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Rio 2016 Olympics: The most memorable moments from the Games so far


olympics
August 8, 2016
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laura jason1© Photo: Getty Images

An extraordinary six days in the velodrome ended with Laura Trott becoming Britain's most success female Olympian of all time, by winning her fourth gold medal in the omnium. Just a few hours later, she watched as her future husband Jason Kenny equalled Sir Chris Hoy's record with the sixth gold of his career – and his third of the Games – in the keirin final.

Laura, 24, was in tears as Jason, 28, pedalled his victory lap, his arms raised up in the air, before the couple embraced and kissed as the crowd cheered.

"The best thing about it is that we get to come away together and race together," said Jason after his race. "Not many couples in the Olympic village can enjoy their success together. So that's really special and I feel really lucky about that."

nile wilson© Photo: Getty Images

Appearing in his first Games, 20-year-old Nile Wilson made a name for himself as he became the first Briton to secure an Olympic medal in the horizontal bar.

The gymnast from Leeds won bronze - Team GB's seventh gymnastics medal received in Brazil.

"No feeling like it ever! Thank you so much for everyone's support & believing in me ❤️ Dream come true!" wrote Nile on Twitter.

amy tinkler© Photo: Getty Images

Nile's success came less than an hour after his teammate Amy Tinkler won bronze in the women's floor.

Sixteen-year-old Amy - Team GB's youngest athlete - broke down in tears and hugged her coach as she was ranked third in the gymnastics event.

The schoolgirl scored 14.933 with a near perfect 90-second floor routine.

"I just love competing in front of big crowds, it's just incredible, I'm just so shocked," said Amy, who finds out her GCSE results on Thursday.

jack laugher© Photo: Getty Images

British diver Jack Laugher is coming home with two medals.

Just six days after winning gold with his synchronised diving partner Chris Mears, 21-year-old Jack was presented with a silver in the 3m springboard final.

"Second place at the Olympic Games!! Can't believe it!!! Baby we did it!" Jack wrote, proudly showing off his newest medal in a Twitter photo.

andy rio© Photo: Getty Images

Andy Murray made history in Rio as he became the first ever tennis player to win two consecutive Olympic singles gold medals

The 29-year-old Scot managed to overcome Argentina's Martin del Potro in four thrilling sets to defend his London 2012 title and secure his place in the history books.

"To defend the singles title… I think Venus and Serena (Williams) have won about four each but haven't defended a singles title before," Andy told the BBC after the match. "It's obviously not an easy thing to do. I had to fight unbelievably hard tonight to get it."

max1© Photo: Getty Images

History was also made by Max Whitlock, who became the first ever Team GB gymnast to win Olympic gold medals after stunning victories in both the men's floor and the pommel horse.  

He was joined on the podium by team mate Louis Smith, who took silver in the pommel for his third consecutive Olympic medal in the event.

mo© Photo: Getty Images

Mo Farah put in a stunning performance to become the first British athlete to win three gold medals on the track, as he successfully defended his 10,000m London 2012 title

A dramatic fall in the middle of the race drew an audible gasp from the crowd, and there was added drama when Paul Kipngetich Tanui made a dash for the finish line in the final lap. But he couldn't hold off Mo's famous kick sprint and it was the British star who took the gold in Rio.

ryan lochte© Photo: Getty Images

Gold medal winner Ryan Lochte was among a small group of athletes held up at gunpoint after a party in Rio. 

The 32-year-old, who won gold in the 4x200m freestyle relay, and three other American swimmers were out celebrating when they were robbed at gunpoint early on Sunday by thieves posing as police officers, who stopped their taxi and took money and personal belongings.

Ryan confirmed the incident, telling NBC that one of the robbers had put a gun to his forehead before taking his wallet. Thankfully no one was injured in the incident.  

usain bolt© Photo: Getty Images

Usain Bolt became the first athlete to win three Olympic 100m titles by beating Justin Gatlin to take the gold in Rio.

The 29-year-old Jamaican ran 9.81 seconds in his final Olympics to replicate his success at Beijing 2008 and London 2012. Justin, who has been twice banned for doping offences, was 0.08 seconds behind Usain, with Canada's Andre de Grasse in third.

