RIO DE JANEIRO -- Simone Biles defied gravity. Simone Manuel defied history. Michael Phelps glared, still hungry. Katie Ledecky churned all alone. Meb Keflezighi did pushups. Allyson Felix anchored the U.S. to gold. Usain Bolt glanced at the heir apparent to his right and grinned.
A distance runner helped an injured opponent to her feet. A sprinter dove in desperation. A hurdler's toddler son capered happily on the track. A wrestler wept. Thirteen water polo players, one after the other, carefully looped their gold medals over a treasured coach's neck.
Neymar scored.
Yet amid the giddy 17-day narrative presented in high definition, two low-resolution videos stood out.