GREAT OLYMPIC ATHLETES AND THEIR SHINING MOMENTS

There are several athletes in Rio Olympics that truly make me happy, jubilant and a fan. They make me see the greatness of athletes who dedicate themselves to their sport and the triumph of the human spirit over great odds.

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1. Joseph Schooling - Aside from giving Singapore its first ever Olympic gold, the 21-year old Schooling beat swim greats Michael Phelps and Chad le Clos by registering an Olympic record. Unfazed by his more illustrious opponents, Schooling topped the preliminaries and semifinals making him a serious contender before the finals of the 100m. butterfly. But Schooling remained just that, a contender, until the finals where he swam his way to victory in record-breaking fashion.

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2. Fiji Rugby Sevens Team - The Fiji Rugby Sevens team burst into a song after winning Fiji's first-ever Olympic gold. Tipped as the favorite to win the gold before the Olympics, the Fiji Rugby team lived up to expectations by beating Great Britain, 43-7, to win gold.

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3. Hoang Xuan Vinh - Vinh won Vietnam's first Olympic gold, through shooting, in a highly dramatic finish. Up against Brazilian shooter Felipe Almeda Wu, Vinh was running second after the penultimate round. But Vinh shot a final score of 10.7 against the 10.1 of Wu to wrest the lead and win the gold. Wu was heavily favored to win the gold and was heavily cheered by the Brazilians. But Vinh never gave up and evetually triumphed through sheer determination and great focus.

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4. Michael Phelps - Making his fifth Olympic appearance, Phelps, 31, still managed to win 5 golds and a silver in Rio. Truly, he is the greatest swimmer in Olympic history.

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5. Christoph Harting - Germany's Harting was in fourth place going to the final round of the discus throw. Poland's Piotr Malachowski was already celebrating as he led the finalists with a throw of 67.55 m. But Harting came up with a throw of 68. 37 in his final attempt to win the gold.

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6. Monica Puig - Puerto Roco's Monica Puig set three different records as an athlete of Puerto Rico. She is the first female athlete from Puerto Rico to win the country's first Olympic gold. Her gold is the only medal that Puerto Rico has won. She won the Olympic gold in tennis.