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Ladybbird · 09-01-14, 19:01

Olympic Flag History

Athens 1896 Poster

No official poster was made for the 1896 Olympic Games, but the cover page of the official report is often used to refer to the Games of the I Olympiad. The inscription "776-1896", like the drawing as a whole: the Olympic stadium in a newly designed horseshoe shape, the Acropolis, the girl personifying the goddess Athena and presenting the branch of wild olive intended for the victor, mark the bond between the Games of Antiquity and the first Games of the modern era.

The current Olympic flag below, was for the first time in operation in 1920 during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Belgium.

Winter Olympics 2014 Sochi,
Russia

The 2014 Winter Olympics, officially the XXII Olympic Winter Games, or the 22nd Winter Olympics, are scheduled to take place from 6 to 23 February 2014, in Sochi,[3] Russia, with some events held in the resort town of Krasnaya Polyana. Ninety-eight events in fifteen winter sports will be held. Both the Olympics and 2014 Winter Paralympics are being organized by the Sochi Organizing Committee (SOC). Sochi was selected as the host city on 4 July 2007, during the 119th IOC Session held in Guatemala City,[4] defeating bids from Salzburg, Austria, and Pyeongchang, South Korea. The Sochi Olympics will be the first Olympics in the Russian Federation since the breakup of the USSR.

The events of the 2014 Winter Olympics will be held around two clusters of new venues; an Olympic Park was constructed in the Imeretin Valley on the coast of the Black Sea, with Fisht Olympic Stadium and the Games' indoor venues located within walking distance, and snow events will be held at Krasnaya Polyana. In preparation for the games, organizers focused on modernizing the telecommunications, electric power, and transportation infrastructures of the region. While originally budgeted at US$12 billion, various factors caused the budget to expand to over US$51 billion, making the 2014 Winter Olympics the most expensive Olympics in history.

The lead-up to the 2014 Winter Olympics were plagued by several major controversies, including allegations of corruption leading to the severe cost overruns experienced by the Games, along with concerns from politicians and athletes over the effects of Russia's ban on "propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations" on the Games.

2014 Winter Olympics Torch Relay Route from Moscow to Sochi City in Russia

Description : Map shows routes of 2014 Winter Olympics torch relay from Moscow to Sochi in Russia, it will become the longest relay in the history of Winter Olympics.

TORCH RELAY ROUTE:

1. Moscow 22 Naryan-Mar 43 Barnaul 64 Tambov

2. Krasnogorsk 23 Salekhard 44 Novosibirsk 65 Lipetsk

3. Tver 24 Khanty-Mansi 45 Omsk 66 Oryol

4. Smolensk 25 Yakutsk 46 Tyumen 67 Bryansk

5. Kaluga 26 Magadan 47 Yekaterinburg 68 Kursk

6. Tula 27 Anadyr 48 Kurgan 69 Belgorod

7. Ryazan 28 Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky 49 Chelyabinsk 70 Voronezh

8. Vladimir 29 Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk 50 Ufa 71 Volgograd

9. Ivanovo 30 Vladivostok 51 Orenburg 72 Rostov-on-Don

10. Kostroma 31 Khabarovsk 52 Samara 73 Stavropol

11. Yaroslavl 32 Birobidzhan 53 Ulyanovsk 74 Elista

12. Vologda 33 Blagoveshchensk 54 Cheboksary 75 Astrakhan

13. Petrozavodsk 34 Chita 55 Yoshkar-Ola 76 Makhachkala

14. Veliky Novgorod 35 Ulan-Ude 56 Kazan 77 Grozny

15. Pskov 36 Irkutsk 57 Izhevsk 78 Magas

16. Gatchina 37 Krasnoyarsk 58 Perm 79 Vladikavkaz

17. Saint Petersburg 38 Abakan 59 Kirov 80 Nalchik

18. Kaliningrad 39 Kyzyl 60 Nizhny Novgorod 81 Cherkessk

19. Murmansk 40 Kemerovo 61 Saransk 82 Maykop

20. Arkhangelsk 41 Tomsk 62 Penza 83 Krasnodar

21. Syktyvkar 42 Gorno-Altaysk 63 Saratov 84 Sochi

Winter Olympics 2014, Sochi, Russia

6 to 23 February 2014

2014 Sochi, Russia

The 2014 Winter Olympic Games will be held in Sochi, a city located in the federal subject of Krasnodar Krai in Russia, from 7th to 23rd February, 2014. These will be the XXII Olympic Winter Games. Sochi is located near the international border between Russia and Georgia, on Russia's coast along the Black Sea. The 22nd Winter Olympics will be followed by the Winter Paralympics in Sochi.

Description : Map showing where is sochi located in the map.

Description : Map showing Winter Olympic games history of host cities.

Winter Olympics Games Host Cities

Year..Host City................................Country

2014 Sochi.......................................Russia

2010 Vancouver, British Columbia...Canada
2006 Turin.........................................Ital y
2002 Salt Lake City, Utah............United States
1998 Nagano....................................Japan
1994 Lillehammer............................Norway
1992 Albertville................................France
1988 Calgary, Alberta......................Canada
1984 Sarajevo,Yugoslavia..... Bosnia-Herzegovina
1980 Lake Placid,New York..........United States
1976 Innsbruck................................Austria
1972 Sapporo,Hokkaidō....................Japan
1968 Grenoble..................................France
1964 Innsbruck................................Austria
1960 Squaw Valley, California......United States
1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo....................Italy
1952 Oslo.........................................Norwa y
1948 St. Moritz..............................Switzerland
1936 Bavaria...................................Germany
1932 Lake Placid,New York...........United States
1928 St. Moritz..............................Switzerland
1924 Chamonix................................France

Olympics is a global sporting event held in every four years where the best sporting talents from around the world compete in multiple sporting events. Olympics as a whole have been broadly divided into two major categories- the Winter Olympics and the Summer Olympics.

Winter Olympics are held during the winter time features winter sports that are played on ice and snow. Attended by a large number of sportsperson from different countries of the world as participants, this competition has lesser as compared to the Summer Games, as only the cold countries have the practice of organizing winter sports.

The Winter Olympics was developed from the earlier Nordic Games, which also was a competition of the winter sports and used to be held every four years. It was held for the first time in the year 1924 in Chamonix in France and since then has been held regularly except for the World War II years.

Both the olympics events are held after an interval of four years individually, and are held alternatively after a mutual gap of two years. For instance, the Winter Olympics was held in Turin, Italy in 2006 which was followed by the Summer Olympics event held in Beijing, China in 2008. The next Winter Olympics was held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 2010 followed by the Summer Olympics event hosted by London in 2012.

