The Olympics: A global event that brings together cultures and races from around the world through fierce competition and the possibility of eternal glory.

As the Olympics begin to wane over the following week, a trend quite familiar to those who have watched in years previous begins to unfold — the United States collecting medal after medal in a wide variety of disciplines.

One sport that the United States has repeatedly dominated in is swimming. The two headlining swimmers over the past week have been Katie Ledecky and Michael Phelps.

Ledecky dominated the events with an almost inhuman efficiency and superiority. Phelps has won and medaled in events while appearing to disregard any effect of aging.

On the track, the king of the 100-meter sprint, Usain Bolt (Jamaica), defended his crown on Sunday evening. He approached the race with his typical bravado, seeming to be almost flippant toward the competition. In his semifinal race, noticing his substantial lead, he turned and smiled at his opponents.

There have been questions over the months leading up to the Olympics about whether or not Bolt had lost his ability to defend his past two gold medals due to a hamstring injury that very nearly kept him from competing in these Olympics.

In the final race, Bolt, whose strong point has never been starting off the line quickly, began at a comparatively pedestrian pace. American sprinter and longtime rival of Usain Bolt, Justin Gatlin, was pulling ahead at 50 meters when, suddenly, Bolt kicked it into another gear and blew past all the competition, proving that he still has what it takes to win and deserves the title of Fastest Man on Earth