As we all know, the 2016 Olympic Games took place this summer in Rio De Janerio, Brazil. Of course, everyone had his or her favorite sport to watch, whether it was a mainstream sport or something less popular, like water polo.

According to www.thetoptens.com, these were the Top 10 most watched sports of the 2016 Summer Olympics, starting with No. 1.

Gymnastics. We can assume that this was the most watched sport because of an extremely talented young woman by the name of Simon Biles. At only 19 years old, Biles has achieved such great success.

Track and Field. Another household name can take the credit for making this second on the list of most watched sports — Usain Bolt. With 2016 being his last year competing in the Olympic Games, it was a thrill to watch the athlete put on such a show for everyone. His energy and positive spirit is something for all young athletes to look up to.

Swimming. Michael Phelps killed it yet again this year. Even those who do not understand swimming, or do not usually watch the sport, will go out of their way to watch Phelps swim. He is an amazing athlete with such immense talent. It is hard not to get sucked into watching when you know he is going to be on TV.

Beach volleyball. This sport is one that is just too intense to turn off once it is on. If you watch a couple seconds, most likely you are going to watch the whole match. With only two players on the sand, the game becomes fast paced and super intense.

Basketball. Of course, this is an American favorite. It is one of those sports that most people can just sit down and enjoy any day of the week, so of course it is even more fun to watch the athletes representing our country.

Weightlifting. This makes the Top 10 simply because it puts people in shock seeing how much weight one human being can pick up and then put back down. The utter strength and determination it takes for these individuals to compete is something to truly be admired.

Soccer. Viewers not only tune in to watch the United States play, but other countries as well. Soccer is very popular in other countries, and it is fun to watch so many great athletes compete.

Indoor volleyball. Although not quite as intense as beach volleyball, it is still fun to watch. Played with a full team of six players on the court, I think people enjoy watching indoor volleyball because it is cool to see how good someone can be at a sport that the rest of the population casually plays in the backyard.

Tennis. Serena Williams. That is all that truly needs to be said about tennis. She has to be one of the best female athletes that has ever competed in the Olympic Games.

Cycling. This sport is interesting and watched a lot just because it is different from most of the other Olympic sports. It is super cool to see the dedication people put into a sport that we do not think about very often.

The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the writer and are not representative of The Slate or its staff as a whole

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