Initially, the first figure skating event has featured in the 1908 Summer Olympics held in London and it was not until 1924 that the first official Winter Olympics Event was held in Chamonix by the International Olympic Committee. The last event to be added in the league of Winter Olympics was in Nagano, Japan in 1998, in which snowboarding event was included.

Winter Olympics exclusively features 7 snow-sporting events divided into 15 disciplines which include bobsled, cross-country skiing, curling, downhill skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, luge, snowboarding and speed skating. There will be a total of 86 medal events in 15 sports for the twenty-first Winter Games in 2010.

The previous Winter Olympics resulted in an increasing popularity of the winter sports and they were taken up by a large number of people from across the globe.

After the IOC or the International Olympic Committee restricted the entry of ice skating in 1894, the lovers of winter sports introduced the Winter Olympics in the year 1924.

The Winter Olympics attracts relatively scarcer participation due to lack of winter sport training facilities in various countries with incompatible climatic conditions. The United States of America has hosted the Winter Olympics four times followed by France which hosted it three times. In 2014 , Winter Olympics will be held in Sochi, Russia.

SCHEDULE of EVENTS
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Ladybbird · 10-01-14, 04:57

Winter Olympic "terrorists strike" hits Russia again as six bodies with gunshot wounds are found in bomb-rigged cars

The bodies were discovered in four cars on the outskirts of Pyatigorsk near the Caucasus region where an Islamic insurgency is simmering
Three of the cars were rigged with explosives but only one went off
No one was harmed in the explosion as all the victims had been shot dead
Killings have heightened security concerns for the Sochi Winter Olympics
It follows two suicide bomb attacks which killed 34 people last month

AP, 9 January 2014

Six men have been found shot dead in four cars abandoned in an area of southern Russia, further heightening security concerns ahead of the Winter Olympics in Sochi.

The killings were on the outskirts of Pyatigorsk, which like Sochi, lies near the Caucasus region, where an Islamic insurgency is simmering.

Three of the cars had been rigged with explosive devices, but only one of the bombs went off and no one was hurt. The victims had all been shot.

Concerns: The six bodies were discovered on the outskirts of Pyatigorsk which lies near the Caucasus region much like the Olympic Park in Sochi (stock image pictured)

Vladimir Markin, spokesman for Russia's main investigative agency, said in a statement that Federal Security Service officers had joined the investigation, and that no motive had yet been determined.

NTV television reported from the scene that security had been heightened on the nearby border with Kabardino-Balkaria, one of several predominantly Muslim republics in Russia's Caucasus.

Three men whose bodies were in three of the cars have been identified: Two were taxi drivers and the third assembled furniture for a private businessman, reports said. The men were said to be local residents and drove inexpensive Soviet-model Lada cars.

The killings follow two suicide bomb attacks which killed 34 people in the southern city of Volgograd last month

The three other victims were found late yesterday in a fourth vehicle. An explosive device had been placed next to the car in a metal bucket, but was defused by investigators.

Explosives also had been placed near two of the other cars; one of the devices went off as police approached and the other was defused.

The incident follows two suicide bomb attacks which killed 34 people in the southern city of Volgograd last month.

Ladybbird · 23-01-14, 00:57

Sochi Olympic Ticket Sales Struggle; Thousands of Seats Reportedly Available

By Bleachers Report on 22 January, 2014

Kevin Liles-USA TODAY Sports

If only everything were as simple as, "If you build it, they will come."

CBS News reports officials for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics are having a difficult time selling tickets at the moment.

The report notes that "hundreds of thousands of tickets" remain available for those who want to leap the hurdles to get to one of the biggest sporting events of the year.
Reportedly, there isn't just one issue facing potential Olympic denizens, but a ****tail of difficulties that are causing ticket sales to lag.
For those wavering about traversing internationally, these are the items that are reportedly keeping you at home:

Quote:

There are signs that many foreign fans are staying away, turned off by terrorist threats, expensive flights and hotels, long travel distances, a shortage of tourist attractions in the area, and the hassle of obtaining visas and spectator passes.

Kevin Liles-USA TODAY Sports

Now this isn't to say that Olympic officials are in danger of wide swaths of empty seats being televised all over the world, as a reported 70 percent of tickets have already been sold.
Still, Sochi organizers have some work to do if they are going to match the totals of recent Olympiads.

...Sochi had a total of 1.1 million tickets on offer. That would mean about 300,000 tickets remained available.
By comparison, 1.54 million tickets were available for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and 97 percent (1.49 million) were sold. For the 2012 Summer Games in London, organizers sold 97 percent (8.2 million) of their 8.5 million tickets.

The International Olympic Committee's Gerhard Heiberg stated simply, "Some people are scared it costs too much and other people are scared because of security." The committee member from Norway continued, "From my country, I know that several people and companies are not going for these two reasons. Of course, there will be Norwegians there but not as many as we are used to."

The Guardian recently reported that a terrorist group not only claimed responsibility for suicide bombings carried out in December, but also insinuated more attacks were on the way, targeting the Sochi Olympics specifically. Reports say local police officials are actively searching for a woman they believe to be a terrorist threat. However, the same report does offer that the region will be heavily monitored.

For one, the United States military is preparing to have two warships and transports in the unlikely event American athletes and officials will need to be transported from the area.

Also, Russian president Vladimir Putin has vowed to maintain security, issuing that, "40,000 members of Russia's police and security forces would be guarding events."

Alexei Nikolsky/Associated Press

USA Today's Kelly Whiteside reports the fun and frivolity of seeing the Olympics with your family comes at a hefty price.
Merely getting a hotel reservation has been problematic for some, a necessity if you are going to acquire a Russian visa.
While the report doesn't state how many people are in his party, U.S. luge athlete Matt Mortensen's family was quoted a whopping $8,000 for a package travel deal, one that didn't include airfare.
If you are still game to see some world-class athletes compete for gold, CBS News gives us a sense of the prices you might be looking at for some events.

The cheapest tickets go for 500 rubles ($15), the most expensive for 40,000 rubles ($1,200). More than half of all tickets cost less than 5,000 rubles ($150). The average monthly salary in Russia is 30,000 rubles ($890).

Despite that stunning average salary, some reports about 75 percent of fans making their way to various events in Sochi will be Russian.
So a jaunt to Sochi to take in the majesty of the Winter Olympics seems to be just as arduous for those who are actually competing in the games.
If you are willing to go through extensive security measures, pay a handsome sum on accommodations and jump possible travel hurdles, you just might get to enjoy something of a rarity: a tremendous selection of seats.

