant for France's Samir Ait, who brutally broke his leg while competing in the qualifying event for men's vault.

It was a fierce battle between South Korea's Kang Young Mi and China's Sun Yujie during the qualifying round of the women's fencing event on August 6.

Michael Phelps lead Team U.S.A. as flag bearer at the Opening Ceremony for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro on Aug. 5.

The model and Brazilian native helped opened the 2016 Summer Olympics as the "Girl from Ipanama." Bundchen wore a gold sequined column dress by Brazilian designer Alexandre Herchcovitch as she strutted across the Macarana Stadium on Aug. 5.

Champion tennis player Andy Murray, who rocked a Stella McCartney suit, carried the flag for the United Kingdom at the Opening Ceremony on Aug. 5.

Hundreds of dancers put on a spectacular display for the crowd gathered at Macarana Stadium on Aug. 5.

Fireworks exploded over Macarana Stadium on Aug. 5 during the Opening Ceremony celebration.

Flags representing all competing nations were erected at Macarana Stadium for the Opening Ceremony on Aug. 5.