Best Photos from the 2016 Rio Olympic Games

The Rio Summer Olympic Games will be remembered for being the last in the careers of the legendary Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps and so much more. Here are some of the more memorable photos and moments from Brazil.

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Aug 21, 2016

Best Photos from the 2016 Rio Olympic Games

Usain Bolt of Jamaica smiles while dominating his competition in a 100-meter semifinal race.

Best-action-photos-from-the-2016-rio-olympic-games-b.jpg — Donald Miralle

Michael Phelps at the start of the 200-meter butterfly.

As his teammates watch, Neymar scores the winning goal on penalty against Germany for the first soccer gold medal in the country's history.

Best-action-photos-from-the-2016-rio-olympic-games-d.jpg — Jordan Murph

Katie Ledecky of the U.S. swims in the opposite direction, far ahead of her competition, during the 800-meter freestyle final.

Best-action-photos-from-the-2016-rio-olympic-games-a.jpg — Bob Martin

A birds-eye view of the beach volleyball venue at Copacabana Beach.

2016-0809-Aly-Raisman-Madison-Kocian-Laurie-Hernandez-Simone-Biles-Gabby-Douglas-SI65_TK2_00511.jpg — Bob Martin

Team USA's Aly Raisman, Madison Kocian, Laurie Hernandez, Simone Biles and Gabby Douglas bite their gold medals during the presentation ceremony after the Women's Team All-Around Final.

Shaunae Miller of the Bahamas dives to win the gold medal in the women's 400-meter final, with Allyson Felix of the U.S. getting silver.

Ashton Eaton competing in the shot put portion of the decathlon.

Carlos Zenon Balderas Jr. of the U.S. lands a punch on Kazakhstan's Berik Abdrakhmanov.

Yana Kudryavtseva of Russia during the Rythmic Gymnastics competition.

Lucas Oleniuk/Toronto Star via Getty Images

Ethiopian steeplechaser Etenesh Diro finished seventh in her steeplechase semifinal despite running the last 800 meters of the race with only one shoe.

The view from the women's 3000m Steeplechase final.

Chinese diver Qin Kai proposes to silver medalist He Zi of China on the podium during the medal ceremony for the women's Diving 3m Springboard Final.

Action from the table tennis competition.

Ireland's Fiona Doyle competes in a heat of the 200-meter breaststroke.

You Hao of China on Rings during Artistic Gymnastics competition.

Usain Bolt takes photos with fans after winning perhaps his last individual Olympic race.

An underwater shot at the 10m platform diving pool.

Best-action-photos-from-the-2016-rio-olympic-games-c.jpg — Joe McNally

Hiromi Miyake hugs her weights after winning a bronze medal in the 48kg division.

Haley Ruth Augello of the U.S. (blue) competes against Japan's Eri Tosaka during the women's 48-kg freestyle wrestling competition.

A panoramic image of the beach volleyball arena at Copacabana Beach.

Lauren Hernandez of the United States competes in the Balance Beam Final, in which she won silver.

Michael Phelps celebrates with his mom, Debbie, and fiancee Nicole after winning the 200m Butterfly final.

Doaa Elghobashy of Egypt celebrates during a Beach Volleyball match against Marta Menegatti and Viktoria Orsi Toth of Italy.

Davit Chakvetadze of Russia lifts and scores three points on Zhan Beleniuk of Ukraine during their 85kg Greco Roman wrestling title match.

Russia vs. Ukraine in the women's sabre team final.

United States' Karsta Lowe, left, Rachael Adams, and Courtney Thompson stand for introductions ahead of a women's preliminary volleyball match against China.

The U.S. vs. China in water polo.

Venezuela's Albert Ramon Ramirez picks up Algeria's Abdelhafid Benchabla as they fight during a light heavyweight bout.

Juan Matin Del Potro after defeating Rafael Nadal in a semifinal tennis match.

April Ross of the U.S. eyes a ball during a beach volleyball round of 16 match against Italy.

Allison Pineau of France shoots past Macarena Aguilar Diaz of Spain during a quarterfinal handball match.

Usain Bolt and Andre de Grasse of Canada having a little fun as they cross the finish line first and second, respectively, in their 200-meter qualifying heat.

Bronze medalist Kristi Castlin (left), gold medalist Brianna Rollins (center) and silver medalist Nia Ali of the United States celebrate after sweeping the 100-meter hurdles.

China's Chen Long celebrates after winning his badminton singles final match against Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei.

