So on the slopes, rinks and track, Russia excelled.And the event's been deemed a success away from the action too. The host nation did have problems along the way but for the vast majority of the fortnight tings have run smoothly. The international Olympic comitte have been quick to praise the country, especially their President.
The Sochi Winter Olympic games opened under a cloud of concern: would security measures be enough to keep fans and athletes safe? Were the venues and accommodations ready? Would politics over shadow the athletics with the games complete? It's clear the Sochi Olympics have been largely a success.
IOC president Thomas Bach said, "The response we get from all the different participants is really overwhelmingly positive."
There were a few rough patches along the way: The weather didn't always cooperate, leaving some slopes without much snow and pictures like this one - tweeted by a U.S. athlete after he was forced to kick a hole in a door - went viral, creating an impression of shabbiness behind the glamor.
But the games - estimated to cost 51 billion dollars - avoided most of the pitfalls that threatened to take the focus off the athletes: There was no violence to threaten Sochi's so-called "Ring of Steel"-the massive security operation that included some 40,000 security officers. expected protests over gay rights never materialized. And elsewhere, events like the unrest in the Ukraine barely caused a ripple in Sochi.
The loudest unscripted moment came when the political activists and punk band, Pussy Riot, showed up to shoot a video and were roughed up and even horsewhipped by a Russian Cossack. Russian President Vladimir Putin closely associated himself with the games-attending many events to support Russian athletes.
Bach said, "Mr. Putin has been playing an important role in the preparation of these Games only with the efforts by the government and by the Russian people such a big success was possible."
It was a good year for the home team, with Russia bring home 33 medals.
