RIO DE JANEIRO — A blustery storm, a touch of melancholy and a sense of pride converged at the closing ceremony of the 2016 Olympics on Sunday as Brazil breathed a collective sigh of relief at having pulled off South America’s first Games.It was far from a perfect execution by Brazil, which battled with empty seats, security scares and a mysterious green diving pool. But two late gold medals for the host country in its two favourite sports, men’s soccer and volleyball, helped to smooth some of the rough edges around the Games for Brazilians.From the Maracana where it all began 16 days ago, the final event kicked off with figures dressed as multicoloured macaws flying over Rio’s world-famous landmarks, Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf Mountain, before forming the five Olympic rings.READ THIS: A medal haul to shout aboutA storm that menaced Rio all day sent wind and rain through Brazil’s most storied stadium and the power briefly went out in part of the stadium and the surrounding n...
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