Video: Rio in 2:00

The final curtain is about to fall on the 2016 Rio Olympics. No Olympics Games in modern history were as plagued by negative advance publicity as these Games were, yet in spite of all the talk of Zika mosquitos, sewage-infested water, and security problems, the Rio Games were a success.

In Rio, we saw high highs, spectacular competition and a few admittedly inglorious lows.

American swimmer Michael Phelps cemented his legacy as one of the all-time greats of the Games, as did aptly named Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt. Both also chipped in with a couple of the defining images of the Rio Games, Phelps smoldering under his hood at a rival swimmer, and Bolt finding a moment to turn and flash a smile to the camera in the midst of leaving his rivals behind.

Katie Ledecky returned for her second appearance in the Games, winning four gold medals and staking her claim as the greatest female athlete in the pool. Hungary’s “Iron Lady” and Team USA’s Maya DiRado also made lasting impressions in the water, as did American Simone Manuel.

But it was a different Simone who would stake her claim to perhaps being the greatest gymnast of all-time.

On the soccer field, the U.S. women fell short of expectancy and their goalkeeper fell even shorter of good sportsmanship. But for Neymar and Brazil, well, let’s just say all that glitters is indeed gold and while the Games may be ending, the celebrations in Brazil over the country’s first Olympic gold medal in soccer may continue for some time.

While Simone Biles and the “Final Five” defied everyone’s expectations as to what could be done in a gymnastics competition, Team USA basketball simply lived up to expectations by taking gold in both the men’s and women’s competition.

The greatest dive of the Rio Olympics arguably occurred not in a pool, but on a running track, where Shaunae Miller of the Bahamas dove across the line and won Olympic gold in the women’s 400-meters.

While it was far from perfect, the Rio Games showed us above all, that the Olympic spirit, and the graciousness and generosity of the people of Rio, persist in spite of it all the negativity and controversy.