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 Discount Nike Football Jerseys . Team physician Dr. Steve Traina performed the surgery Friday. 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Andrew Wiggins made 10-of-12 from the foul line and scored 17 for Kansas (14-4, 5-0 Big 12), which capped a stretch of four straight games against ranked opponents unscathed. Charlie Strong says he has not been told he has lost his job at Texas, despite reports that a decision to let him go has been made.Ive been told well be evaluated at the end of the season, he said at a Monday news conference.Texas athletic director Mike Perrin said the same thing in a statement Sunday night.Strong said that he met with his team after ESPN, among other outlets, reported that he will be fired.Theres a lot of reports out there, Strong said he told the team. Theres no reason for you to worry about me.Amid the turmoil, some Texas players have reportedly discussed boycotting the last game against TCU.The Austin American-Statesman reported that upperclassmen are trying to intervene to calm the situation.Strong said that his team will show up for TCU.They will not boycott this game, he said. They know this game is about the seniors. Thats not going to happen.Strong added: I told them not to quit on me and I wouldnt quit on them.Texas wide receiver Jacorey Warrick was that adamant players will not boycott the game and said he hopes the dozens of Longhorn players who came to Strongs news conference to show their support sent a message.He doesnt have the support, I guess, of some of the people who are trying to get him out, Warrick said. But the people who really matter, the players, you can see where our support lies.Strong did say that the rumors and reports have put pressure on the 5-6 Longhorns and that Texas was playing not to lose recently.?When theyre playing the way theyre playing, theyre playing for this coaaching staff, I can see the frustration, he said.ddddddddddddith tears streaming down his face, defensive tackle Paul Boyette Jr. offered a passionate defense of Strongs tenure at Texas, arguing his coaches deserve more than 36 months to turn the program around.In my heart and my spirit, I want him to be here, Boyette Jr. said. I dont make the decisions. Im not the head man in charge. All I can do is pray and hope for the best. I cant say enough about him.Boyette Jr., a senior, said it leaves a bitter taste in his mouth to think another head coach could come to Texas next season and reap the benefits of Strongs three years of building.If they hit the jackpot, they go a national championship, win the Big 12, theyll know who got em there, Boyette Jr. said.Strong is 16-20 overall and 12-14 in Big 12 play in three seasons with the Longhorns. If he coaches Friday against TCU, Strong will clinch either a bowl bid or his third seven-loss season.Strong said Monday that he wants to return next season and feels that a young Texas team has a lot of upside.If he is fired, however, Strong will be owed a $10.7 million buyout for the remaining two years on his contract, a fee that would be reduced if he takes another job.Strongs situation came to a head after Texas lost 24-21 in overtime to a Kansas team that was 1-9 and had lost its past 19 Big 12 games.ESPN staff writer Max Olson contributed to this report. 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