RIO DE JANEIRO — Only a tiny percentage of all Olympians will leave Rio with a gold medal, less than one in 10 will get any kind of hardware at all, so for most it is reaching the Games is the greatest triumphs.
That mentality extends beyond the Athletes’ Village, to family members and loved ones of the competitors, and even to fans with no Olympic connection other than the belief that this event, for all its problems, represents something bigger than mere athletics.
USA TODAY Sports takes a look at some tales of Olympic adventure, featuring a group of people who, before a single medal has been handed out, already have won.