Rio says 'adeus e obrigado' to Olympic Games
Festive, rainy end to closing ceremony
By Benjamin Blum, CBC Sports
Penny Oleksiak capped a memorable Summer Olympics as Canada's flag-bearer at Sunday's closing ceremony of the Rio Games. The 16-year-old swimming sensation from Toronto strode into the Maracana Stadium on a blustery and rainy night.
The rest of the Canadian team marched onto the floor of the massive stadium a few minutes later in red jackets and mittens as music blared, dancing and taking pictures with each other and athletes from other countries along the way despite the soggy conditions.
Missed the ceremony? Check out the blog below to see the top moments.
9:45 p.m. ET: That'll do it for tonight's live blog. Thank you for following along!
9:35 p.m. ET: When one party closes, another one begins!
Games dismissed, bring in the dancing vegetables! <a href="https://t.co/2KwyRLrwys">https://t.co/2KwyRLrwys</a> <a href="https://t.co/3vbsXggXV7">https://t.co/3vbsXggXV7</a>
—@CBCOlympics
9:15 p.m. ET: After speeches from Brazilian Olympic Committee president Carlos Nuzman and IOC president Thomas Bach, the ceremony concluded with the extinguishing of the Olympic flame.
And that's it for the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rio2016?src=hash">#Rio2016</a> Olympics! The flame goes out <a href="https://t.co/2KwyRLrwys">https://t.co/2KwyRLrwys</a> <a href="https://t.co/jISSugjfCS">https://t.co/jISSugjfCS</a>
—@CBCOlympics
8:55 p.m. ET: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, dressed as a pixelated plumber, made a memorable entrance into the Maracana.
Shinzo Abe, the greatest video game character of all time <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SuperMarioBros?src=hash">#SuperMarioBros</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ClosingCeremony?src=hash">#ClosingCeremony</a> <a href="https://t.co/2KwyRLrwys">https://t.co/2KwyRLrwys</a> <a href="https://t.co/qkHainLfEp">https://t.co/qkHainLfEp</a>
—@CBCOlympics
8:45 p.m. ET: The closing ceremony serves as a symbolic passing of the torch to the next host of the Summer Games. The Olympic flag was lowered and then handed over to Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike to officially begin the buildup to the 2020 Games.
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BRA?src=hash">#BRA</a> hands over the Olympic flag to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JPN?src=hash">#JPN</a>, who will be hosting the 2020 Games <a href="https://t.co/OZ7cOKdvcq">https://t.co/OZ7cOKdvcq</a>
—@CBCOlympics
8:15 p.m. ET: Using performers to spell out words is a time-honoured stadium tradition. Tonight's ceremony is no exception.
Almost at the finish line of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rio2016?src=hash">#Rio2016</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ClosingCeremony?src=hash">#ClosingCeremony</a> <a href="https://t.co/2KwyRLrwys">https://t.co/2KwyRLrwys</a> <a href="https://t.co/dOdBqz7eJh">https://t.co/dOdBqz7eJh</a>
—@CBCOlympics
8:05 p.m. ET: The Olympians have taken their seats after a soggy, samba-filled parade.
No shirtless flag-bearers this time, but there is one person who clearly took his styling cues from Harvey Dent. Introducing: Two-Beard!
Glitter beard! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ClosingCeremony?src=hash">#ClosingCeremony</a> <a href="https://t.co/2KwyRLrwys">https://t.co/2KwyRLrwys</a> <a href="https://t.co/R3IHWhkcM0">https://t.co/R3IHWhkcM0</a>
—@CBCOlympics
7:45 p.m. ET: A large contingent of Canadians entered into the stadium as rain continued to come down. Here's hoping those jackets and mittens are waterproof.
22 medals later, here are your Canadians <a href="https://t.co/2KwyRLrwys">https://t.co/2KwyRLrwys</a> <a href="https://t.co/cwNAXMZUGD">https://t.co/cwNAXMZUGD</a>
—@CBCOlympics
7:35 p.m. ET: Unlike the formality of the opening ceremony, the closing ceremony is a more relaxed affair, with the Olympians filing into the stadium together.
7:15 p.m. ET: Teenage swimming sensation Penny Oleksiak carried Canada's flag into the Maracana Stadium along with the flag-bearers of the other countries.
5:35 p.m. ET: Before the ceremony began, Canadian racewalker Evan Dunfee reconnected with his Japanese counterpart Hirooki Arai. Dunfee, who set a Canadian record in the 50-kilometre race, showed tremendous sportsmanship after choosing not to drag out the appeal process following a contentious end to the race.
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ClosingCeremony?src=hash">#ClosingCeremony</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WhyWeSport?src=hash">#WhyWeSport</a> <a href="https://t.co/pEhoNQRSCy">pic.twitter.com/pEhoNQRSCy</a>
—@EvanDunfee
With files from The Canadian Press