Usain's victory means he remains on target to leave Brazil with a third successive Olympic treble, having won the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay titles in 2008 and 2012.

tom daley best© Photo: Getty Images

Tom Daley and Dan Goodfellow helped boost Team GB's medal tally on day three of Rio 2016 by claiming bronze in the men's 10-metre synchro event.

The duo, who have only been diving together for nine months, faced an agonising wait to find out if they had done enough to earn a place on the podium – and as the scores flashed up on the screen, they hugged and shared a celebratory splash in the pool.

Oksana Chusovitina© Photo: Getty Images

Even before she stepped up to the vault in Rio, Oksana Chusovitina had made history. The 41-year-old is currently competing in her seventh Olympic Games, and is the oldest woman to have ever done so.

Oksana, who is representing Uzbekistan, is mother to a 17-year-old son Alisher; to put it into perspective, one of the gymnasts competing in her rotation was born just two months before Alisher.  

But Oksana isn't just there to take part – she's there to win. She earned a score of 14.999 on the vault at the weekend, successfully qualifying for the vault finals.

Marjorie Enya© Photo: Getty Images

Despite the Brazilians only finishing ninth in the inaugural Olympic Games' Rugby Sevens tournament, Brazilian player Isadora Cerullo experienced one of the best days of her life when her partner Marjorie Enya, a volunteer at the event, proposed to her after the final between Australia and New Zealand.

Same sex marriage has been legal in Brazil since 2013, and this proposal is reportedly the first at the Games.

Adam Peaty© Photo: Getty Images

Adam Peaty brought home Team GB's first medal of Rio 2016, taking gold in the men's 100m breaststroke with a brand new world record on day two of the games. 

It was an extraordinary feat from the 21-year-old, who was afraid of water as a child and was making his Olympic debut in Rio.

"It's surreal to get Team GB's first gold," said Adam, who finished more than 1.5 seconds clear of his nearest rival. "I came out tonight and took the first 50 easy and came back with everything I have got.

"I did it for my country and that means so much to me."

Ashley McKenzie© Photo: Twitter

British Commonwealth judo champion Ashley McKenzie couldn't hide his emotion after making an early Olympic exit in Rio. 

Four years after his heartbreak at London 2012, defeat proved too much for the 27-year-old, who sank to his knees in the stadium corridor and broke down after being knocked out the competition.

He later shared an image of that moment with fans on social media, writing: "This explains a lot of things! I don't think I really need to say much more about how I feel. Thank you all for the support!"

michael phelps© Photo: Getty Images

Michael Phelps was cheered on by his baby son Boomer and fiancée Nicole Johnson as he claimed an incredible 19th Olympic gold medal of his career on Sunday. 

The 31-year-old, who quit swimming after the 2012 Games, was back with a bang in Rio as he helped Team USA win the 4x100meters freestyle relay.

"When I was on the block, I honestly thought my heart was going to explode out of my chest," said the sportsman, who is the most decorated athlete in Olympic history. "I was so hyped tonight and so excited."

Juan Martin del Potro© Photo: Getty Images

Novak Djokovic was in tears as he made a shock exit in the first round of the Olympic men's singles at the hands of Juan Martin del Potro. Juan, who is ranked 141st in the world after two years of injury problems, beat the world number one 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-2) – even with a shaky start to his Olympic campaign.

The 27-year-old Argentinian found himself trapped in an Olympic Village elevator in the dark and with no phone signal for nearly 40 minutes, just hours before his match against Novak. 

Thankfully, he was discovered by the Argentine handball team and was on time to step onto the court for the first round match.

Brady Ellison© Photo: Getty Images

Brady Ellison caused quite a stir on social media on Saturday, and not just because he helped the US archery team win the silver medal. The 27-year-old bears an uncanny resemblance to Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio!

Brady was quickly dubbed Leo's doppelganger on Twitter, with amused users commentating on the similarities between the pair. 

"Leo DiCaprio enjoying some time off from acting to play archery in the Rio Olympics," wrote one, while another added: "Leo DiCaprio comes up just shy in his quest for gold. Credits his method acting in The Revenant for archery skills."

