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Russia tops medals table as Games end

Russia tops medals table as Games end

Monday, February 24, 2014, 08:53 GMT+7

The Winter Olympics ended on Sunday with host nation Russia on top of the medals table and Canada winning the men's ice hockey final, but news that two more athletes tested positive for banned substances dimmed the golden glow.

Canada claimed the last, most coveted title of the Games by sweeping aside Sweden 3-0 to retain their men's ice hockey crown, but two more victories for Russia gave them an unassailable lead with 13 golds to Norway's 11.

Sweden's misery was compounded by news that forward Nicklas Backstrom had failed a doping test.

Team officials were furious at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) because they were only told two hours before the game. The team doctor said the stimulant was contained in a pill the athlete had taken for many years to treat a sinus condition.

"That was one of the worst games we've ever seen, not because of the outcome and the way the team played, but because Nicklas couldn't compete in the game," said Swedish team manager Tommy Boustedt.

"This is one of the toughest days for me and Swedish hockey, and all because of the IOC."

Russian pride

For now Russian officials are basking in the glory of an event they believe helped them build bridges with the West, with which Moscow has had uneasy relations under Putin.

"The friendly faces, the warm Sochi sun and the glare of the Olympic gold have broken the ice of scepticism towards the new Russia," Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak, also Putin's Olympics organizer, said at the weekend.

The medals tally was an unexpected bonus after Russia mustered just three golds in Vancouver four years ago to place 11th in the rankings.

The only regret for Russian fans was that the men's ice hockey team progressed no further than the quarterfinals.

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Athletes dance in the arena following the closing ceremony for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics (Photo: Reuters)

Victory gave Canada a sweep of the ice hockey gold medals for a second consecutive Olympics. The women stormed back from 2-0 down in the last four minutes against the United States to break American hearts on Thursday.

The world's gaze then turned to the final act of the Feb. 7-23 Games, the closing ceremony, which painted Russia in far softer colors than the muscular, assertive opening spectacle.

The show's producers deliberately replicated the embarrassing technical hitch from the opening ceremony, when one of five Olympic rings failed to open.

In similar fashion, while dancers in shimmering silver tops formed four perfect rings, one group remained in a tight formation, and only opened to complete the symbol when spectators had cheered the joke loudly.

The sense of national pride at the home team's achievements was palpable as huge roars erupted for the Russian team as they paraded past the crowds.

"Well done!" chanted tens of thousands of Russians as Legkov, Maxim Vylegzhanin and Ilia Chernousov received their gold, silver and bronze medals won in the Caucasus Mountains high above Sochi earlier in the day.

After a rousing rendition of the national anthem by a choir of 1,000 children, the ceremony took viewers on a journey through Russia's rich heritage of visual arts, music, literature and dance.

A deafening volley of fireworks from the stadium's rooftop lit up the sky, and the Olympics were over.

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Fireworks explode over the Fisht Olympic Stadium during the closing ceremony for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, February 23, 2014 (Photo: Reuters)

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The Olympic mascots of a hare, a bear and a leopard (L-R) take part in the closing ceremony for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics (Photo: Reuters)

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Performers from a South Korean contingent representing the next Olympic host city of Pyeongchang dance representing birds during the closing ceremony for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics (Photo: Reuters)

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Sochi Mayor Anatoliy Pakhomov (L) stands with IOC President Thomas Bach and Pyeongchang Mayor Lee Sok-ra (2nd R) during the closing ceremony for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics (Photo: Reuters)

Reuters

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