The games of the XXXI Olympiad summed up in 39 amazing photos.

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Young performers fly kites in the shape of doves, an Olympic tradition that symbolizes peace, to usher in the 2016 Games.





Cameron Spencer / Getty Images Fireworks illuminate Maracanã Stadium as participating nations converge at the opening ceremony.

Quinn Rooney / Getty Images A view of the sunset over the Beach Volleyball Arena at Copacabana on the first day of the games.

David Rogers / Getty Images A spectator stands in the empty Deodoro Stadium prior to a rugby match.

Richard Heathcote / Getty Images Kosuke Hagino of Japan takes the gold in the men's 400-meter individual medley final.

Alex Livesey / Getty Images Alexander Massialas of the United States (right) defeats Artur Akhmatkhuzin of Russia during a men's individual foil event.

Lars Baron / Getty Images Mathlynn Sasser of the Marshall Islands in jubilation during the women's 58-kilogram weightlifting contest.

Alessandro Bianchi / Reuters Brazilian rugby player Isadora Cerullo kisses her girlfriend, Marjorie, a volunteer, after accepting her marriage proposal on the sideline of the women's rugby medal ceremony.

Richard Heathcote / Getty Images

Michael Phelps of the United States competes in the men's 200-meter butterfly heat. Phelps went on to win gold for the event, finishing with six medals from Rio — and a total of 28 medals during his Olympic career.

Cameron Spencer / Getty Images Jamaica's Usain Bolt well ahead of his competition during the men's 100-meter sprint semifinal.

Lucy Nicholson / Reuters Egypt's Doaa Elghobashy and Germany's Kira Walkenhorst approach the net at a beach volleyball event.

Sergei Grits / AP Brazilian water polo players yell to their teammates during a match against Russia.

Antonio Bronic / Reuters

A view of the Olympic diving pool (left) after the wrong chemicals were dumped in the water, turning it green.

Julian Finney / Getty Images Spain's Andres Eduardo Mata Perez lifts during the men's 77kg weightlifting contest.

Warning This image is graphic Tap to reveal Click to reveal Scott Halleran / Getty Images Samir Ait Said of France in excruciating pain after breaking his leg while competing on the vault during the artistic gymnastics men's team qualification.

David Ramos / Getty Images Chad le Clos of South Africa looks over to his archrival, USA's Michael Phelps, during the men's 200m butterfly final.

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Oscar Albeiro Figueroa Mosquera of Colombia removes his shoes to symbolise his retirement, as he celebrates his final win at the men's 62-kilogram weightlifting contest.

Stefan Wermuth / Reuters Fu Yuanhui of China (left) makes a funny face during the medal ceremony for the women's 100-meter backstroke event.

Toshifumi Kitamura / AFP / Getty Images US gymnast Simone Biles gets in the zone as she competes in the women's balance beam event final.

Dylan Martinez / Reuters

In a true act of diplomacy, South Korea's Lee Eun-ju (right) takes a selfie with North Korea's Hong Un Jong during a gymnastics practice.

Dean Mouhtaropoulos / Getty Images Katie Ledecky of the United States (center) totally wiping out her competition during the women's 800-meter freestyle final.

Markus Schreiber / AP China's Yang Bin (red) in combat with Morocco's Zied Ait Ouagram during the men's Greco-Roman competition.

Mario Tama / Getty Images Cyclists ride past an eco barrier along a polluted canal in the Leblon neighborhood during the women's road race.

Adrian Dennis / AFP / Getty Images South Africa's Caster Semenya ecstatic over her women's 800-meter final win during the athletics event.

Bryn Lennon / Getty Images Lucas William Savola gets a feel of the gold medal won by his mother, USA's Kristin Armstrong, in the cycling road women's individual time trial.

John Macdougall / AFP / Getty Images Spectators sit in the shade during the equestrian dressage grand prix freestyle event.

Patrick Semansky / AP Zhong Tianshi of China waits to compete in the women's keirin second-round cycling event.

Ian Walton / Getty Images

Suffering from an injury following a mid-race collision, USA's Abbey D'Agostino (right) is assisted by her competitor, New Zealand's Nikki Hamblin, during the women's 5,000-meter heat.

Christian Petersen / Getty Images Michael John Conlan of Ireland gives the finger to the judges after his defeat to Vladimir Nikitin of Russia in the boxing men's bantam (56 kilogram) quarterfinal.

Kirill Kudryavtsev / AFP / Getty Images Dutch players wait for the start of their women's quarterfinal volleyball match against South Korea.

Francois-xavier Marit / AFP / Getty Images An underwater view of Britain's Thomas Daley competing in the men's 10-meter platform semifinal.

Mario Tama / Getty Images The Brazilian football crowd cheering on their national team before they beat Germany in the men's final.

Mariana Bazo / Reuters Japan's Saori Yoshida (left) in tears as Helen Maroulis of the USA celebrates her win in the women's freestyle 53-kilogram wrestling event.

Wong Maye-e / AP China's synchronized swimming team practices at the Maria Lenk Aquatic Center.

Laurence Griffiths / Getty Images

Mongolia's wrestling coaches protest the judges' decision after Mandakhnaran Ganzorig (red) was defeated by Ikhtiyor Navruzov of Uzbekistan in the men's freestyle 65-kilogram match for the bronze medal.

Matt Dunham / AP Athletes rest after finishing the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase final.

Fabrice Coffrini / AFP / Getty Images Athletes participate during the parade at the closing ceremony.

John Macdougall / AFP / Getty Images Brazilian singer Roberta Sa performs during the closing ceremony.

Alexander Hassenstein / Getty Images Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe holds up a red glowing ball as Rio de Janeiro hands over the Olympic Games to Tokyo.