RIO DE JANEIRO -- Shaking to samba and expressing a sense of longing with uniquely Brazilian words, Olympians and fans said goodbye to the Rio Games with one last big bash that was both revelatory and a sigh of relief.The closing ceremony Sunday celebrated the 16-day spectacle that was the Rio Games, which combined numerous highlights with ugly and even bizarre episodes that sometimes overshadowed competition. Cariocas -- as Rios residents are known -- werent swayed by the issues that led up to these Olympics, and braved rain and strong winds on the final night to cap their moment in the worldwide spotlight.While South Americas first Olympics are over, safely and with a grandiose finale, many problems remain. Still, Brazil showed Sunday it still definitely knows how to party.These were marvelous Olympic Games in the `marvelous city, said International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, playing off the cidade maravilhosa nickname of Brazils postcard city of inviting coastlines, year-round sun and lush tropical vegetation.While the stadium erupted in applause at that declaration, a few minutes later there were boos of sadness when Bach announced: I declare the Games of the XXXI Olympiad closed.The closing ceremony in iconic Maracana Stadium was also meant to take care of some business -- formally signaling the transition to the 2020 Summer Olympics in Japan.But Sundays party was all about Brazil, designed to be more low-key than the opening, which focused heavily on Rio.The ceremony featured original footage of Alberto Santos Dumont, the man that Brazilians recognize as the inventor of the airplane. The theme, Brazilians can do with their bare hands, was a nod to the emerging economy of the worlds fifth most populous nation.Dressed in colorful feathers, dozens of dancers formed in the shape of the arches of Lapa, a popular area of Rio akin to Roman ruins, then morphed to make the shape of iconic Sugarloaf before quickly changing again, this time to the official 2016 symbol.Samba legend Martinho da Vila, whose tunes make their way into many popular telenovelas, sang Carinhoso, or Affectionate.Olympians poured in under light rain, waving their flags while many shook their bodies to samba-infused pop that made the stadium feel like a Carnival parade. Britains athletes wore shoes with soles that lit up in changing colors of red, white and blue, while Tongan taekwondo athlete Pita Taufatofua danced onstage in a grass skirt as a DJ performed, reprising a moment that captured attention when he carried the flag for his country during the opening ceremony.The show widened its lens to greater Brazil, a massive country with a land mass slightly larger than the continental United States. There was a tribute to cave paintings of some of the first inhabitants of the Americas, in Serra da Capivara, in Northeastern Brazil, today one of the nations poorest regions.Spectators watched performers shake it to frevo, a frenetic dance that -- if its even possible -- makes high-octane samba seem like a staid ballroom affair. Holding small umbrellas, dancers jumped and marched while performing acrobatics.They shook it to Vassourinhas, which means small brooms, a popular song that was also the name of a famous club in the northeastern city of Recife.The show also built performances around saudade, which means anything from longing for someone to sadness to remembering good times. It is one of the most important words in Brazilian Portuguese. Lights flashed translations for the word in many languages, and a group of women sang Mulher Rendeira, or Lace-making Woman, a nod to the countrys African heritage. Brazil was the last country in the Americas to outlaw slavery, in 1888.The games had many memorable moments, both for Brazilian competitors at home and athletes from around the world.Soccer-crazed Brazil got partial payback against Germany, winning gold two years after a 7-1 World Cup semi-final shellacking that left Brazilians fuming. American gymnast Simone Biles asserted her dominance with four golds, swimmer Michael Phelps added five more to up his staggering total to 23 and the worlds fastest man, Usain Bolt, put on his usual show with three golds just days before turning 30 years old.But there were also ugly episodes, like American swimmer Ryan Lochtes fabricated story about a harrowing robbery that was actually an intoxicated-fueled vandalism of a gas station bathroom, and bizarre issues like Olympic diving pools going from crystal blue to gunky, algae green -- at a time when Rios water quality in open waters is one of the biggest local environmental issues.With the games over, Brazilians now return to problems that have long consumed the country of 200 million people. The economy is mired in its worst recession in decades, and later this week the Senate is expected to begin the trial on whether to permanently remove suspended President Dilma Rousseff, who was impeached in May for breaking fiscal rules in her managing of the federal budget.Theres widespread expectation that the games in Tokyo, one of the worlds richest, most recognizable, cosmopolitan cities, will run more smoothly than they have in Rio. But theres also worry in Japan over whether the Olympics will eventually further drag down an economy that has been struggling for decades.The governor of Tokyo, Yuriko Koike, accepted the flag from International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach and Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes, signaling the transition.Many people, from Brazilians to IOC members, will analyze how things went for the Rio Games in the months ahead. But on Sunday, one strong sentiment was relief -- that despite some problems, overall the games went well.That wasnt a given going in. The Zika virus scared away some competitors and tourists, rampant street crime in Rio and recent extremist attacks around the world raised fears about safety and Brazils political crisis, and the economic angst behind it, threatened to cast a pall over the competitions.We are very resilient, we didnt leave anything important unaddressed, said Augusta Porto, 36, a translator and Rio resident. We can welcome people despite the serious problems that we have faced in the recent past.---This story has been corrected to reflect that Brazils loss to Germany in the 2014 World Cup was in a semifinal, not final.