From Usain Bolt’s bid for glory to the closing party: what’s on at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games between 18 and 21 August
More than 80 medal events in 24 sports will close the Games, with Brazil hoping to finally win their first Olympic football title
Rhythmic gymnastics, football, diving and the closing ceremony will be among the final attractions (Getty Images)
The last four days of the first Olympic Games to be staged in South America will be full of sporting drama and, of course, topped off with grand party. There will be 82 medal events in 24 sports before the curtain comes down at the Maracanã Stadium. With the competition schedule published and tickets on sale, now is the time to start planning your Games. To help you put together your schedule, here is the final part of our special series, offering a day-by-day guide to the sporting highlights.
18 AUGUST
Diving finals will be among the highlights at Barra Olympic Park (Photo: Getty Images/Adam Pretty)
As the Games enter the home straight, some of the tournaments that started on the first few days will near their conclusions, including basketball, handball and volleyball, which will have semi-finals on this day. There will be finals in 11 Olympic sports – athletics, badminton, boxing, canoe sprint, hockey, freestyle wrestling, diving, taekwondo, triathlon, sailing and beach volleyball.
Some highlights:
- Women’s 400m hurdles final and men’s 200m final at the Olympic Stadium
- Women’s badminton doubles final at Riocentro Pavilion 4
- Semi-finals of women’s handball at the Future Arena
- Men’s hockey final at the Olympic Hockey Centre
- Women’s 10m springboard diving final at the Maria Lenk Aquatics Centre
- Men’s triathlon at Fort Copacabana
- Final regattas in the 49er and 49erFX sailing classes at Marina da Glória
- Men’s final at the Beach Volleyball Arena
19 AUGUST
The rhythmic gymnasts will finally be let out to play on 19 August (Photo: Getty Images/Jamie Squire)
Having waited patiently throughout the Games, athletes in modern pentathlon and rhythmic gymnastics will step out for the first time on this date. Medals will be up for grabs in another 12 sports – athletics, badminton, boxing, BMX, hockey, equestrian jumping, football, freestyle wrestling, synchronised swimming, modern pentathlon, water polo and taekwondo.
Some highlights:
- Men’s hammer throw and women’s pole vault finals at the Olympic Stadium, with Yelena Isinbaeva aiming for a glorious farewell
- Men’s basketball semi-finals at Carioca Arena 1
- BMX cycling finals in Deodoro Olympic Park
- Women’s football final at the Maracanã Stadium
- Start of the women’s individual all-round rhythmic gymnastics competition
- Women’s hockey finals in Deodoro Olympic Park
- Women’s modern pentathlon competition in Deodoro Olympic Park
- Men’s 4x100m relay final – will Usain Bolt achieve the ‘triple-triple’?
20 AUGUST
Brazil lost to Mexico at Wembley Stadium in the London 2012 final (Photo: Getty Images/Julian Finney)
The penultimate competition day will feature some of the most eagerly awaited moments of the Games, including the finals of women’s volleyball and men’s football. Meanwhile, medals will be up for grabs on the first day of action at the Mountain Bike Centre and in another 13 disciplines – athletics, badminton, basketball, canoe sprint, rhythmic gymnastics, golf, handball, freestyle wrestling, modern pentathlon, water polo, diving, taekwondo and triathlon.
- Women’s basketball final at Carioca Arena 1
- Women’s mountain bike cross country race
- Men’s football final at the Maracanã Stadium – will Brazil win gold for the first time?
- Men’s badminton singles final at Riocentro Pavilion 4
- Women’s handball final at the Future Arena
- Men’s water polo final at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium
- Women’s volleyball final at the Maracanãzinho Arena
21 AUGUST
There are sure to be a few teary eyes in the crowd as the curtain comes down on the Games (Photo: Getty Images/Julian Finney)
Athletics, basketball, boxing, mountain biking, rhythmic gymnastics, handball, freestyle wrestling and volleyball will be the sports in action on the final day of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Once the final medals have been handed out, attention will shift to the Maracanã Stadium, where South America’s first Olympic Games will be officially closed, and the Olympic flag will be handed over to Tokyo, host of the 2020 Games.
- Men’s basketball final at Carioca Arena 1
- Men’s marathon, finishing at the Sambódromo
- Rhythmic gymnastics team competition at the Rio Olympic Arena
- Men’s handball final at the Future Arena
- Men’s volleyball final at the Maracanãzinho Arena
- Closing ceremony at the Maracanã Stadium
