Rio de Janeiro, Aug 22 (Reuters): A blustery storm, a touch of melancholy and a sense of pride converged at the closing ceremony of the 2016 Olympics on Sunday as Brazil breathed a collective sigh of relief at having pulled off South America's first Games. After a gruelling 17 days, Rio de Janeiro cast aside early struggles with empty venues, security scares and a mysterious green diving pool to throw a huge Carnival-like party. Brazilians came to the closing ceremony happy, many wearing the canary yellow jersey of the nation's sports teams, having won two late gold medals in their two favourite sports, men's soccer and volleyball. Bach declared the Rio Games closed and expressed hope that they had left a lasting mark on the metropolitan area of 12 million people. ”These Olympic Games are leaving a unique legacy for generations to come,” he said.

Source: The Telegraph August 22, 2016 02:15 UTC