RELATED:

In a video that has recently surfaced, two Islamic militant group members took credit for last month's suicide bombings in Volgograd, Russia, and threatened more attacks at the upcoming 2014 Olympics in Sochi.

According to the Associated Press, via ESPN.com, "two Russian-speaking men" appeared in the video holding automatic rifles. Not only did they take credit for the bombings in Volgograd, which claimed the lives of over 30 people, but they also assured more blood would be spilled, via CNN's Laura Smith-Spark and Catherine E. Shoichet:

"We've prepared a present for you and all tourists who'll come over. If you will hold the Olympics, you'll get a present from us for the Muslim blood that's been spilled."

While this is undoubtedly a scary development, Russian president Vladimir Putin assured the safety of everyone who will be in Sochi during February's Olympic games, per the CNN report:

We will try to make certain that the security measures are not intrusive or too conspicuous, so they are not too noticeable for the athletes, the Olympics' guests or journalists.

But at the same time, we will do our utmost to ensure that they are effective.

Security is to be ensured by some 40,000 law enforcement and special services officers. Of course, we will draw on the experience acquired during similar events held in other regions of the world and in other countries. It means that we will protect our air and sea space, as well as the mountain cluster.

Putin also said that Russia has a "perfect understanding" of the threat and how to stop it.

Not everyone in the United States is nearly as confident.

According to the CNN report, United States Senator Angus King said that he wouldn't go the Games or let his family attend, while House Intelligence Committee Mike Rogers, via CBS News' Rebecca Kaplan, has said that the Russians haven't been cooperating "on a security front" with the Americans.

As unfortunate as all of this is, there will always be safety threats and security concerns when it comes to high-profile events, and the Olympics are about as high-profile as it gets.

Hopefully, though, all of this early attention will only help Russia prepare its security properly and make for a safe Games for everyone involved.

Ladybbird · 07-02-14, 00:18

Embarrassment deepens for Putin on eve of Winter Games, with sewage in the water, no spectators, no pillows for the athletes... and there isn't even any snow!

Pillows for volunteers 'moved to the athlete's village due to a shortage'
Rumours that Putin's alleged girlfriend will light the Olympic flame
Reports that the only spectators milling about are Russian
Journalist at hotel 'turned on his faucet and watched as sewage spilled out'

By Daily Mail UK, 6 February 2014

The first athletes have only just taken to the slopes at the Winter Olympics, but the event is already being overshadowed by a serious of embarrassing gaffes for President Putin

Today it was reported it appears that there are not enough pillows for the athletes in the Olympic Village.
Luiza Baybakova, a member of the catering staff for the games, posted a photo of the news on her Instagram feed.

The sign read: 'Attention dear colleagues! Due to an extreme shortage of pillows for athletes who unexpectedly arrived to Olympic Village in the mountains, there will be a transfer of pillows from all apartments to the storehouse on 2 February 2014. Please be understanding. We have to help the athletes out of this bind.'

The news suggests the athletes turned up before schedule or that the planners had not ordered enough to accommodate the numbers.

Thousands of athletes, soldiers, journalists and herds of smiley volunteers are in place, eager to help at the event.
Although today it was revealed so far it seems like the only spectators milling about are Russian.

Dina Kobolenko works at the tourist information stand near the Sochi train station, armed with maps of this subtropical resort on the Black Sea.

It appears that there are not enough pillows for the athletes in the Olympic Village.

Luiza Baybakova, a member of the catering staff for the games, posted a photo of the news on her Instagram feed. She wrote: 'Help with the pillows!

#Sochi2014 #Olympics #OlympicCamp #OlympicVillage #ManyAthletes #PillowForEveryone #TakingPillows #CantSleepWithNoPillow'

'Utter farce': Journalists have taken to Twitter to lambast the hilarious conditions of their hotels in Sochi

She says that as of two days before the Games, she'd seen only a single foreigner - a South Korean.

They couldn't understand each other, though, so had to communicate in sign language.

Fears about terrorism and the hassle of reaching Sochi from points abroad may be keeping some foreigners away - and undermining Vladimir Putin's plans to transform Sochi into a magnet for international tourism.

A train traveling between Olympic sites and downtown Sochi cheerily announces to visitors in English: 'We wish you a pleasant journey!'

Journalist Stacy St Clair tweets about her experience at the hotel

But on a recent ride, its seats were half empty.

And a sweep through four train cars found ... not a single foreign fan.
it is not just spectators that are absent, however. The games are missing one crucial element: snow.
Sochi is a Black Sea resort on the same latitude as Nice in the south of France, which is why all the outdoor activities actually take place 40 miles away. And to make matters worse, unseasonably warm temperatures have predicted for the duration of the event.

The state of the hotels for journalists covering the games have not proved to be a success either.

Today journalist Katie Baker wrote on 'I had yet to eat my breakfast this morning when someone regaled me with a story about a guy staying up in Sochi’s mountaintop media hotel cluster who turned on his faucet and watched as sewage spilled out.

Putin's rumoured girlfriend may be lighting the Olympic flame at the Fisht Stadium near the Black Sea it was reported today

'Last night, a colleague returned to her room after a long day of work to find the door swung open, a set of keys still dangling from the lock.
'Nothing was stolen, but a TV had finally been installed. It could have been worse: The door to one guy’s room was supposedly kicked down by workers trying to put in a cable box.'

Journalist Stacy St. Clair tweeted of her experience of having no water in her room on Twitter.

She said she was told by a receptionist to avoid it even if restored: 'Do not use on your face because it contains something very dangerous.'
Another news coming from Russia suggests that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s rumoured girlfriend may be lighting the Olympic flame at the Fisht Stadium near the Black Sea.
Although it has never been confirmed Alina Kabayeva, a 2004 Olympic rhythmic gymnastics champion, is thought to be Putin’s lover since he split up with his wife last year.

News.com.au. reported Putin said 'I’m aware of this (the speculation), I was told of this by (Kremlin spokesman) Dmitry Peskov. These are the usual red herrings,' Putin said according to News.com.au.
The shocking images and anecdotes comes after it emerged Russia exceeded its budget by millions to spend $32billion on the games.

Russia insists widespread fears for human rights are unfounded despite a video by Human Rights Watch incorporating clips from some of the worst examples of homophobic violence in Russia which has been filmed and uploaded to the internet.

However, Vladimir Putin has sanctioned action to be taken on the city's large population of stray dogs.

In a bid to make the area presentable to welcome in people from around the world, the animals are being fed poison on the streets and left to die.

