Highlights, scandals and selfies: the defining moments of the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Despite Russia’s unfortunately solid anti-gay agenda, the craziness next door in Ukraine and a Pussy Riot demonstration that was subdued with whips, the 2014 Winter Olympics closed in a blaze of fireworks, ballet and success. The host – Russia made an impressive tally with 13 gold medals (33 overall). Other highlights of the close off were the tongue-in-cheek joke the dancers coordinated by waiting a few seconds in reference to the last ring not fully opening in the electronic light display of the opening ceremony. A solemn recollection when you consider that the man responsible for operating the lights was found stabbed to death in his hotel room the day after the torch was lit.
Giant Sochi Selfies/ weburbanist
All-in-all, the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics proved that Russia has come a long way since the fall of Communism. The most expensive Olympic games of all time, this $51 billion investment – transformed Soviet drabness into rave reviews, as visitors complimented Sochi’s high tech facilities, despite the bumpy start (#Sochiproblems), and tourists took plenty Olympic torch “Sochi Selfies.”
Performers e-created the ring that did not open during the opening ceremony during the closing ceremony. /AP
Having said that there were highlights and scandals galore. Crowd favourites included the Jamaican Bobsled team who made it back to the Winter Olympics for the first time in years, finishing in 29th out of 30th, but everyone who remembers Cool Runnings cheered them on anyway.
We loved the Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir running commentary and daily fashion show as well as the girl-power moment when Slovenian downhill skier Tina Maze and Switzerland's Dominique Gisin tied for gold for the first time in Olympic history of downhill alpine skiing.
Dominique Gisin and Tina Maze/AP
The tear-jerker memory when Canadian freestyle skier Alex Bilodeau dedicated his victory to older brother Frederic, who has cerebral palsy. /AP
Let’s not forget the fantastic display of art and athleticism seen via the world’s best figure skaters, and don't forget the controversy surrounding the question whether the judges were fair in awarding the gold to Russian native Adelina Sotnikova’s less than perfect performance over South Korea’s Yuna Kim impeccable show.
South Korean artists performed during the closing ceremony./AP
Countries famous for their winter weather came out on top with Norway coming in second will 11 gold medals (26 total), followed by Canada in third place with 10 golds, (25 total). This really wasn’t U.S.A.’s brightest year with its most famous Olympians- Shaun White, Shani Davis and Bode Miller racking up one bronze medal between them. For the first time since 1984 U.S.A. didn’t score a thing when it came to speedskating and no individual figure skating medals for the first time since 1936! Hockey also proved to be a letdown for the American team, with the US’s medal scoring a disastrous 0-6.
It was a high stakes hockey game between team Canada and team USA where one Chicago billboard wrote, “Loser Keeps Beiber” after a petition went to the White House requesting to deport Justin Beiber home to Canada. But for better or worse, it looks like team USA keeps the Beib for another four years.
Russia made the momentous passing of the torch to 2018 Winter Olympic frontier, Pyeongchang, South Korea as part of the final wrap of this year's ceremony. Tell us which was your favourite moment by tweeting us @ANOKHI_Media
Featured Image:The torch still burned as fireworks exploded over Olympic Park./AP
All images courtesy of hollywoodreporter
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