The Sochi Winter Olympics have officially come to a close, with almost as much extravagance and pomp as they arrived. The Sochi Closing Ceremony took place this afternoon, New York time, but you can watch the whole thing on NBC.com. You can also watch it later tonight on your TV. It was an impressive ceremony but not without a sense of humor: in one segment Russia poked fun at its Opening Ceremony Olympic Rings fail, to the amusement of many observers.
The Sochi Winter Olympics have been a source of tremendous pride for a newly emboldened Russia. Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee said "Russia delivered all what it had promised." Spectators chanted "Ro-ssi-ya! Ro-ssi-ya!" — "Russia! Russia!" before being dazzled by an incredible fireworks display. Sochi officially handed over its duties to Pyeongchang in South Korea, where the next Winter Games will be held.
"This is the new face of Russia — our Russia," said Dmitry Chernyshenko, head of the Sochi organizing committee, calling the games "a moment to cherish and pass on to the next generations." Russia finished on top of the medal tally with 33 total metals, including 13 gold. The United States came in fourth, with 28 medals, 9 of them gold. It has been the most expensive Olympic games ever, but luckily for Russia they went off without major incident. Seems like the investment paid off.
© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.