The strategy has outraged animal rights activists - and baffled journalists arriving in Sochi today who claim the city is brimming with ailing dogs.

Meanwhile, a top U.S. counterterrorist official says there are 'a number of specific threats' aimed at the Winter Olympics that start this week in Sochi, Russia - with the greatest danger coming from the Caucasus Emirate, which has threatened to attack the games.

Russia has mounted a massive security operation for the Olympics, deploying more than 50,000 police and soldiers amid threats from Muslim insurgents.

MORE

And the gold medal for the most vile thing at Sochi goes to . . .? (Clue: it's not Putin) Olympic visitors' horror at hotels awash with stray dogs, brown water, bugs and no lightbulbs

Ladybbird · 07-02-14, 00:28

Prepare for the hottest thing on ice': Relief for the Jamaican bobsled team after they are reunited with their lost baggage

By Daily Mail UK, 6 February 2014

Everything's cool and running with Jamaica's bobsled team.

They're back inside the Olympic rings, and back on the track.

After their equipment was delayed in arriving to the Sochi Games, driver Winston Watts and his teammates got in their first two runs down the Sanki Sliding Center track on Thursday.

Relax: Officials with the Jamaican bobsled team were reunited with their luggage after it failed to show at Sochi airport in Russia after the team transferred through New York City

The Jamaicans, who qualified for the first time since 2002, couldn't train on Wednesday because they arrived ahead of their luggage, which was on a later flight to Russia.

Without their clothing, sliding suits, helmets or the expensive runners for their two-man sled, the Jamaicans couldn't do anything but watch on their first day at the Olympic venue.

Watts said the team got its gear around midnight, enabling them to take part in the second day of 'unofficial' training. It wasn't until the Jamaicans got to the track that they realized their belongings had been tampered with.

Watts said security opened containers of protein powder and the contents spilled out on his clothes and equipment.

Practice: Jamaica's two-man bobsleigh pilot Winston Watts speeds down the track during an unofficial progressive training at the Sanki sliding center at the Sanki sliding center in Rosa Khutor, a venue for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics near Sochi

Ready for action: From left, Jamaican bobsled team members Wayne Blackwood, Marvin Dixon and coach Wayne Thomas pose at the MorningStar Veggie Burger Bar in Park City, Utah, on Monday, January 20, 2014,

The team, bound for the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, arrived at the Sundance Film Festival to raise funds for travel and equipment for their Olympic quest

He even got powder in his eyes after putting on his helmet.

'Security went through them. I don't know who, but the lids were open,' he said. 'I didn't look at my bags last night and all of the stuff was all over my stuff. Protein. They take the seal off and open. They may think there was something else in there.'

Not even the transit delay could dampen Watts' enthusiasm in making it to his second Olympics - he shrugged it off in Jamaican style.

'We are from the sunshine,' he said, flashing his megawatt smile.

The Jamaicans, known as the 'hottest thing on ice' didn't race on the World Cup circuit this season, but they qualified for these games by accumulating enough points in lower-tier races in North America.

JAM-1: Jamaican bobsled piloted by Winston Watts, starts their training run for the two-man bobsled at the 2014 Winter Olympics, on Thursday, February 6, 2014, in Krasnaya Polyana, Russia

Preparations: Winston Watts, the driver for JAM-1 from Jamaica, center, speaks to coaches and support staff as his brakeman Wayne Blackwood watches from the back of the equipment truck after a training run for the two-man bobsled at the 2014 Winter Olympics

Qualifying was one thing, but the Jamaicans weren't sure they were going to be able to make the trip because they didn't have enough to cover the travel expenses as well as purchase additional sets of runners.

Jamaica needed help, and got it as the team quickly raised $178,000 before telling fans and friends to stop donating.

'We didn't want them to think that we're greedy people,' he said. 'We said we wanted this to make it possible to get better equipment and that's what our goal was.

And apparently it went on and on because people want to achieve and they haven't seen us for a long period of time.'

Although they're a longshot to win a medal, the Jamaicans, whose inspiring journey to the Calgary Games in 1988 was told in the film, 'Cool Runnings,' have helped pull the spotlight toward bobsled.

American driver Steven Holcomb said having the Jamaicans around is great for the sport.

'They did work hard,' said Holcomb, who will defend his gold medal in four-man. 'It's not easy to qualify for the games.

They were trying in `06, they missed. They tried in `10, they missed. They tried again, they made it. So it's good to have that exposure.'

Watts said he and his teammates have always felt embraced by the world's other sliders.

Past glories: Winston Alexandr Watt and Lascelles Oneil Brown of Jamaica compete in the men's 2-man bobsled during the Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games at the Utah Olympic Park in Park City, Utah in 2002

Iconic: Jamaican four-man bobsleigh pilot Dudley Stokes jumps in as his three teammates push off at the start of the second run of the Olympic four-man bobsleigh event 27 February 1988 at the Canada Olympic Park in Calgary

'All the guys in here, we are a family,' the 46-year-old veteran said. 'The bobsleigh circuit is like a family and we're welcomed. All people love Jamaica. When Jamaica is not around, they're not happy because we are a fun-loving, caring group. We make people smile all the time even when they are having a bad day. We just keep them going.'

Bobsled isn't Jamaica's best sport. Not by a long way.

The island nation is home to sprinter Usain Bolt, six-time Olympic champion and the world's fastest man.

Watts hopes to hear from Bolt while he's in Russia, and joked that he may one day ask him to jump in his sled.

Hilarious: John Candy stars in the Film - Cool Runnings. The story of the Jamaican Bobsled team in the 1988 Winter Olympics

'He would be a very good pusher, but he's not a person who likes cold,' Watts said. 'He's said that. It would be awesome to have him on my team because a strong guy like me and him, could you imagine that?'
The Jamican bobsled team was made famous by the 1993 Disney film, 'Cool Runnings' and Sochi will see them compete in their sixth winter Olympics overall.

The best bobsled finish for the country overall is a 14th-place effort in the four-man at the 1994 Lillehammer Games. In its most recent Olympic appearance, Jamaica placed 28th in the two-man at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games.

Ladybbird · 07-02-14, 00:45

The final touches: Volunteers, athletes and President Putin gear up for Sochi Winter Olympics on the eve of Games curtain-raiser

Your complete guide to the Sochi Winter Olympics... and GB are primed for success

Although Jon Eley is not due to carry the Union Jack into the Fisht Olympic Stadium as part of the opening ceremony until Friday, the men's slopestyle started at 6am on Thursday morning and Team GB's Jamie Nicholls has already booked his place in the final on Saturday.

