Best Olympic Moments

Regardless of whether or not rhythmic gymnastics (the one with the ribbons) is a sport or not, it delivered some drama with an unexpected conclusion.

Even more convoluted than the reason why Russia is competing as ROC (for Russian Olympic Committee) at the Olympics, Dina Averina of Russia pulled off an impressive gymnastic routine. Three-time world overall champion, and her identical twin sister Arina was also in the running.

Since 2008, the Summer Games have featured 38-year-old Cuban wrestler Mijan López.

Recurrences of his gold-winning moment in the opening ceremony have made him a gold medal certainty. Neither the moment nor López’s gold were let down by Tokyo. He earned his fourth win of the season.

This wasn’t the only notable wrestling moment from the United States. Tamyra Mensah-emotional, Stock’s exuberant celebration of winning gold slew her opponents and the internet. In the pole vault, American Katie Nageotte was justified in taking it all in after defeating Russia’s Anzhelika Sidorova with a clearance of 4.9 metres (16 feet, 1 inch).

Tom Daley was a 14-year-old Olympic wunderkind in Beijing in 2008, when he won a gold medal in the men’s diver’s competition.Until they faltered in the final, it appeared that he and his 10-meter synchronised diving partner, Blake Aldridge, would go home with a medal (and reportedly quarrelled before the dive).

In the wake of winning the 49er FX competition, Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze of Brazil decided to sail toward their friends on the shore. During the manoeuvring, they ran aground on rocks and shallow water. Even so, being Andrew Hoy of Australia must be a pleasant experience.

His silver and bronze medals in equestrian at the Tokyo Olympics make him the oldest medalist (the youngest medalist was 12-year-old Kokona Hiraki of Japan, who won silver in, appropriately enough, skate-boarding). Hoy, an eight-time Olympian, debuted in 1984 in Los Angeles and won a gold medal in 1992 in Barcelona, Spain.