Rio 2016: Curtain down as M'sia's quest for gold continues

The first ever Olympic Games staged in South America drew its curtain with a colorful array of dances, depicting the the rich diversity of Brazil at the iconic Maracana Stadium here on Sunday.

The Games initiated at the same stadium 16 days ago rounded off, amidst the rainy and wet night, with a spectacular show of sporting spirit as the world's best athletes converged to bid farewell to the 31st Olympiad.

Figures dressed as multi-coloured macaws flew over Rio's world-famous landmarks, Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf Mountain, before forming the five Olympic rings to start off the show.

Traditional music of the local communities in Rio and a representation of 1930s icon Carmen Miranda set the stage to greet the remaining 11,000 athletes and officials into the gigantic stadium.

The Malaysian contingent comprising the remaining shuttlers and diving team led by chef-de-mission, Tan Sri Mohamed Al Amin Abdul Majid and national badminton legend, Datuk Lee Chong Wei casually trooped into the stadium, dressed in 'Tigers' tracksuits.

Malaysia closed the Rio chapter with an ever best medal haul in the country's Olympics history with four silver and a bronze, bettering the one silver and one bronze it won at the London games, four years ago.

Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge, 31, was honoured during the medal presentation ceremony for clinching the last gold of the Games after his seventh win in eight marathons, clocking 2 hours 8 minutes 44 seconds in the morning race today.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach praised the organisers and hailed the Rio Olympics as "marvellous" as he officially closed the Games before the flame was extinguished.

Rio City then handed over the Olympic flag to Tokyo, the next host in 2020.

Japan's Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe injected some humour with a cameo as Nintendo video game character Super Mario.

He promised that his government would work hard to present "the best Olympic Games ever" in four years' time.

Th Rio Games saw American swimmer Michael Phelps winning five gold and one silver, and a surprising defeat to Singapore's 21-year-old Joseph Schooling in the 100m butterfly with a new Olympic record.

World's fastest man, Usian Bolt of Jamaica ended his Olympic career by scooping up three gold medals in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m, for the third successive Games while Brazil celebrated their first Olympic gold through their idolised soccer team.

The 80,000 crowd at the stadium braved the stormy night to pay tribute to the Games that came to the continent for the first time, against a backdrop of the country's political and economic crisis.