Ladybbird · 07-02-14, 18:25

Sochi Winter Olympics 2014 Guide:
Find out What to Watch and When to Watch it with this Brilliant Interactive Graphic:

Welcome to SOCHi!

CLICK HERE FOR LIVE LINK TO THE:

Interactive Graphic

Daily Mail UK, 7 February 2014

The 22nd instalment of the Winter Olympic Games gets underway at the Black Sea resort of Sochi,
where hopes are high for an historic medal haul from Team GB.

Any self-respecting sports fanatic will not want to miss a second of the action, with an estimated 2,500 athletes from 88 nations competing in 98 events across 15 disciplines.
And from Alpine skiing to biathlon and from snowboarding to speed skating, Sportsmail has it covered, with a guide to each event, a timetable of when everything's taking place and some fabulous facts thrown in for good measure.

It's almost as good as being by the Black Sea...

Ladybbird · 07-02-14, 18:51

Let the Games begin! Winter Olympics gets underway in Sochi with spectacular opening ceremony featuring flying children, failed snowflakes, fantastic fireworks...

The 22nd instalment of the Winter Olympic Games has started in spectacular fashion with the most expensively assembled opening ceremony in the history of the Winter Games.

An estimated 2,500 athletes from 88 nations will compete in 98 events across 15 disciplines, from Alpine skiing to biathlon and from snowboarding to speed skating.
Prior to those events, however, there were literally fireworks as Sochi welcomed the world. The night skyline of the Olympic Park was illuminated by a mesmersing display of pyrotechnics that began proceedings with a bang.

The opening ceremony started with a small girl flying giving an alphabetical history of Russia before flying through the air suspended by wires over a collection of floating islands featuring animatronic wolves and reindeer, which we were told depicts a journey across the country.
Five enormous illuminated snowflakes were then supposed to transform into the famous five-ringed Olympic symbol - except the final snowflake failed to blossom causing slight embarrassment for the organisers.

Athletes arrived on the stadium floor through a molten world map, with John Eley leading out Britian's team while flying the Union Jack - closely followed by Germany who were wearing perhaps the most garish outfits on show, which in this company is an accomplishment worthy of a medal istelf.

Keep track of the opening ceremony with our stunning picture gallery. Enjoy!

Fashion police! Germany's Olympic team emerge wearing some of the most colour clashing outfits ever worn!

Home advantage: Russian athletes wave to spectators as they arrive during the opening ceremony

Eastern promise: Members of the Chinese team wave Russian and Chinese flags as they enter the stadium

Mesmerising: Another general view of fireworks that played such an impressive part of Sochi's opening ceremony

White room: Russian President Vladimir Putin waits in the presidential lounge ahead of being introduced

Hard to impress! A Russian child yawns while others wave the national flag as the national anthem is being played during the opening ceremony

Embarrassing moment! A member of Austria's delegation lies on the ground after falling while his teammates take pictures around him

Flying the flag! Jon Eley (centre) of Britain carries the national flag as he leads the team out

Snow angel: Liza Temnikova as Lyubov performs while suspended by high wires above the crowds

Almost there: The Olympic rings are presented during the Opening Ceremony the Fisht Olympic Stadium

Don't leave me hanging! One of the illuminated snowflakes failed to blossom into a fifth ring to complete the Olympics symbol

We have ignition! The winter's night sky is filled with colour as fireworks erupt over the Olympic Park

Light my fire! Fireworks explode above the Olympic Park in Sochi to mark the start of the 22nd Winter Olympic Games

Stunning: The opening ceremony features enormous illuminated snowflakes transforming into the the Olympic rings

Spectacle: Floating islands featuring animatronics hang in the air supposedly depicting a journey through Russia

Red sky at night: A general view of sunset at the Olympic Park during the Opening Ceremony

Delight! A young fan screams in delight as she arrives at the Fisht Olympic Stadium to marvel at the most expensively assembled Winter Olympics opening ceremony in history

Animal magic: Spectators arrive for the Opening Ceremony of the Sochi Winter Olympics sporting some imaginative outfits to keep the cold at bay

All the things she said: Julia Volkova and Lena Katina of pop group tATu performed hand in hand at the ceremony

The stage is set: Russian band Tokio perform during the Winter Games opening ceremony at the Fisht Olympic Stadium in Sochi

A ringing endorsement for Russia: The Olympic logo is clearly on display as Sochi gears up for the opening ceremony of the 22nd Winter Games

Looking down: Thomas Diethart of Austria skis during the Men's Normal Hill Individual training at the RusSki Gorki Ski Jumping Centre

Head over heels: Antoine Adelisse of France practices during a Ski Slopestyle official training session

Shooting star: Biathlete Daria Domracheva of Belarus during a training session

Aerial route: Antti Ollila of Finland flying through the air during a Ski Slopestyle official training session

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FreaknDavid · 13-02-14, 17:10

Here is a link that shows up to date Results of All Olympic Events:

Code: [Check Download Links]

http://espn.go.com/olympics/winter/2014/results

Ladybbird · 20-02-14, 18:51

Bronze for GB! Muirhead's girls can't hold back tears after winning curling medal

By Daily Mail UK, 20 February 2014

Eve Muirhead, joyfully, tearfully, established British Olympic history as Team GB’s women's curling quartet won a bronze medal in the Ice Cube on Thursday.
With the men’s team led by David Murdoch assured of at least a silver medal on Friday, Britain are guaranteed four medals from Sochi 2014, the greatest Olympic bullion from a Winter Games for 90 years.

‘The historians tell me that’s the most medals we have at won at the Winter Olympics since Chamonix 1924, so I’ll settle for that,’ smiled Lord Sebastian Coe, chairman of the British Olympic Association, and a man with an enviable Olympic pedigree, as an athlete, and the mastermind behind London 2012. He was rink side to watch history made.

Overcome: Anna Sloan hugs GB coach David Hay after they won a bronze medal in the curling

Emotions: Eve Muirhead (left) can't hold back the tears with Anna Sloan and Claire Hamilton (right)

‘Thank goodness, I didn’t know that we could make history before my final shot!’ said Muirhead. ‘But to hear about that now that will make the stone live with me forever.’
Muirhead’s last stone, an out-turn draw to the button, brought Team GB a thrilling 6-5 victory over Switzerland. One of the first to congratulate the British girls, Muirhead, Anna Sloan, Vicki Adams and Claire Hamilton, all from Scotland, was Rhona Martin, who delivered Britain a gold medal in Salt Lake City 12 years ago with a shot that has passed into British Olympic history, as the Stone of Destiny. She hugged them one by one on the side of the rink as tears of relief and joy flowed.
The evening before there had been tears of a different kind after the British women had been eliminated from the gold medal final by Canada in the semi-finals.