---AP Summer Games website: http://summergames.ap.org---Peter Prengaman on Twitter: www.twitter.com/peterprengamanMauricio Savarese on Twitter: www.twitter.com/MSavarese Wholesale NFL Jerseys .Y. -- Paul Byron and Matt Stajan scored as the Calgary Flames started a five-game road trip with a 2-1 overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday afternoon. Cheap NFL Jerseys China . 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Goalie Roberto Luongo, getting the call in place of Game 1 starter Carey Price, was solid when needed in making 23 saves for the shutout. CHAPECO, Brazil -- For the players on the humble Brazilian club from an out-of-the-way city known for its agribusiness plants, these were going to be the games of their lives.Chapecoense was having the best season in its 43-year history, heading to the first of two matches in the final of the Copa Sudamericana, the continents No. 2 club tournament. The once-downtrodden club and its itinerant players were enjoying the heights of soccer glory.It all ended suddenly late Monday night on a muddy Colombian hillside. Their chartered aircraft crashed south of Medellin, killing 71 of the 77 people aboard, including most of the team. Three players were among the survivors.The tragedy stunned the southern city of Chapeco and its 200,000 residents, and fans gathered in silence Tuesday to mourn outside the teams small green-and-white concrete stadium.The city is very quiet, businessman Cecilio Hans said. People will only believe once the bodies start to arrive.On social media, haunting last photos showed the smiling players boarding the flight to Colombia for the first of two matches against Atletico Nacional.In one photo, the team celebrated a last-minute save by goalkeeper Danilo only a week ago against Argentine club San Lorenzo. The save guaranteed Chapecoense a spot in the final -- and ultimately cost Danilo his life in the crash.Now I wish he would have conceded that goal, said 17-year-old fan Rubens Vieira.The club, known as Chape, was in the midst of a remarkable run. As recently as 2009, the club was playing in Brazils fourth division, but it won promotion to the top league in 2014 for the first time since the 1970s.Victories over San Lorenzo and Independente -- two of Argentinas fiercest squads -- as well as Colombian club Junior took the team to the Copa Sudamericana finals, the equivalent of the UEFA Europa League tournament.On Sunday, Chapecoense nearly defeated famed Sao Paulo club Palmeiras, which won 1-0 to claim its first Brazilian league title in decades. Chape had gained admirers for its stout play against Palmeiras, and everything was set for Wednesdays showdown in Colombia. The second match was to be a week later in Brazil.Hans remembered that about a decade ago, this club nearly disappeared. Then businessmen started to help.Few of the players had an international profile, and none had any appearances with Brazils glitzy national team or time with top European clubs. Most had played all over Brazil and Latin America. A few like Cleber Santana had reached Europe, playing with Atletico Madrid from 2007-10.Chape strikers Bruno Rangel and Kempes, both 34, were among the top scorers in the Brazilian league, with 10 and nine goals, respectively.The only players to survive were goalkeeper Jakson Follmann, defender H?lio Zampier, commonly known as Neto, and defender-midfielder Alan Ruschel.Part of Chapes recent rise was due to coach Caio Junior, who joined the club this year after guiding teams in the Middle East.dddddddddddd Born Luiz Carlos Saroli, he coached numerous Brazilian teams, including Palmeiras, Flamengo and Botafogo.He was among the dead. But his son, Matheus Saroli, survived, saying in a Facebook post that he missed the flight because I forgot my passport.An Argentine player on the club, Alejandro Martinuccio, also missed the flight because of an injury during a game, he told Argentinas La Red radio.I feel deep sadness. The only thing I can ask is prayers for the companions who were on the flight, he said.Psychologist Sonia Smaniotto said she came to the stadium in Chapeco at 7 a.m. to help counsel bereaved fans.This is horrible for the city, but it will be even worse for the families, she said. Each burial will be the burial of a hero because those families of footballers are built around their careers. These families were hoping to be on the top of the world. Now theyve lost the center of their lives.Also among the dead were 20 sports journalists, including Mario Sergio Pontes de Paiva, a former player who worked as a commentator for Fox Sports. He played briefly for Brazils national team in the early 1980s and had a long career as a midfielder and coach with many Brazilian clubs. He last coached Brazilian club Internacional in 2009 and Ceara in 2010.This is a very, very sad day for football, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement. At this difficult time our thoughts are with the victims, their families and friends.Brazilian President Michel Temer is declaring three days of official mourning, soccer great Pele called it a tragic loss, and Brazilian champion Palmeiras asked the countrys football confederation for permission to wear Chapecoenses jersey in its last match of the season.Around the world, the sport paused to remember the victims.Barcelona and Real Madrid have held a minute of silence before their practice sessions. Frances top two leagues said there would be a minutes silence at Tuesday nights games, and defending League One champion Paris Saint-Germain also tweeted a photo of its players and staff standing in silent tribute.Medellin-based Atletico Nacional said it was asking the South American soccer confederation to give the Copa Sudamericana title to Chape as a tribute to the players who died.In addition, some of Brazils top clubs said they want to give players to Chape on a free loan for the 2017 season. They also say the club should not be relegated to the second division for three years as it recovers from the disaster.The dream is not over. We will fight back when its time, said Chapes acting club president Gelson Della Costa.Now its time to take care of the families, he said.---Wade reported from Rio de Janeiro. 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