Competitors in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

A photo shows a face painted onto the helmet of China's Zhong Tianshi as she waits with other cyclists to compete in the Keirin second round track cycling event.

Sam Willoughby of Australia in a Cycling BMX seeding run

Thirty-five-year-old Anthony Ervin made history by winning the 50m Freestyle on Friday, becoming the oldest individual swimming gold medalist in the Olympics.

Patrick Constable of Australia at the Keirin competition at the Velodrome.

Jerry Tuwai of Fiji in action during a quarterfinal match against New Zealand.

The United States' Courtney Hurley reacts while competing against South Korea's Injeong Choi during the women's epee team fencing competition.

Monica Puig of Puerto Rico reacts in disbelief after winning the gold medal in the tennis singles.

The underwater view shows team Ukraine competing in the Teams Technical Routine Final during the synchronised swimming event.

Brazil's Robson Conceicao celebrates winning against Uzbekistan's Hurshid Tojibaev in a quarterfinal bout.

Simone Manuel (left) of the United States touches the wall to win gold in the 100m Freestyle Final, becoming the first African-American woman to win an individual goal for the U.S.

Players of Russia try to block the shot of Linnea Torstensson of Sweden during a handball match.

Greco Roman wrestling between Artur Aleksanya of Armenia vs Cenk Ilden of Turkey.

Óscar Figueroa after winning gold in the 62kg weightlifting event.

Germany's Erik Pfeifer rearranges the face of Clayton Laurent Jr. of the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Mexico's Misael Uziel Rodriguez has his face temporarily rearranged by Bektemir Melikuziev of Uzbekistan.

Canada's Kelly Russell takes down Great Britain's Katy McLean on a day in which the Canadian sevens rugby team won over the first ever bronze medal in women's rugby.

A pair of fencers in Rio.

Elaine Thompson of Jamaica winning the 100-meter final to claim the title of the fastest woman on earth.

Katie Ledecky wins her second individual-event gold medal, taking the 200-meter freestyle.

Salih Zeki Fazlioglu/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Carmelo Anthony appears to tower over Gragory Vargas of Venezuela during a 113-69 win by the U.S.

David Boudia and Steele Johnson of the United States on their way to a silver medal in the Diving Synchronised 10m Platform.

Michael Phelps prepares to compete in the 100m Butterfly, a race in which he would tie for a silver medal.

The scene from the opening ceremony.

Ibtihaj Muhammad of the United States celebrates victory over Olena Kravatska of Ukraine during the Individual Sabre. She is the first woman to compete for Team USA wearing a hijab.

2016-Rio-Olympics-Usain-Bolt-100-Meter-Final-SI71_TK2_00156.jpg — Bob Martin

Usain Bolt does his popular lightning bolt pose.

2016-Rio-Olympics-Usain-Bolt-100-Meter-Final-SI91_TK2_00443.jpg — Donald Miralle

Usain Bolt's gold-colored shoes moments after he won the 100-meter dash for the third consecutive Olympic Games.

2016-Rio-Olympics-Usain-Bolt-100-Meter-Final-SI51_TK2_00338.jpg — Simon Bruty

Usain Bolt crossing the finish line in the 100.

Simone Biles smiles with teammates during the Team All-Around Final.

A team of divers hit the water in the Synchro 10m Platform competition.

Japan's Kaho Minagawa performs during the rhythmic gymnastics individual all-around qualifications.

Thailand's Peamwilai Laopeam right bows to judges as Colombia's Ingrit Lorena Valencia Victoria celebrates after winning a women's flyweight 51-kg quarterfinal boxing match.

New Zealand's Valerie Adams competes in the final of the shot put.

Opening Ceremonies of the Rio Olympic games viewed from Manguiera Favela.

Tyson Gay reacts after learning that the U.S. 4x100 relay had been disqualified and stripped of its third-place finish in the final.

Michael Phelps competes in the 200m Butterfly semifinals.

2016-0807-Michael-Phelps-Caeleb-Dressel-SI84_TK1_02625.jpg — Donald Miralle

Team USA's Michael Phelps and Caeleb Dressel celebrate after winning the 4x100m freestyle relay final.

2016-0814-Katie-Ledecky-Michael-Phelps-Simone-Biles-SI51_TK3_00285.jpg — Simon Bruty

Katie Ledecky, Michael Phelps and Simone Biles during their SI cover shoot.

Team USA takes bronze in the men's foil match against Italy.

Netherlands' Kitty van Male is hit on the face by Argentina's Agustina Habif during a quarterfinal field hockey match.

Aniuar Geduev of Russia, who won silver in the 74kg freestyle wrestling competition.

