Olympics: Five cult heroes from Rio 2016

By Steven Oldham
Rio 2016 saw existing legends cement their place in sporting history; Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps, Mo Farah and so on. New stars such as Simone Biles and Nafissatou Thiam took centre stage and will look to build on their Brazilian success in four years time at Tokyo 2020.

But what about those lesser known athletes whose achievements might be overshadowed by the megastars? Here's five cult heroes from Rio.

Mónica Puig (Costa Rica)
Gold (Tennis, women's singles)


Puerto Rico's Monica Puig celebrates her gold-winning performance

22-year-old Puig upset the formbook by capturing the women's singles by defeating world number two Angelique Kerber in three sets, winning her country's first ever Olympic gold medal in the process. Unseeded Puig richly deserved her gold medal, defeating the much fancied Garbine Muguruza of Spain in straight sets ahead of eliminating double Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova in the semi finals. There were murmurs that Puig benefitted from the shock early exit of reigning champion Serena Williams but given her form, the result would be far from guaranteed. Never beyond the fourth round of a Grand Slam, more eyes than ever will focus on her progress in next week's US Open.

Nick Skelton (Great Britain)
Gold (Equestrian, individual showjumping)



Nick Skelton & Big Star on their way to gold in the individual jumping

A veteran of seven Olympic Games, Nick Skelton is living proof that it's never too late to achieve your dreams. He took his first individual Olympic gold on Big Star this month at the age of 58; having recovered from a broken neck in 2000, he retired briefly back in 2001 before returning to the sport a year later. A team gold winner in London four years ago, his run to glory in Rio wasn't trouble free, and was way down the leaderboard in the third round. In the final however, with the scores reset, he and Big Star - who he recognises as the best horse he's worked with - produced three flawless runs and took gold in the six-rider jump-off ahead of Sweden's Peder Fredricson.

Joseph Schooling (Singapore)
Gold (Swimming, men's butterfly)



Singapore's first Olympic champion, swimmer Joseph Schooling

Even the great Michael Phelps was left in the wake of Singapore's first ever gold medal winner. Schooling - at 22 with more surely still to come - became Olympic champion and broke his hero Phelps' Games record and beat the American into second place all in one race. His success was no fluke - he topped the timesheet in the heats ahead of Phelps and other better known swimmers including the reigning 200m champion in the same event, South Africa's Chad le Clos. A photo of the young Schooling meeting Phelps at the Beijing 2008 Games spread quickly across the internet following his success His attention will now settle on translating Olympic glory into World Championship gold next summer in Hungary.

Osea Kolinisau (Fiji)
Gold (Rugby sevens, men's competition)



Fiji captain Osea Kolinisau celebrates leading his team to victory

Rugby sevens proved to be a great addition to the Games and it's future on the Olympic programme should be secure past Tokyo 2020 given the positive reception from fans. The men's competition was dominated by World Series champions Fiji. Captain Osea Kolinisau led from the front, laying in with four tries and nine conversions, ending the tournament as his country's top points scorer. His opening minute try in the final vs Great Britain set the tone for a masterclass in sevens rugby, and, more crucially, helped secure his country's first ever Olympic medal of any colour.

Katie Ledecky (USA)
Gold x 4 (Swimming, freestyle. 200m, 400m, 800m, 4x200m relay)



Five-time Olympic champion Katie Ledecky of the USA

If Katie Ledecky was any other nationality than American, her achievements would be even bigger news than they are. If it's possible to be a victim of Phelpsmania, then Katie was it. Her four gold medals, adding to her success at London 2012, takes her to five gold medals at the age of 19. She destroyed the competition in Rio, finishing her 800m some 12 seconds ahead of her nearest rival. She set new world records in both the 400 and 800m - replacing herself as the fastest woman over these distances. She is already sixth on the all time list of female Olympic medal winning swimmers and it's surely only a matter of time - four years perhaps - when she overtakes compatriot Jenny Thompson who has eight gold medals.

In a Games packed with great stories, whose was your favourite story? One of my featured athletes? Someone else? Let me know in the comments.