As the 16-day long Sochi Winter Olympics in Russia came to an end yesterday, we list down 10 of the most magical moments from the Games that amazed the audience:
Russia's Vic Wild & wife Alena Zavarzina celebrate their snowboard parallel giant slalom wins at the Extreme Park on Wednesday. Pics/Getty Images
Sochi: As 16-day long Sochi Winter Olympics came to an end yesterday, we list 10 magic moments from the Games:
Russia's Vic Wild & wife Alena Zavarzina celebrate their snowboard parallel giant slalom wins at the Extreme Park on Wednesday. Pics/Getty Images
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Marital bliss
Russian snowboarder Vic Wild won gold in the men's parallel giant slalom just minutes after his wife Alena Zavarzina took bronze in the women's event. "For both of us to have success on the same day is just incredible. I don't know how this happened, it's too good to be true," said Wild, who was granted Russian citizenship in 2012, a year after the couple were married.
Cool Runnings
Jamaica's laid-back bobsleigh team, whose predecessors once inspired the Hollywood smash hit "Cool Runnings", returned to the Olympics after a 12-year absence. Despite vocal support from the crowd, pilot Winston Watts and brakeman Marvin Dixon finished second from bottom at the Sochi sliding centre in their distinctive yellow, green and black sled.
Record breaker
Norwegian veteran biathlete Ole Einar Bjoerndalen became the greatest ever Winter Olympian by taking a record 13th medal with gold in the mixed relay at the Sochi Games.
Dutch delight
It wasn't so much a competition as a coronation for the Netherlands' speed skaters, who made off with 23 of the 36 medals on offer — including eight golds from 12 events.
Wacky weather
Competitors stripped down to T-shirts and shorts as the Sochi Games basked in glorious spring weather that forced some minor rejigging of ski schedules. The snow suffered as temperatures nudged 20 Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit) in the mountains. But it was dense fog that caused the biggest headache for organisers, forcing them to postpone some events.
Smashing time
US bobsleigh competitor Johnny Quinn became an instant Internet hit after he smashed through his jammed bathroom door, with a picture of his handiwork going viral. Just two days later the accident-prone competitor found himself stuck in a lift on a media tour of the US networks to explain how he had managed to smash the gaping hole in the Sochi door.
Sister act
The three Canadian Dufour-Lapointe sisters took sibling rivalry to a new level in the final of the women's moguls competition, where the youngest, Justine, 19, won gold. "My sister is my best friend and believe it or not, we don't have a rivalry," she said after beating Chloe, 22, into second place. Maxime, 25, finished 12th.
Spirit of the Games
Canadian coach Justin Wadsworth showed the true spirit of the Olympics by handing a replacement ski to Russian cross country skier Anton Gafarov, who had broken his in a crash.
Gold for grieving Ukraine
With their country wracked by violence, Ukraine raced to gold in the women's team biathlon relay, dedicating their inspirational performance to a nation in grief.
Ski cross scramble
It was undignified but effective. Russia's Egor Korotkov snatched a place in the men's ski cross semi-finals in a photo finish after a three-way tumble for the line. Korotkov's arm-stretch proved decisive as he slid across on his on his side, edging out Sweden's Victor Oehling Norberg and Jouni Pellinen of Finland, who were on their backs.
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Speed skater Ireen Wust of Netherlands is the only athlete to win five medals at Sochi 2014
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