‘Yesterday, everyone was devastated,’ admitted Martin, the national coach. ‘I’m really proud of the girls, it showed the huge character of this team.
‘We were sad and disappointed on Wednesday night. We had to have time to grieve a loss like that, and we had a full debrief, then got ready for the bronze medal match. Today, the girls were so calm.’
Muirhead, 23, added: ‘An Olympic medal, what a dream come true. We are a young team, and we have a massive future ahead of us.’

Celebrations: The GB team wave to their supporters after winning a bronze medal in Sochi

Eyes on the prize: Eve Muirhead rolls down a stone during the bronze medal match against Switzerland

Neatly, Muirhead side-stepped the political land mine surrounding the determination of Alex Salmond, leader of the Scottish National Party, to secure independence for Scotland in a referendum in September. ‘We are proud to represent Great Britain at the Olympics, and we are proud to represent Scotland in other competitions,’ said Muirhead.
She was swift to praise the contribution of coach, David Hay. ‘The difference he has made is night and day,’ said Muirhead. ‘He was brilliant after our loss to Canada – and he was inspirational again before today’s match.’

Muirhead was also appreciative for the message received from oarswoman Katherine Grainger, who, having won three Olympic silver medals, finally, and gloriously, won a gold at London 2012.

‘Katherine’s email meant so much, because we all knew she had been through a lot of disappointments,’ said Muihead.

Sir Chris Hoy, an Olympic legend from cycling, also played a role having been invited to give the curling team a motivational speech on the road to Sochi 2014. ‘Chris came and spoke to us, and all these factors help,’ said Muirhead. Her own toughness was also at the heart of this recovery. ‘Eve’s very strong,’ said Martin, a woman of some fortitude herself.
Muirhead said, dryly: ‘I know I come across stern-faced, and focused from what people see on the television. But inside, maybe, I am not as tough as I come across. At the end I just felt relief – a huge relief. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to go home without a medal.’

Anxious wait: Muirhead with team-mate Anna Sloan as they try to decide what shot to play

Concentration: Switzerland skip Mirkam Ott delivers a stone down the rink

Switzerland’s skip Mirjam Ott must have felt the pain of defeat hardest. For she had been leading the Swiss team that Martin – now Howie – had condemned to defeat as more than six million watched at home in Britain as the Olympic final in Salt Lake City reached its climax at approaching 1.00 am. Like then, Ott could not have done more.

‘We battled, but Eve’s team was very strong today,’ said Ott. ‘Too strong to beat. Her last draw was very good.’

The medal swung towards Britain in the eighth end of 10, when they took two shots to lead 5-4. In the next end, they restricted Switzerland to scoring just one to level the score at 5-5. Crucially, the British team reclaimed the hammer – the right to the final shot.
Muirhead’s team played a tactically astute end to deprive the Swiss of any semblance of hope of capitalising on a mistake under pressure. And when it came to the last shot, Muirhead was the calmest person in the Ice Cube. As her stone – bearing the weight of 90 years of history – drew to a slow halt on the spot in the house she had set her sights on, the bronze medal was in British possession.

For Murdoch, the mission is to become Olympic champion on Friday to put a golden varnish on British curling. ‘David just has to control what he can control,’ said Martin. Then, she laughed impishly: ‘The 21st of February was the date I won in Salt Lake City, so no pressure Dave!’

Close: Sloan plays a stone during the tense match which GB won by the skin of their teeth

Hard work: Sloan and Vicki Adams (right) scrub as hard as they can to get a stone where they need

Ladybbird · 20-02-14, 19:03

Finland shock favourites Russia to reach ice hockey semi-final against Sweden

Hosts Russia were dumped out of the men's ice hockey tournament as Finland produced a resolute defensive performance to win their quarter-final 3-1.

Zinetula Bilyaletdinov's star-studded team, among the pre-Games favourites, appeared on course for the last four when Ilya Kovalchuk made the most of a powerplay to open the scoring.

Finland hit straight back through Juhamatti Aaltonnen's angled shot before Teemu Selanne completed the comeback just before the first intermission with a close-range finish.

Upset: Finland's players celebrate their 3-1 victory over favourites Russia in the quarter-final of the men's ice hockey competition

Back of the net: Finland's Teemu Selanna (left) scores past Russian goalkeeper Seymon Varlamov

The Finns made it three early in the second period as Mikael Granlund slotted home and there was no way back for Russia, who missed out on a semi-final against Sweden.

'The emotion we feel right now is disappointment, disappointment that we didn't live up to the hopes placed on us,' said Russia forward Pavel Datsyuk.

Goaltender Sergei Bobrovski added: 'I just feel empty, disappointed and empty inside.'

The result continued Finland's fine form in Sochi. They thumped both Austria and Norway in the group stage and are now on the brink of a third successive Winter Olympics medal in the event after silver in 2006 and bronze four years ago.

'Of course it's an amazing feeling. We did this together, we played a tight D (defence) and we have one heck of a goalie (Tuukka Rask). This will keep us pushing into the next game,' said defenceman Sami Vatanen.

'Today showed us that we can score some goals, too.'

No way through: Russia's Sergei Bobrovski makes a close-range save from Jussi Jokinen of Finland

Brawl: Players from both sides fight at the Bolshoy Ice Dome in Sochi

With Russia gone, defending champions Canada became the clear favourites for gold, but they made hard work of beating Latvia 2-1 in their own quarter-final.

Patrick Sharp gave them an early lead, but Lauris Darzins levelled for Latvia within two minutes and much frustration followed for the Canadians as they peppered Kristers Gudlevskis' goal without reward.

The breakthrough finally came within seven minutes left when Shea Weber fired it home through a crowd.

'I don't think you can worry,' Weber said of the long search for a winner. 'You're going to run into adversity; there are tough teams in this tournament, and there are games that might not go the way you want them to. So you have to stay even, and not get up-and-down.'

Gudlevskis, who made 55 saves, said: 'We did a great job, we tried. We left all our strength out there. There is not enough. It was exciting and hard.'

Under pressure: Russia's Nikolai Kulyomin (right) holds off Sami Lepisto (left) of Finland

Challenge: Russia's Yevgeni Malkin (middle) barges Finland's Sami Vatanen (right) into the boards

His opposite number Carey Price agreed as he praised Gudlevskis.

'That was one of the best goaltending efforts I think I've ever seen,' he said. 'That was one heck of an effort.'

Canada will face arch-rivals the United States in the last four after their North American neighbours enjoyed a routine 5-2 win over the Czech Republic.

Although Ales Hemsky cancelled out James Van Riemsdyk's opener, further goals from Dustin Brown, David Backes, Zach Parise and Phil Kessel saw the 2010 silver medallists through before Hemsky scored a second late on.

'It felt comfortable out there and it's always nice to go into the final stage of the game winning 5-1,' said captain Parise.

Devastated: Russia's Anton Belov reacts after his country lose 3-1 to Finland

'Internally we have high expectations and we are playing better as the tournament goes on. Hopefully we have saved our best for the last two games.'

World champions and 2006 gold medallists Sweden will meet Finland after they eased into the last four and maintained their perfect record with a 5-0 victory over tournament debutants Slovenia.

Alexander Steen scored with only 90 seconds left of the first period to put Sweden, who qualified top of the play-off standings, in front.

Daniel Sedin netted a deserved second, his first in 23 games, for Sweden at the start of the third period before Loui Eriksson and Carl Hagelin with two added gloss to the scoreline.

'I think we're going in the right direction. Our first game was probably our worst game and this game was probably our best game. That's a good sign,' said forward Sedin after the opening game of the day.

'We obviously have to be better to beat Russia or the Finns and I think we will be.'

Ladybbird · 20-02-14, 19:25

Heartache for Young as skier forced to withdraw from sprint classic

British cross-country skier Andrew Young was forced to withdraw midway through the men's team sprint classic on Wednesday after a pre-existing heart condition flared up.
Young suffers from tachycardia, a condition which causes sporadic episodes of racing heartbeat and palpitations.

Young was taking part in the first semi-final along with team-mate Andrew Musgrave at the Laura Cross Country Centre, but the pair did not finish the race.

Blow: British cross-country skier Andrew Young was forced to withdraw from theteam sprint classic

Out: A pre-existing heart problem prevented the skier from taking any further part on Wednesday

The 22-year-old, who was diagnosed with the condition at the age of 15, sought to play down its seriousness, saying: 'It happens two races a year. Every now and then it happens and you have to stop.

'I don't really like using it as an excuse. It's not an excuse, it happens. It was just at the start of my second leg and when it happens the advice is just to stop.'

The issue also flared up at the Norwegian National Championships last month, and in the same competition in 2013.

The withdrawal brought a disappointing end to a relatively encouraging Winter Olympics for the Great Britain cross country team, with Andrew Musgrave becoming the first Briton to reach the quarter-finals of the men's sprint.

Young said: 'We have improved a lot. If we got these results four years ago everybody would have been ecstatic. But now everybody is like "it's OK". There has been a huge improvement in the team.

'Every four years the results are getting so much better that just to think four years ago this was unthinkable - to have someone in the top 30 and top 40 in a race.

'You wouldn't have even imagined that was possible and we're doing that and everyone is like "it's OK". Hopefully in four years it will be positive again.'

Continued: Young (left) revealed he has to stop races around twice a year because of his palpitations

Musgrave, who had expressed bitter disappointment at his performance in the sprint despite his history-making achievement, shrugged off his team-mate's withdrawal.

Musgrave said: 'I think he (Andrew) is probably a little bit disappointed but at the same time there's nothing he can do about it.

'He has had it before though and he knows what it is and we just had to stop.

'We had a chance of qualifying for the final if we had had a good day. We definitely had the skis for it and Andrew has been skiing dead good in classic and I'm feeling much better today.

'So I feel we would have had a chance but when something like that happens there's nothing you can do about it.'

Ladybbird · 20-02-14, 21:22

Medal Tally Olympics 2014: Updated Results for Each Event from Day 12

Quote:

......................Total..... Gold Silver Bronze

United States Total: 25.......8........6........11

Russian Fed Total: 23.......7........9.........7

Netherlands Total: 22.......6........7.........9

Norway ........Total: 21.....10........4.........7

Canada ........Total: 20......7.........9........4

Looking at the final tally after Wednesday's action, Team USA stands atop the overall medal standings with 23, including seven of the gold variety.
Meanwhile, host nation Russia and the Netherlands are tied for second place with 22 total medals, with Norway (20) and Canada (18) rounding out the top five.
There were eight final events on Wednesday. Here's a look at the medal winners for each one, followed by a closer look of the biggest stories of the day.

Quote:

2014 Winter Games: Day 12 Medal Tally

EVENT

Alpine Skiing:
Men's Giant Slalom

Ted Ligety (USA) - GOLD
Steve Missillier (FRA) - SILVER
Alexis Pinturault (FRA) - BRONZE

Biathlon:
Mixed Relay

Norway - GOLD
Czech Republic - SILVER
Italy -BRONZE

Women's Bobsleigh

Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse (CAN) - GOLD
Elana Meyers and Lauryn Williams (USA) - SILVER
Aja Evans and Jamie Greubel (USA) - BRONZE

Cross-Country:
Ladies' Team Sprint Classic

GOLD..SILVER..BRONZE
Norway Finland Sweden

Cross-Country:
Men's Team Sprint Classic

GOLD SILVER BRONZE
Finland Russia Sweden

Snowboard:
Ladies' Parallel Giant Slalom

GOLD...........................SILVER............. ..............BRONZE
Patrizia Kummer (SUI) Tomoka Takeuchi (JPN) Alena Zavarzina (RUS)

Snowboard:
Men's Parallel Giant Slalom

GOLD..............SILVER.........................B RONZE
Vic Wild (RUS) Nevin Galmarini (SUI) Zan Kosir (SLO)

Speedskating:
Ladies' 5,000-Meter

GOLD.............................SILVER........... .......BRONZE
Martina Sablikova (CZE) Ireen Wust (NED) Carien Kleibeuker (NED)

Sochi2014.com

Ladybbird · 20-02-14, 21:42

MEDAL TABLE, BBC SPORT,

Last Updated 20 Feb 2014 19:57 GMT

By Country

Ladybbird · 21-02-14, 00:38

Elise back on track: Scot almost quit games over abuse but defiant 1000m heat shows her tale of woe could end in triumph

Little Elise Christie, broken by online trolls and twice disqualified at these Olympics already, produced a defiant riposte in the speed skating that may yet see her story of woe end in triumph.
She won her heat in the 1,000 metres - her strongest distance - with a super-charged performance. She bided her time at the back until three laps from the finish, ducked outside and went past the rest like a Ferrari against Minis.
Such was her turn of speed that her three rivals were still going round the bend when she was crossing the line.