Majlinda Kelmendi© Photo: Getty Images

Majlinda Kelmendi secured her place in the record books after winning Kosovo's first ever gold medal. The 25-year-old overpowered Italy's Odette Giuffrida with a yuko to claim victory in the women’s -52kg judo in Rio.

It was Majlinda's second Games, having represented Albania at London 2012. 

Kosovo's Olympic Committee was established back in 1992 but was only recognised by the International Olympic Committee in 2014. The disputed territory declared independence from Serbia in 2008.

Shane Tusup© Photo: Getty Images

Shane Tusup, the husband and coach of Hungarian swimmer Katinka Hosszu, made headlines around the world thanks to his euphoric celebration of his wife’s 400m individual medley win.

Katinka 27, who calls herself the Iron Lady, won gold in the final and broke the previous world record set by China's Ye Shiwen at London 2012 – and images and footage of her ecstatic husband cheering and fist pumping pool side soon went viral.

That moment, along with a recent New York Times profile on the couple, has put their relationship in the spotlight however, and questions have been raised about Shane's behaviour.

An NBC announcer alluded to the rumours during Sunday’s broadcast, saying: "The influence he's had on her… it can be very, very harsh. In fact, it's been a little disturbing to other swimmers who've observed it. And Hosszu admits that."

Jessica Hardy, an Olympic medallist who used to train with Katinka, was one such swimmer. "I've seen a lot of inappropriate and not-OK behaviour in Shane," she has said. "I've seen coaches exhibit that kind of behaviour in training, but this is another level, it's scary."

Samir Ait Said© Photo: Getty Images

French gymnast Samir Ait Said suffered a shocking broken leg during the qualification rounds for the men's gymnastics on Saturday. 

The 26-year-old landed badly on the vault and his left leg folded beneath him, before swinging loosely below the knee as he fell to the floor.

After being attended to by medics on the scene, Samir managed to raise one arm to acknowledge the ovation of the crowd before being taken to hospital.

It's not the first time an injury has shattered Samir's Olympic dreams. He was forced to pull out of the 2012 Games after fracturing his leg in three places during the European Championships.

Annemiek van Vleuten© Photo: Getty Images

There was a shocking incident during the women's road race event at Rio when Annemiek van Vleuten came off her bike and had to be rushed to intensive care. 

The 33-year-old Dutch rider was leading the race and seemed set for certain victory when she overshot a sharp right-hand turn on the final descent, and came over the top of her handlebars.

The Royal Dutch Cycling Federation (KNWU) later confirmed that Annemiek, who lay motionless on the course after the crash, had suffered concussion and three fractures to her spine.

"I am now in the hospital with some injuries and fractures, but will be fine," she tweeted on Monday. "Most of all super disappointed after best race of my career."

andranik© Photo: Getty Images

Armenian weightlifter Andranik Karapetyan suffered a shocking dislocated elbow during the men's 77kg weightlifting final, ending his hopes of winning his first Olympic medal.

The 20-year-old – who was one of the favourites for the competition - screamed out in pain as medics and trainers rushed to his aid. He then exited the stage, cradling his arm, and headed immediately to hospital.

diving

Jack Laugher, 21, and Chris Mears, 23, made history at Rio 2016 by winning Great Britain's first ever Olympic diving gold medal

The pair produced a dazzling display in the men's synchronised 3m springboard to take the title, and broke down in tears as the entered the history books for Team GB.

joe clarke© Photo: Getty Images

Joe Clarke stormed to victory in the men's canoe slalom final, bringing home another gold for Team GB. The 23-year-old produced a thrilling final run to record an unbeatable time of 88.53 seconds in front of a delighted crowd that included his father Shaun and mother Mandy.

"Joe Clarke, Olympic Champion. Joe Clarke, Olympic Champion! It was what I went to bed dreaming about last night and what I've dreamed of for so many years," said the still-stunned athlete.

simone biles 1© Photo: Getty Images

Simone Biles made history by winning the all-round women's individual gold by a margin of 2.1 points, which is the biggest margin to have won by in half a century. 

The star took home the gold after a stunning floor routine and her performance on beam and bars. 

Speaking about her win, Simone said: "I'm not the next Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps, I'm the first Simone Biles. To me I'm just the same Simone."

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