The YOG athletes’ best moments of Rio 2016

Exactly one year after Rio 2016, the feats achieved in Brazil by the athletes competing at the Youth Olympic Games still resonate. Here is an overview of their impressive performances.

One of the most striking figures, the total number of participants in Rio 2016 who had previously competed at Singapore 2010 or Nanjing 2014, is extremely telling: 514 athletes, i.e. nearly one out of every 20 Olympians present at the Olympic Games in Rio. This clearly shows that the YOG are an excellent platform to launch an elite athlete’s career.

Getty Images
Getty Images

Another special statistic is the total number of medals won by YOG athletes in Rio: 80, including 19 golds! Leading the way is Emma McKeon, who won four medals in swimming. Here are even more details on the performances of YOG athletes:

But the YOG athletes’ highlights from Rio 2016 cannot be summed up only through statistics. Several great stories came out of Brazil, such as that of Kimia Alizadeh. The Taekwondoka won fame when she became the first Iranian women to win an Olympic medal. At Tokyo 2020, she will go for gold.

Tennis player Monica Puig also shone winning Olympic gold! This was the first-ever gold medal for Puerto Rico at the Olympic Games. This accomplishment amazed everyone, given that Monica was 34th in the world rankings at the time.

Getty Images
Getty Images

And don’t forget the achievements of Thiago Braz in the pole vault. The Brazilian surprised everyone in the final when he won, beating his previous personal best by 10cm and setting a new Olympic record. 

All these unique stories can be enjoyed throughout the coming days on our social networks: YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! Join us in celebrating these performances again by following us on these platforms!