In this blog, we will look at the grab bags of ups, downs and plenty of What the Fs to go with it. The 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio included two weeks of relentless action, combined with sheer moments of thrills and spills. It was full of excitement, suspense, tragedy and ultimately triumph; which slowly and steadily became a drug. Plenty of material for writers like us to give up on our sleep to bring out the best of the lot to our readers. Everyday, there were new acts of superhuman endeavour.
The event started with an eventful opening ceremony which showcased Brazil's tremendous history and its love for sports. The focus then quickly shifted to the track and field event as South African Wayne van Niekerk's, as they say it, massacre where he clinched gold, breaking the world record in the 400m event in the process. Starting from the outer lane, not many expected what's coming their way as he stunned the favorites to rewrite history. From Kiribati's dancing weightlifting giant to the ecstasy of Usain Bolt.
And for Indian fans, there were plenty of moments to embrace as well. From Sindhu's resolve to Sakshi Malik's never-give-up attitude and then to Dipa Karmakar's break-through performance. For a cricket-crazy nation, the following moments came like a whiff of fresh air for Indian sports fanatics:
Sakshi malik will not give up:
Sakshi Malik won the first medal for India at the 2016 Rio Olympics in the form of a Bronze. It was India's first ever medal in women's Wrestling too. And looking back at her entire campaign, it was one that showcased her brilliant spirit for the game. Talent is amazing. Strength is useful. But "never giving up" is something else. She came back from the brinks of defeat time and time again. But Malik didn't seem to doubt herself even for a minute.
PV Sindhu's incredible resolve:
For the first few days, she was one of the low profile names sent to Rio. Not much was expected from the girl from Hyderabad. Eventually when an injured Saina Nehwal lost, the focus shifted ever so slowly towards a 20-year-old Pusarla Venkata Sindhu. And she certainly didn't disappoint as she battled her way to the final with tremendous strength and courage to setup an epic final clash with Caroline Marin. And the final too went right down to the wire, with Marin edging it at the end. It was probably the most delightful sight for Indian fans in the entire 2016 Olympics
The Dipa Karmakar's moment:
Her path to the final looked tentative but she made it with a whisker. But in the final, the girl from Tripura soared. She performed the 'Produnova' or 'the Death Vault'. Just to give you a hint of her audacity, only four other women in the world could perform this art. It was a huge moment for Indian Gymnastics, an event India is not traditionally known for.
The legend that is Abhinav Bindra:
Despite the fact that he had to use a backup rifle as the one with which he had practiced got damaged at the last moment, the 2008 Beijing champion managed to finish fourth in the 10m air rifle event. This just portrays the sheer awesomeness of Abhinav Bindra.
Inspiring story of Dattu Bhokanal:
A boy who used to work as a stone cutter in a village in Maharashtra, where he used to fear water. A boy who wasn't even aware of the Olympics just four years ago, the 24-year old rower finished fourth in Men's Singles Sculls event. This will continue to inspire generations of Rowers in the country
Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna giving it their all:
Two of the best players of their respective categories at different times in their career, the two combined to give some inspiring performances on the central court. The pair beat Andy Murray and Heather Watson to enter the semis of the event. Although they failed to get any medal to their names, their road to the final stages was a sheer treat for a romantic of the game in India.
Aditi Ashok storming through to the finals:
Only after taking up the sport professionally just eight months ago, the 18 year old girl from Bangalore reached Golf finals. Unknown to the majority of viewers at that time, she was in fact the only Indian Female Golfer at the Olympics for India.
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