lo scorelo score | Forum

Topic location: Forum home » General » General Chat
123
123 Jan 14 '19
RIO DE JANEIRO -- Shaking to samba and sharing reflections in uniquely Brazilian ways, Olympians and fans said goodbye to the Rio Games with one last big bash that was both revelatory and a sigh of relief. Air Force 1 Cheap Outlet .The Rio Games, the first in South America, were a 16-day spectacle that combined numerous highlight-reel moments with ugly and even bizarre episodes that sometimes overshadowed the competitions. Rio residents, known as Cariocas, were not about to let sporadic rains and strong wind gusts get in the way of a final hurrah.These were marvelous Olympic Games in the marvelous city, said International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach, playing off the cidade maravilhosa nickname of Brazils postcard city of inviting coastlines, year-round sun and lush tropical vegetation.While the stadium erupted in applause at that designation, a few minutes later there were boos of sadness when he announced: I declare the Games of the XXXI Olympiad closed.The closing ceremony in iconic Maracana Stadium was also meant to take care of some business -- formally signaling the transition to the 2020 Summer Olympics in Japan.But Sundays party was all about Brazil, designed to be more low-key than the opening ceremony, which focused heavily on Rio.The ceremony featured original footage of Alberto Santos-Dumont, the man Brazilians recognize as the inventor of the airplane. The theme Brazilians can do with their bare hands was a nod to the emerging economy of the worlds fifth-most populous nation.Dressed in colorful feathers, dozens of dancers formed in the shape of the arches of Lapa, a popular area of Rio akin to Roman ruins, then morphed to make the shape of iconic Sugarloaf before quickly changing again, this time to the official 2016 symbol.Samba legend Martinho da Vila, whose tunes make their way into many popular telenovelas, sang Carinhoso, or Affectionate.The athletes poured in under light rain, waving their flags while many shook their bodies to samba-infused pop that made the stadium feel like a Carnival parade. Britains athletes wore shoes with soles that lit up in changing colors of red, white and blue, while Tongan taekwondo athlete Pita Taufatofua danced onstage in a grass skirt as a DJ performed, reprising a moment that captured attention when he carried the flag for his country during the opening ceremony.The show widened its lens to Greater Brazil, a massive country with a land mass slightly larger than the continental United States. There was a tribute to cave paintings of some of the first inhabitants of the Americas, in Serra da Capivara, in northeastern Brazil, today the nations poorest region.Spectators got to see performers shake to frevo, a frenetic dance that -- if its even possible -- makes high-octane samba seem like a staid ballroom affair. Holding small umbrellas, dancers jumped and marched while performing acrobatics.They performed to Vassourinhas, which means small brooms, a popular song that was also the name of a famous club in the northeastern city of Recife.The show also built performances around saudade, which means anything from longing for someone to sadness to remembering good times. It is one of the most important words in Brazilian Portuguese. Lights flashed translations for the word in many languages, and a group of women sang Mulher Rendeira, or Lace-making Woman, a nod to the countrys African heritage. Brazil was the last country in the Americas to outlaw slavery, in 1888.The Games had many memorable moments, both for Brazilian competitors at home and athletes from around the world.Soccer-crazed Brazil got partial payback against Germany, winning gold two years after a 7-1 World Cup semifinal shellacking that left many in Latin Americas largest nation fuming. American gymnast Simone Biles asserted her dominance with four golds, swimmer Michael Phelps added five more to up his staggering total to 23, and the worlds fastest man, Usain Bolt, put on his usual show with three golds just days before his 30th birthday.But there were also ugly episodes, such as American swimmer Ryan Lochtes fabricated story about a harrowing robbery that was actually an intoxication-fueled vandalism of a gas station bathroom, and bizarre issues like Olympic diving pools going from crystal blue to gunky, algae green -- at a time when Rios water quality in open waters is one of the biggest local environmental issues.There is widespread expectation that the Games in Tokyo, one of the worlds richest, most recognizable and cosmopolitan cities, will run more smoothly than they have in Rio. But theres also worry in Japan over whether the Olympics will further drag down an economy that has been struggling for decades.Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike accepted the flag from the IOCs Bach and Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes, signaling the transition.Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abes brief but showstopping gig in the closing ceremony as the Nintendo character Mario offered a tantalizing glimpse at Tokyos plans.The organizers for the Tokyo Games crammed the works into a brief two-minute film montage before Abes appearance. Athletes perform more than a dozen sports as landmarks like Tokyo Tower, cherry blossoms, a bullet train, Tokyo Bay Bridge and the famous scramble intersection in Shibuya whiz by.Anime and video game icons like Pac-Man and Hello Kitty were featured, along with the beloved blue Doraemon cat, who pulled from his pocket of magic gadgets a green warp pipe to whisk Abe from his limousine in Tokyo straight to Rio.Abe emerged from his Mario outfit in his usual get-up of a smartly tailored suit and tie.Many people will analyze how things went for the Rio Games in the months ahead. But on Sunday, one strong sentiment was relief -- that despite some problems, overall the Games went well.That wasnt a given going in. The Zika virus scared away some competitors and tourists, rampant street crime in Rio and recent extremist attacks around the world raised fears about safety, and Brazils political crisis, and the economic angst behind it, threatened to cast a pall over the competitions.We are very resilient. We didnt leave anything important unaddressed, said Augusta Porto, 36, a translator and Rio resident. We can welcome people despite the serious problems that we have faced in the recent past. Nike Air Force 1 Wholesale China . Catch all the action on TSN2 at 11pm et/8pm pt. The nine-time Big 12 champion Jayhawks are positioning themselves for another title, as they have run out to a flawless 6-0 mark in conference play thus far. Nike Air Force 1 Cheap China . The 18th player to shoot 60 on the tour, Jamieson settled for par on the final hole when his 15-foot birdie chip grazed the edge of the hole and stayed out. After opening with rounds of 66 and 73 to make the cut by a stroke, he had 11 birdies in the bogey-free round. http://www.cheapairforce1.us/ . Wilson hit Schenn from behind during Tuesday nights game in Philadelphia, earning a five-minute major for charging and a game misconduct. He has a phone hearing with the department of player safety, which limits any potential suspension to five or fewer games. Italy and Latvia claimed their second straight victories Tuesday to advance to the semifinals as group winners in their respective qualifying tournaments for mens basketball at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.In Turin, Italy defeated Croatia 67-60 in Group B. Marco Belinelli led the hosts with 19 points while Bojan Bogdanovic scored 26 for the 1992 silver medalists. Croatia can still reach the semifinals with a win in its final group game against Tunisia.In Group A, Francisco Cruz scored 12 points in the final quarter to help Mexico beat Iran 75-70. Despite a game-high 20 points by Behram Yakchali, Iran had its second straight defeat and was eliminated from the competition.Mexico and Greece have already secured their semifinal spots before playing each other Wednesday.In Belgrade, Dairis Bertans scored 18 points in Latvias 71-59 win over the Czech Republic to earn the Baltic state top spot in Group B. The Czechs will play Japan for the second semifinal berth.In Group A, Puerto RRico bounced back from Mondays opening defeat against host Serbia by beating Angola 91-81. Air Force 1 Clearance Sale. Led by Carlos Arroyos 18 points, Puerto Rico saw a 27-point lead reduced to just 10 in the final quarter.Earlier Tuesday in Manila, France rallied from a 10-point deficit against the hosts to beat the Philippines 93-84, and Canada defeated Turkey 77-69 on the opening day of their qualifying tournament.Nando De Colo scored 11 points in the third quarter and 27 overall to help France overcome a strong start by the Philippines. New Zealand is the third team in Group B.In Group A, NBA point guard Cory Joseph led Canada with 21 points, while Turkeys Sinan Guler scored 14. Canada can secure a semifinal spot as g
Share: