by+Zhang+Xue

As the curtain closed on the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro， Brazil， accompanied by a South American samba， the Chinese delegation lifted off on their long plane trips home with considerably more weight： 26 gold medals， 18 silver， and 26 bronze， ranking third in the total medal tally.

Even after the Rio games ended， Olympic excitement remained high in China. Compared to past events Chinese people paid less attention to the medal count and instead enjoyed more of the process and joy of competition. Undoubtedly， people were elated for the gold medals taken and at the same time bettering their understanding of the Olympic motto： Citius， Altius， Fortius （Latin for Faster， Higher， Stronger）. The Olympic Games have inspired more Chinese people to engage in exercise to keep fit.

The Olympics have always been a global gathering that fosters communication and understanding between different cultures. The clear highlight of the Rio Games 2016 was a delegation of refugees， the first ever in history， featuring some who narrowly escaped the flames of wars and others who drifted far from home in boats. Not only did these participants embody the true spirit of sport， but inspire people around the globe from all walks of life.

Most concerns about the Games before they started – late completion of venues， robbery – werent problems at all.

The unique opening and closing ceremonies sparked passion for both the Olympics and brilliant South American culture. The theme of being frugally green made this edition of the Olympics breezy. Thomas Bach， President of the International Olympic Committee， declared， “These were marvelous Olympic Games in the marvelous city.”

The Chinese delegation， with an average age of 24， performed brilliantly and left legendary marks on history. Lets take another look at a few highlights of the Games.

First Gold Chinas first gold medal arrived just as several veterans were coming up short. On the second day of competition， Zhang Mengxue， a fresh face in womens 10-meter air pistol， took the first gold for the Chinese delegation and broke the Olympic record.

Excitement At midnight on August 20， the Chinese womens volleyball team gave everything they had to win its final match， which sent shockwaves back to China. Many recalled the moment 32 years ago when the “Iron Hammer” Lang Ping led her team to make volleyball history. The Chinese womens volleyball players inspired a generation， and that spirit has been preserved for the next.