15 Glorious Sports Gifts the Rio Olympics Gave Us

The 2016 Summer Olympics gave fans many incredible gifts—from the emergence of young phenoms Simone Biles and Katie Ledecky to the continued dominance of veterans Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt.

But for every boss thing that happened during actual competition, there was a delightful moment of the non-medal-winning variety.

These were the best of those auxiliary moments that always occur at big sporting events—the memes, interviews and epic celebrations that happen off the court/field/track but leave an impact just the same. Some are funny, others are heartwarming, and some are both.

These are the things people will reference for weeks, months or even years to come. They will summon images for memes, and they will point to inspiring videos as evidence of sportsmanship.

The Olympics provided excitement and drama—and they gave us these glorious gifts too. 

Did someone say Dikembe Mutombo finger wag? 

Irish Rowers' Interview

Irish rowers (and brothers) Gary and Paul O'Donovan won a silver medal in the lightweight double sculls event in Rio.

Afterward, the duo gave an interview to RTE Sport, and it was, in a word, delightful. They talked about everything from pizzas to drug tests, all in those thick Irish accents.

In one insider snippet, Paul said, "I had to go and do this doping control thing, so I was there for an hour or two trying to take a pee then into a cup for them so, after about 10 liters of water as well so, full up now to be honest. Gary, it's like great craic though, isn't it," per Greg Myre of NPR.org.

(According to Myre, "craic" can mean gossip, fun or entertainment, by the way.)

If only all sports interviews could be as charming as this. 

Adrian Carambula's Serve

Adrian Carambula's beach volleyball serve is a bit like El Duque's windup—unusual, quirky and mesmerizing to watch.

The Italian put his "skyball" on display in Rio. In his trademark serve, Carambula sends the ball almost straight up, where it towers over the court before eventually landing on the opposite side of the net. 

According to the Wall Street Journal (via Scott Davis of Business Insider), Carambula is the only known player to use the serve regularly, and he does it to get people "off rhythm."

It's definitely cool to watch. 

Shaunae Miller's Dive

Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt each inspired memes at the 2016 Olympics, which is not all that surprising. Shaunae Miller's was a bit more out of the blue, but no less epic.

The Bahamian runner barely edged American superstar Allyson Felix in the 400-meter event, diving across the finish line at the last second.

Someone can't just dramatically hurl themselves across the line to win an Olympic gold medal and expect the internet not to notice. Memes abounded. 

It was kind of like that magical time Shaquille O'Neal fell out of his chair on the set of Inside the NBA. And it was glorious.  

Weightlifting Celebrations

Mike Groll/Associated Press

Olympic fans recently learned that weightlifters perform some of the best celebrations out there. For instance, David Katoatau of the Pacific island Kiribati busted into joyful dances after his lifts in Rio.  

Check it out here, courtesy of NBC Sports. 

According to Brian Oliver of Reuters, Katoatau uses his sport to raise awareness for climate change and said, "Most people don't know where Kiribati is. I want people to know more about us so I use weightlifting, and my dancing, to show the world."

And it wasn't just Katoatau. Lithuanian weightlifter Aurimas Didzbalis celebrated his medal with an actual backflip on the mat. 

Lilly King's Finger Wag

Adam Pretty/Getty Images

American swimmer Lilly King won two gold medals at the Rio Olympics, but she drew even more attention for one, simple finger wag.

King became a vocal opponent of doping at the Olympics and publicly criticized Russian swimmer Yulia Efimova, who recently served a 16-month doping suspension and also tested positive for meldonium.

King watched on a monitor as Efimova won her semifinal heat. The Russian put up a No. 1 finger, and cameras caught King putting up an index digit of her own—only hers was of the Dikembe Mutombo variety.

King ultimately beat Efimova in the 100-meter breaststroke final and said, "It's incredible—winning the gold medal and knowing I did it clean," per Kelyn Soong of the Washington Post.

Olympic Sportsmanship on the Track

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

The Olympic Games are about athletic excellence, but they're also about sportsmanship.

New Zealand's Nikki Hamblin and America's Abbey D'Agostino reminded fans what that looks like during a 5,000-meter qualifying race.

The two runners collided mid-race, and rather than continuing on alone, D'Agostino paused to help Hamblin to her feet. As it turned out, D'Agostino had torn her ACL, but both finished the race because they helped each other.

It was a lovely moment and reminder of what the Olympic spirit truly means. For their sportsmanship, each athlete received the Pierre de Coubertin medal.

Selfie of North and South Korean Gymnasts

The Olympics provide a place where athletes from all over the world can come together in the spirit of competition.

Relations between North and South Korea have long been strained, but two athletes—one from each respective country—provided a powerful symbol in Rio simply by taking a selfie.

Gymnasts Lee Eun-Ju of South Korea and Hong Un-Jong of North Korea posed together during a training session. The photo quickly spread across the internet, and Jean H. Lee of the New York Times called it an "example of the power of sports diplomacy."

