The 2016 Summer Olympics, hosted in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has been filled with extraordinary moments and stories of perseverance, hard work, and strength. Ever since the games started on August 5, fans have been glued to their TV screens, supporting their country from all over the world. With more than 11,000 athletes and 28 different sports, there is deep competition for each contender. Here are some highlights from the Rio Olympics so far:

1. In the Gymnastics Women’s All- Around, Simone Biles earned a gold medal, surpassing her teammate, Aly Raisman, by 2.1 points. The world champion gymnast, who stands at 4’9”, was considered the best in the world even before she entered the Olympics. She has certainly proved that she is worthy of that title.

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2. Aly Raisman earned a near perfect score of 15.4333 with her floor routine. When she completed the last step, Raisman was so happy with her performance that she broke down in tears. She knew all of those years of hard work had paid off. 

Sophomore, Julianna Jett stated, “I have heard a lot of people saying that Aly Raisman will not perform as well as she has in the past Olympics, and it makes me so happy to see her do so well and prove them all wrong.”

3. British golfer, Justin Rose, made the first hole- in -one in Olympic History. The 36 year old was ecstatic as he watched the ball soar off his golf club and sink into the hole.

4. Simone Manuel (US) and Penny Oleksiak (Canada) tied for gold in the 100 m freestyle, upsetting world-record holder Cate Campbell of Australia. Manuel made history and served as an inspiration to people as she became the first African American female to win a gold medal in swimming.

5. Wayde van Niekerk broke the 17-year-old World Record in the Men’s 400m Final on August 14, 2016. The South African runner finished in 43.03 seconds, which was 0.15 quicker than the time previous record holder, Michael Johnson, clocked in 1999.

6. Michael Phelps, star American swimmer, won his 4th consecutive 200m Individual Medley. The Olympian, who already has 23 gold medals to his name, insists that the Rio Olympics will be his final Olympics. For his last race, he earned a gold medal in the butterfly leg of the men’s 4×100 meter medley relay.

Senior, Audrey Dunn, announced, “I heard a really cool fun fact that Michael Phelps has more gold medals than the entire country of Spain combined!”

7. On the Women’s side, United States’ Katie Ledecky earned a gold medal in the women’s 800-meter freestyle. She scored the second world record and beat her own personal record. Ledecky, a 19 year old from Washington, has been extremely successful in the Rio Olympics, winning four gold medals so far.

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8. August 11, 2016 proved to be a historic day for the country of Fiji. Their rugby sevens team won its first gold medal. Although Fijian athletes have been competing in the Olympics ever since 1956,  the country has never pulled out a single medal. The rugby sevens team sang in celebration after the final whistle, overcome with sheer happiness.

“It gives me butterflies to see a country that doesn’t have very many medals win because I know how much they have wanted it and how proud their country must be”, stated sophomore, Myah Rhines.

The Rio Olympics will end on August 21, 2016. Currently, the United States has won 86 medals, including 28 gold, 30, silver, and 28 bronze. All of the athletes competing in the Summer Olympics have a lot to be proud of and are demonstrating what people can achieve with hard work and determination.