In the end, it’s always about the athletes.

The breathtaking height of the snowboarder’s leap off the halfpipe lip.

The exquisite marriage of athleticism and artistry of the figure skater.

The inexhaustible drive of the cross country skier.

The lightning quick reflexes of the short track speed skater.

The champion’s habit to shrug off mistakes and bore down.

The unbridled glee of a personal best on the biggest stage in the world.

The swell of gratefulness that settles like balm over years of pain and sacrifice.

The 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympiad was a success. For the athletes showed us again, as they do every two years, that striving to be the fastest, highest, and strongest is symbolic of our own everyday hope to be the best we can be.

The PyeongChang Games are over.

But the countdown to the Tokyo Games continue.

878 days to go!