How Much Is an Olympic Medal Worth? Depends Who Won It.

#1 Age Won’t Hold Her Back

Despite American gymnast Simone Biles stealing the spotlight in the gym at the 2016 Rio Games, there was another gymnast who turned heads as Oksana Chusovitina became the oldest woman to ever compete in Olympic gymnastics.While she didn't have a successful showing in Rio, Chusovitina has no plans of retiring and hinted at a potential return for the 2020 Tokyo Games.

#2 Ashton Eaton Defends Olympic Gold

Despite Mayer's impressive run and competing with a tender throwing shoulder, the Olympian was able to push through and retake the lead with his second attempt in the javelin. With the 1500m race left in the competition, Eaton finished with 8,893 points and another gold medal. Mayer's threat to Eaton's performance was put to an end when Eaton was able to pass the French athlete on the last lap after trailing him during most of the race. The victory marked Eaton's second consecutive win in the Men's Decathlon. While he was just shy of the 9,045 PR he set last year, he was able to tie the Olympic record set in 2004 by Czech Roman Sebrle.

#3 A First Time For Everything

Female athletes from all over the world flocked to Rio to showcase their athletic abilities and prove that women are powerful beings. The 2016 Rio Games saw an array of successful stories from the pool to the track. During the competition, Olympians made history as their accomplishments became record breaking performances. Simpson's bronze medal victory was a monumental achievement that finally put an end to the shut out. On the mat, Judoka Majlinda Kelmendi won Kosovo's first Olympic medal for the country with her gold medal win against Italy's Odette Giuffrida. The victories illustrated by the women Olympians with their awe-inspiring performances will continue to be everlasting highlights of the Rio Games.

#4 USA’s 1-2-3 Finish

In an Olympic historic event, the United States team of Brianna Rollins, Nia Ali, and Kristi Castlin managed to win all three medals during the 100 meter hurdles event. While there have been 61 prior medal sweeps in Olympic history that occurred in the men's event, this one marks the first for American track and field women. The sweep was a much needed victory after the U.S. men failed to medal in the 110 hurdles for the first time in Olympic history.

#5 Diving For The Gold

With the gold medal just seconds from her reach, Shaunae Miller put on a thrilling performance as she dived across the finish line to secure her first place finish. The Bahamas-born runner, plunged over the line which ultimately denied American runner Allyson Felix from receiving her fifth Olympic gold medal in the women's 400-meter final. Leading up to the final moments, the two runners were neck and neck, but it was Miller's dive that helped her clutch the win.

#6 When The Student Surpasses The Master

American Katie Ledecky met Phelps at an autograph signing when she was just eight years old. A decade later, the swimmer was receiving assistance from Phelps on how to display her multiple gold medals around her neck as the two posed side by side for a special edition Sports Illustrated cover.

#7 Twins Spark Controversy

The twenty-six-year-old sisters finished the race in 81st and 82nd place; which is 15 minutes slower than their personal best times. This information fuelled the fire for the criticism as it illustrated that the runners were looking to receive media attention for their actions despite their low placement. The German Athletics Federation sports director, Thomas Kurschilgen, stated that their slow times and their hand holding made the Olympic competition look more like a recreational race rather than a prominent event.

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