By Samson Afolabi-11th Grade, Trinity Christian School

From Mount Olympus to Rio de Janeiro, the Olympics have a traveled a long way for a long time, and this year it did not disappoint. The 2016 Rio Olympics was a special and unique experience for all who attended, partook and watched. From its opening, the games, and even the closing, it was a powerful journey that accomplished its mission to bring the world a little closer. I truly believe this Olympics will be regarded as one of the best ones ever.

Even from the beginning of the event, you were thrust into Rio de Janeiro’s unique and beautiful culture. The legendary opening ceremony that is always anticipated definitely did not disappoint. It included elaborate dances that showcased the styles of Rio and also told a story. There was a world creation story that was informational and talented at the same time, and even told the story of Brazil, from slavery to modern day. The flag bearing ceremony was also fantastic, with all the countries cruising along in their full glory. The acceptance of the refugee team and seeing them in the ceremony was also heartwarming and reminded us that the Olympus is s celebration of togetherness. It all made for a great experience.

The games themselves were also a hit, with the crowd cheering and the victory ceremonies and gathering of so many talents in one place. From fencing to weightlifting to soccer, all were entertaining and inspiring. Great athletes like Michael Phelps swimming his way into a total of 23 gold medals while Usain Bolt earned three gold medals in his events, both leaving lasting impressions and memes. It was also exciting to see the Brazil in men’s soccer team beat Germany to get the gold medal. The U.S. gymnastics team performed great in both team competitions and individual ones. With no one sport or country being more important than another, it all made for a splendid event.

Finally, at the end of the Olympics, the closing ceremony rounded up the feelings of the games and left you feeling wonderful. Its dances and routines rivaled those of the opening ceremony and blessed the stage with elegant performances. It was also very symbolic, with the putting out of the Olympic flame and the passing of the Olympic flag to Japan, who will host the Olympics next. The preview of Tokyo 2020 was magnificent, with a showcase of robots unveiling the signs, a colorful commercial, and the Prime Minister arriving from a tunnel like the Mario video game character. The ceremony left people with the feeling of a great Olympics and left us wanting more.

This year’s Olympics, in general, was just a great and heartwarming experience. It had you engaged in every moment and bombarded you with drama, heartwarming moments, enthusiasm and incredible courage with every event. This is what the Olympics is clearly about and Rio 2016 clearly showed that. I wish Tokyo good luck in 2020.

Source:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/rio-2016/2016/08/07/michael-phelps-medals/88361712/

Samson is an 11^th grader at Trinity Christian School. He lives in North Braddock and has been on the Trinity School Newspaper Staff. He is interested in programming, and is seeking to major in cyber security and have a career in cryptology.