That's All Folks!
Just like that the games we have waited the last four years for are all over. I don't know about you, but I think I could use a nap. I'm sure our dog Jovi would be taking one if she were still with us. As I have said in the past, even when the NCAA basketball tournament and college bowl season is going on I don't think I watch as much sports as I did over the past two weeks.
It was pretty great though. Even the culminating event of the marathon was pretty fantastic to watch. I can't imagine running 26 miles and then still being able to sprint at the end to take the victory. It looked like they were both going to fall for a second there when the two women collided.
The closing ceremony was pretty interesting. I don't think I ever remember it being quite so artistic. It felt like the emphasis was less on the athletes and more on something else. Perhaps that is just me though. It was definitely a production.
I don't feel like I remember the hand off to the new host city being quite so dramatic in the past either. I think a lot of that might have to do with the world we live in now. They need to make it as grand as possible just to keep peoples attention.
It was pretty cool to see Dre and Snoop performing together again. I could take or leave the chili peppers, but Billie Eilish did great too. It was just hard to tell if she was lip syncing or not. Even though they will be just across the country, I probably still won't make it to the games in LA. Traffic is bad there without the Olympics going on. I can't even imagine!
The total medal count was pretty impressive. 126 for the US, 40 of those being gold. From there we have 91 for China with 40 of theirs being gold as well. Next is a little cloudy. If you are going just by gold medals, Japan came in third with 20, but if you are looking at total medals, it would fall to the host country France with 64.
Australia got 18 gold medals and 53 total medals while France only snagged 16 gold medals.
I can't help but wonder how different this chart might look if Russia had been allowed to participate in the games. I'm not saying their ban wasn't deserved, but you know that they are a powerhouse in a few of the sports, so the landscape could have looked much different.
I really do feel like there needs to be some kind of clamp down on the doping side of things. With new allegations being leveled against China, you have to wonder just how many countries are guilty of it. It's not a matter of who is doing it, but who is getting caught.
That's a dangerous path you are treading in my opinion.
Now we wait. Two more years until the winter games in Italy and four more years until the Summer Olympics comes to LA.
I better get my rest!
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