The Olympic games are a place where, every four years, the greatest athletes from all around the world come together in a celebration of sports and unity of all nations. In Rio de Janeiro, there was no shortage of great moments, showcasing both the pinnacle of athletic excellence and the core of what it means to be an Olympian. In no particular order, here are 16 highlights from Rio that will leave a lasting impression.

1. De Lima Lights the Torch

A great moment occurred during the opening ceremonies, when former Brazilian marathon runner Vanderlei de Lima was chosen to light the Olympic torch. In 2004, de Lima led the marathon with about a half a minute left, until a fan jumped from the crowd and attacked him. He still ended up winning the bronze, but was denied what would have been Brazil's first gold medal in the marathon. Not many people can say they lit the Olympic torch, so hopefully it will provide some closure for de Lima.

2. Refugee Olympic Team

Among the best stories leading up to the games was the new Olympic team set up for a group of refugee athletes. Consisting of ten athletes from South Sudan, Syria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, they came from different circumstances, but all managed to escape some sort of turmoil in their home country and all shared a common goal of raising awareness for the current refugee crisis around the world. The entire story is truly inspirational and well worth reading more about.

3. Michael Phelps' Final Swim

He may simply be the greatest athlete in history. Phelps looked as good as ever in Rio, winning five gold and one silver, despite being one of the oldest swimmers in the 2016 Olympics. Phelps could probably keep on winning medals in 2020 if he wanted to, but it appears that this is it for Phelps, who has certainly made his mark in the history books.

4. Bolt of Lightning

Michael Phelps isn't the only legend who competed in his final Olympics. Usain Bolt has indicated that Rio will be his last as well. An international icon, Bolt will leave having won nine gold medals in total. In addition to his dazzling track record, it's his personality and swagger that make him a worldwide superstar, taking selfies with fans and doing his signature pose after each victory. Prior to last week's 200-meter sprint, when asked if there was any doubt he would win gold, he simply answered, "No". After all, it's not cocky if you can back it up. Despite his confidence, Bolt has always shown a high amount of respect to the sport and his competitors, always able to display confidence in himself while still being a class act. The world will surely miss watching one of the greatest athletes of all time and without a doubt, one of the most entertaining.

5. Van Niekerk Takes His Place in History

Wayde van Niekerk entered these games with the mindset of not just competing for himself, but competing for his mother and coach as well. His mother was once a world class athlete herself, but was barred from competing internationally due to South Africa's apartheid. His coach is 74-year old Ans Botha, whom he credits for leading him towards a great deal of his success. Van Niekerk not only won gold, but he also became the first to win the 400-meter sprint from lane eight, and shattered the world record, finishing in 43.03 seconds.

6. Ledecky's Breakout Performance

Katie Ledecky may as well have been the breakout star of the Rio games. She was already well known prior to this year, winning a gold medal in London in the women's 800-meter freestyle swim. This year, however, she became one of the stars of the games, not just for winning 4 gold medals and one silver, but because of the dominant margins of victory. You can read more about her rise to stardom here.

7. Simone Biles Dominates

Another breakout star for the U.S. was Simone Biles, who won an incredible four gold medals and five total in gymnastics. At age 19, she is already considered by some to be the greatest gymnast of all-time. She even exited Rio in style, as she was chosen to be the flag bearer for Team USA at the closing ceremonies.

8. Winning Gold For a Nation

While it is commonplace for many nations to take home dozens of medals each Olympics, it can be easy to forget that many countries have never won an Olympic medal. A feeling to which nothing can be compared is when an athlete is able to win their country's first ever medal. In Rio, nine National Olympic Committees won gold for the first time ever - Vietnam, Kosovo, Fiji, Singapore, Puerto Rico, Bahrain, Jordan, Tajikistan, and the Ivory Coast. Kosovo's Majlinda Kelmendi (judo), Ahmad Abughaush (taekwondo), and Fiji's men's rugby sevens team all won the first medal of any kind for their countries. No doubt they'll go back home as national heroes.

9. An Unlikely Champion

Puerto Rico's aforementioned gold medal is the doing of tennis player Monica Puig. Puig's victory over Angelique Kerber of Germany stands as one of the unlikeliest of Olympic medals. The 22-year old wasn't even seeded in the tournament and went on to defeat the Kerber, who is the #2 ranked female tennis player in the world. Puig, born in Puerto Rico but now living in Florida, would likely have not even qualified for the Olympics, had she chosen to compete for the U.S.

10. Ervin Defies His Age

Maybe one of the more unlikely medalist's considering his age, Anthony Ervin took home the gold medal in the men's 50-meter swimming freestyle for the United States. Remarkably, he did it at age 35 and was able to reclaim the gold medal he won in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. He auctioned off that 2000 gold medal to help aid victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

11. The Debut of Rugby Sevens

2016 marked the introduction of men's and women's rugby sevens in the Olympics. The sport won over many viewers, with its high action and fast-paced style of play (each game only takes about 20 minutes to complete). Australia won gold for the women and Fiji for the men, the nation's first ever medal. Rugby seven's will be back for the 2020 Tokyo games.

12. Heroics on the Beach

This other quick-paced sport had its share of drama and competitiveness. For the first time since 2000, Kerri Walsh Jennings did not win the gold medal, taking home the bronze instead. The gold medal match was instead between Agatha and Barbara, two first time Olympians from the host nation, and Germany's Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst. The German duo won an exciting match to win their first Olympic medals. In the men's tournament, Brazilian duo Alison and Bruno captured gold for the home crowd.

13. Chusovitina Still Going Strong

The career of most gymnasts is a short one, but not for Oksana Chusovitina. At age 41, Chusovitina competed in her seventh Olympics for Uzbekistan, in a sport where you're "too old" if you're in your mid-20s. Indeed, many of her competitors are less than half her age. Back in 2002, she used her prize money from gymnastics to fund her son's cancer treatment.

14. Hamblin and D'Agostino Show True Olympic Spirit

Every so often, we get to see great displays of sportsmanship that are bigger than the sport itself. In the middle of a 5,000 semifinal meter race, Nikki Hamblin of New Zealand and Abbey D'Agostino of the United States collided with each other. D'Agostino got up first and helped her competitor up. It was D'Agostino who was too injured to run the race, so she urged Hamblin to go on, after which D'Agostino limped to the finish line. That's what the true spirit of the Olympics are about - two athletes from different countries aiding each other in the midst of competition. Both runners were given an exemption to advance to the finals.

15. Silva Wins Over Her Country

The only thing better than winning a gold medal at the Olympics is winning it in your home country. Judoka Rafaela Silva was the first Brazilian to win gold in Rio. Silva is from one the worst neighborhoods in Rio de Janeiro, where she encountered a great deal of poverty and racism. Now an Olympic champion, she is to aspiring to give the people of her impoverished neighborhood hope.

16. Brazil Wins Gold in Soccer

In addition to Silva, Brazil also won gold in two of their biggest sports. As mentioned earlier, Bruno Schmidt and Alison Cerutti won gold in beach volleyball. In men's soccer, Brazil defeated Germany on penalty kicks, giving the home crowd one final thing to cheer about.