RIO DE JANEIRO — The United States will finish at the top of the heap in the overall medal table at these Olympics and way down the list in terms of international popularity.
That may not bother you and maybe it shouldn’t. The single-mindedness pursuit of success is a very American trait, albeit not a unique one.
One act, one gesture, won’t shift it, but there is an opportunity for the U.S. to sign off on its Olympic experience and leave a final image that is not bombastic, arrogant, parochial or insulting.
Make Abbey D’Agostino the flag bearer for the closing ceremony.