Brandon Starc 'GOT' Memes

The Olympics even had something for all the Games of Thrones fans out there.

As any GOT junkie would know, Australian high jumper Brandon Starc bears the same name (phonetically, anyway) as one of the show's main characters, Bran Stark.

The internet had a lot of fun with this, of course, and yet another Olympic-inspired meme was born.

Starc didn't medal in the high jump competition, but he did gain a lot of notoriety from one of pop culture's most rabid fanbases. 

Team USA Players Become Fans

The U.S. men's basketball team won Olympic gold for the third straight time in Rio, but things weren't all business.

The team spent time rooting on its fellow Americans as well, and its enthusiasm was infectious. For instance, a few players went absolutely bonkers when Michael Phelps won his 20th Olympic gold medal by winning the 200-meter butterfly.

Later, several members took in some women's beach volleyball action and joined in as the crowd sang "Happy Birthday" to American star Kerri Walsh Jennings.

It's awesome to see big-time athletes like Kevin Durant and Jimmy Butler acting like any other starstruck fan, isn't it?

Santo Condorelli's Pre-Swim Ritual

MARTIN BUREAU/Getty Images

Many athletes probably wave to their loved ones in the stands, blow them kisses, wave. But Canadian swimmer Santo Condorelli has a different ritual that is simultaneously odd, surprising and—if you're so included—a little hilarious.

Before each race, Condorelli finds his father, Joseph, in the stands and flips him the bird. The Olympics were no exception.    

Apparently, Joseph Condorelli started this years ago as a way to motivate Santo to beat older competitors.

Per Jake Becker of the New York Daily News, Joseph said, "It became a good ritual for both of us. He got a lot of his aggravation out with just a really simple 'Give it to the world' rather than keep it internalized. It calms him down on the blocks for sure."

'Let's Get into It'

Brazilian singer Bianca Jhordao co-wrote and performed a hilarious song at the Olympics titled "Let's Get Into It," performed to the tune of "We Will Rock You."

According to Barry Petchesky of Deadspin, the song "encourages fans to clean up after themselves, not to smoke, not to take flash photography, and to just generally be good, constructive human beings."

Matt Ellentuck of SB Nation published a few lyrics, which include "Silence is gold / The medals they're gold / Please set your phones to vibrate mode," and "Do you really wanna smoke? / Please don't do it here."

Sometimes a little ridiculousness is just what an Olympic party needs.

#PhelpsFace

American swimmer Michael Phelps took home six medals in Rio (five gold, one silver), bringing his all-time Olympic total to an astonishing 28, including 23 gold.

Before the 200-meter butterfly semifinals, Phelps sat near the pool behind his South African rival Chad Le Clos and just mean mugged. Like, really mean mugged.

Many assumed the angry face was directed at Le Clos, but Phelps later said, "I just had music going on in my head. I had thoughts going on in my head, spitting water a little bit all over the place, so I was in my own zone. I was not intentionally mean mugging him or giving him a dirty look," per TODAY's Eun Kyung Kim.

Either way, the face was perfect meme material, and the internet quickly made way for #PhelpsFace.

Young Brazil Volleyball Fan

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

Remember when that tiny Pittsburgh Pirates fan ran the gauntlet of human emotion during an 18-inning marathon back in July?

The Rio Olympics had their version of him in the form of a young beach volleyball aficionado. Check him out.

As Brazilian duo Larissa Franca and Talita Antunes bested the Swiss team in a nail-biter, the youngster appeared to feel everything from joy to nervousness and perhaps even despair.

That fan was all of us watching our home country compete.

The Germans eventually upset the home team in the semifinals—no way the kid was happy about that.

Novak Djokovic and Juan Martin del Potro's Hug

Vadim Ghirda/Associated Press

Beautiful moments are some of the best Olympic gifts, and 2016 was no exception.

Argentinian tennis player Juan Martin del Potro eventually lost to Scotland's Andy Murray in the Olympic singles tennis final, but he had a big win along the journey.

Del Potro defeated Serbian star and world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in straight sets in the opening round—a huge upset considering Djokovic's international dominance of late (four consecutive Grand Slams in 2015 and '16).

After the upset, Djokovic and Del Potro shared an emotional hug, a moment during which the Argentine was moved to tears.

Usain Bolt's Smile

Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Usain Bolt was a gift in and of himself at the Rio Olympics. The Jamaican sprinter defended his gold medals in the 100-meter, 200-meter and 4x100-meter relay events, making him a three-time champion in each.

He laughed alongside Canadian sprinter Andre De Grasse during the 200-meter final and busted out LeBron James' signature celebration when he ultimately won.  

But perhaps the most perfect gift Bolt gave us was one simple look—a smile to the cameras as he surged ahead to win the 100-meter final in 9.89 seconds. So great. So meme-worthy.