Etenesh Diro of Ethiopia at the finish of a 3,000m steeplechase heat.

U.S. gymnast Gabby Douglas competes in the uneven bars event final.

The Great Britain team.

Russia's Timur Safin (left) competes against France's Jeremy Cadot.

Gwen Jorgensen of the U.S. reacts as she crosses the finish line to win the gold medal in the triathlon.

Competitors in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

Estonia's Magnus Kirt competes in the javelin throw qualifying round.

The U.S. vs. France in Rugby Sevens.

Sweden's Sofia Magdalena Mattsson celebrates after winning the bronze medal during the women's 53-kg freestyle wrestling competition.

China's Wang Yan performs on the floor during the artistic gymnastics women's apparatus final.

Brazil vs Australia in water polo.

(From left) Haiti's Jeffrey Julmis, Cuba's Yordan L. O'farril, Spain's Orlando Ortega, Hungary's Balzs Baji, USA's Ronnie Ash and Britain's Andrew Pozzi compete in a 110m hurdles semifinal.

Russia's Alexey Cheremisinov celebrates after winning a team foil semifinal bout against the U.S.

Yang Sun of China during a heat of the 400m Freestyle.

A general view during Saturday's tennis matches.

David Florence of Great Britain in the Canoe Slalom.

Carolina Marin of Spain celebrates her win over Ji Hyun Sung of Korea during a quarterfinal match.

Norway's pivot Heidi Loke (left) shoots while getting taken down by Russia's Ekaterina Ilina.

An underwater view of Michael Phelps taking part in a 100m butterfly semifinal.

The start of the triathlon.

Nia Ali of the U.S. in the 100-meter hurdles.

Sofia Ennaoui of Poland after a semifinal of the 1,500-meter run.

Lopez Azcuy of Cuba.

Almir Velagic of Germany in the 105kg weightlifting competition.

Competitors during the Opening Ceremony.

The scene from the Opening Ceremony.

Fu HF/Zhang of China in a badminton match.

Sandi Morris of the U.S. at the pole vault.

Jordan Burroughs of the United States competes against Aniuar Geduev of Russia during a freestyle 74kg quarterfinal.

Jordan Burroughs of the United States during a 3-1 round of 16 freestyle wrestling win Augusto Midana of Guinea-Bissau.

An underwater view of a diver.

Neymar and Gabriel Jesus after Brazil won an early round match.

The U.S. 4x100 medley relay team of Michael Phelps, Nathan Adrian, Cody Miller and Ryan Murphy celebrate their victory.

Zhong Tinashi of China in the Keirin Finals.

Travis Stevens of the U.S., who won silver in judo.

The competitors leave their blocks at the start of the 100-meter dash.

Cyclists compete in the men's Omnium Scratch race track cycling event.

South Korea wins its preliminary doubles badminton match against Australia.

Colombia's Leidy Yessenia Solis Arboleda competes in the 69kg weightlifting competition.

A Rugby team from Argentina poses for a photo.

A pair of boxers at the Rio Games.

Badminton practice

Simone Biles of the U.S., who won four gold medals in Rio.

Astier Nicolas of France riding Piafde B'Neville in an Equestrian event.

Canoe competition at Whitewater Stadium.

Croatia vs Qatar in handball.

A view from the cycling track.

Anthony Ervin of the U.S. warms up for the 50m freestyle.

Mohamed Mahmoud of Egypt during the 77kg Group A weightlifting competition.

Simone Biles in the gymnastics qualifying.

Will Claye of the U.S. in the triple jump.

A heat of the 5,000.

Cheick Sallah Junior Cisse of Ivory Coast after winning told in the 80kg division of Taekwondo.

Mihail Dudas of Serbia in the decathlon long jump.

Athletes lined up for a heat of the 5,000.

Mo Farah of Great Britain winning the 10,000-meter final.

Team Ukraine in synchronized swimming.

Sailing in the Finn Class.

Simone Biles smileing during a medal ceremony.

Super model Gisele during the Opening Ceremony.

Mo Farah of Great Britain after adding the 1,500-meter gold to his list of accomplishments.

An overview of Usain Bolt in the 100.

Allyson Felix rejoices while finishing the last leg for the U.S.A.'s victorious 4x400 relay team.

A boy from Mangueira favela watch fireworks over Maracana Stadium during the 2016 Olympics Closing Ceremony in Rio de Janeiro.

Best Photos from the 2016 Rio Olympic Games

Best Photos from the 2016 Rio Olympic Games

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