In some respects, it feels like a lifetime ago, but 2012 really shows what a slow burn progress can be.
London became the first Olympics in which women could compete in all events, and Paris is again making history as the first Olympics with an equal split of male and female athletes.
Their achievements have been nothing short of remarkable, but often it is the emotion, the celebrations and the back story that stick with us.
Timaru’s Jorja Miller falling to her knees and pointing to the sky as the final whistle went for the Black Ferns Sevens gold.
The fairy tale swansong for Portia Woodman-Wickliffe and Tyla King in front of a record-breaking 66,000 crowd for women’s rugby.
Watching the rowing "super mums" Lucy Spoors and Brooke Francis charge to the top of the podium, where the tears fell as their Olympic dreams came true.
They speak of being brave and showing the world exactly how tough woman are - from breastfeeding their children lakeside during trainings, navigating the changes in their bodies as elite athletes and juggling their lives outside of the boat to reach the top of the world.
Spoors’ sister, Phoebe, did well to hold her composure and cross the line with Jackie Gowler, Davina Waddy and Kerri Williams in the same hour to win bronze in the coxless four.
It is watching Emma Twigg jump out of the boat after winning silver and darting over to embrace Dutch winner Karolien Florijn with a beaming smile.
Even in defeat, Twigg’s class shone through.
Medals are the symbols of greatness when it comes to the Olympics. But it is easy to become short-sighted and miss the other wins along the way.
Dunedin’s own Erika Fairweather smashed the ceiling by making four Olympic finals - the first Kiwi swimmer to do so - and was part of the first New Zealand relay team to make an Olympic final.
Climber Sarah Tetzlaff set an Oceania record in her speed climbing heat, Eliza McCartney, Imogen Ayris and Olivia McTaggart have all qualified for the pole vault final, and Maia Ramsden produced an incredible final 100m to make the 1500m semifinal.
That is all without our most decorated Olympian, Dame Lisa Carrington, even getting to the pointy end of her competition.
Let us see what the final four days bring.
More than just sport
Black Ferns sevens star Michaela Blyde was reduced to tears when she spotted her idol, Jamaican sprint sensation Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, at the Olympic dining hall. Blyde later met her hero on the street and Fraser-Pryce went to sevens games to support her new friend. Blyde named her medal "Shelly" on her return home.
American gymnasts Simone Biles - at a loss for words for her talent - and Jordan Chiles, who won silver and bronze respectively, bowed to Rebecca Andrade, of Brazil, as Andrade stepped on to the podium to receive her gold in the women’s floor.
Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez also made it through to the top 16 while seven months pregnant. Hafez, a doctor by trade, said she was competing to show "what an Egyptian athlete, doctors, and most of all women can do".
Unlikely ally
American rapper Flavor Flav has become one of the wonderful support stories for the United States women’s water polo team. Earlier this year, Flav signed a five-year sponsorship deal as the "official hype man" for the women’s and men’s national teams and has been pool side during the women’s bid for their fourth consecutive Olympic gold.
The proud "girl dad" stepped in after learning the women’s players were struggling to make ends meet juggling their time as athletes and their careers. That is the kind of support women need from their male counterparts.