Skating to victory: Christie impressed in her favoured event to show her rivals what she was capable of

Determined: Christie admitted she contemplated pulling out of the Olympics after abuse on Twitter

The victory, which takes her into the final three rounds on Friday, was all the sweeter because, she revealed, she had considered pulling out of the Games after all her problems on and off the track.
The 23-year-old from Scotland was disqualified in the final of the 500m for crashing - prompting Korean fans angered by Park Seung-hi being disadvantaged by the accident to bombard her with abuse on Twitter - and was then thrown out of her 1500m heat for missing the finish line.
Both times she had fallen foul of officials for darting inside the rest of the field, which may explain why she overtook everyone by going so wide that at one point she was virtually on Sochi seafront.
She is said to be a fragile character, and after stepping off the ice she was still shaking at the thought of her troubled Games.

Agony: Christie was penalised in the 500m final for her involvement in a crash which led to abuse on Twitter

Photo finish: Christie registered a DNF in 1500m heat for narrowly missing the inside of the finish line

‘I have been down and struggling psychologically,’ she admitted, scratching her upper arms nervously, yet managing to keep her composure to talk frankly about the experience.
‘I came and trained yesterday and found that quite difficult, really emotional, but then I was told about all the support I had from back home. It’s really boosted me for today and I smiled for the first time in a while when I heard that.
‘I can’t tell you how thankful I am. I was considering not getting back on. I thought it could be tough but I am really pleased with the way I skated. I stepped on and felt ready to go and really confident and just wanted to make everyone who supported me proud.’

To spice matters up, however, Christie will take on Park Seung-hi in Friday’s finals. No collisions, please. In fact, the Korean theme will not go away because the next Winter Games will be staged in the country, in Pyeongchang, in 2018.

Controversial: Christie (centre) finished in silver position in the 500m despite a fall involving South Korea's Park Seung-hi and France's Arianna Fontana - the Brit was disqualified though as they took the minor medals

Tears of joy: Seung-hi (second left) then went on to win gold for South Korea in the 3000m relay

Christie said: ‘I know disqualifications come with short track, but I felt like I had a lot of people against me. My main worry was the next Olympics. I was really stressed about that.
‘To start with there were a couple of thousand messages of negative stuff from Korea. But in the end, when the Koreans saw what was happening, they had a go back at the people who were having a go at me, saying, “Our country’s not like this”. I know it’s not.
‘I speak to the team a lot. I get along really well with the girl who was involved in the crash. She came up and hugged me, and went to the media and said, “I don’t blame Elise”.’

There was a sense of the whole British speed-skating family rallying around Christie. None more so than her boyfriend, ‘rock’ and fellow skater Jack Whelbourne.

Great support: GB skater and Christie's boyfriend Jack Whelbourne, who bowed out of the 500m, is her 'rock'

Her mother Angela, who was in the Iceberg Palace to watch her compete, was another invaluable support. If Christie can keep her head together, a medal, perhaps even gold, is thought to be possible. But for the mishaps, she might well have won at least one already.

Unfortunately for Whelbourne, as Christie's luck was turning he bowed out of Tuesday's 500m heats, finishing fourth. His teammate and Team GB flagbearer Jon Eley however won through to the quarters on Friday, following Russia's 1000m Olympic champion Victor An through for second place.

'It is going to be tough but it helps we lost the Olympic champion, which weakens the competition a little bit,' said Eley, 'It's back to back races now, three in a row, and I need to be prepared.'

Easy as you like: Team GB flagbearer Jon Eley sailed into the finals in the Short Track Men's 500m

Not so lucky: Fellow Brit Whelbourne failed to make the finals after finishing fourth in his heat

The other outstanding British performance of the day came at the curling, where David Murdoch executed as audacious a final stone as many aficionados of the sport could remember, to beat Norway 6-5 in a tense play-off.
He could have played safe to force an extra end but instead devised an elaborate shot by which the stone, swept on its fast path down the sheet, hit another British stone and cannoned on to two of the Norwegian stones, taking them out of the equation and scoring two for his team.
Given the pressure, with elimination or a place in the semi-final against Sweden today at stake, it was the stone of the tournament. Some said it was the stone of the century.
Perhaps. Either way: Norway, your boys took one hell of a sweeping.

Wonder stone: GB skip David Murdoch's final play of the win over Norway was dubbed 'stone of the century'

Ladybbird · 21-02-14, 00:42

Freak Show! From Distorted Faces to Crazy Costumes... Figure Skating has it all in Sochi

By Daily Mail UK, 20 February 2014

There is nothing more graceful at the Winter Olympics than the sequin-clad figure skaters gliding around an ice dome to the tune of a musical classic.
But mid-twirl it is rather more embarrassing.

Even the very best ice dancers get caught in unflattering positions with mouths wide open and hair feeling the force of gravity.

Radical: Germany's Nelli Zhiganshina and Alexaner Gazsi get their groove on during the ice dancing competition

Distress: Japan's Mao Asada and USA's Jeremy Abbott distort their faces during the ice dancing

Heavy lift? Individual champions Meryl Davis and Charlie White from USA straining every sinew

Sochi has seen an eclectic mix of sports but none has the dramatic effect of the ice dancing performances when the skaters have to get into character.
The Germans were perhaps the most extreme. Nelli Zhiganshina and Alexaner Gazsishowed showed off a very strange routine, dressed as an exotic dancer and someone who looked akin to a librarian.
And even the American champions in the pairs competition, Meryl Davis and Charlie White, couldn't prevent themselves from an embarrassing position or two.

Storytelling: USA's Jason Brown top and Russia's Evgeni Plushenko trying to get into character

Not a pretty sight: Alexei Bychenko of Israel spending too much time spinning around

Scary sight: Ukranie's Yakov Godorozha (left) and Jorik Hendrickx of Belgium

Leap of faith: Felicia Zhang and Nathan Bartholomay of the United States compete in the pairs free skating

Brace yourself! Japan's Akiko Suzuki and France's Florent Amodio showing their emotions

Ladybbird · 23-02-14, 17:33

Who says Russia Doesn't have a Sense of Humour?
Sochi closing ceremony mocks ring that failed to open at beginning of Olympics

Dancers at the closing ceremony have mocked the moment a ring failed to open during the opening ceremony
Sochi Winter Games come to a close this evening with baton passed to new hosts South Korea
The games have been the most expensive in Olympic history at $51billion, topping Beijing
Team GB earned one more medal than anticipated, and haul of four makes it one of the most successful games

Daily Mail UK, 23 February 2014

Showing that the country has a sense of humour, dancers during the opening section of the show mocked the moment a ring failed to open during the opening ceremony. The closing ceremony, a farewell from Russia with love, pageantry and protocol, starts at 20:14 local time precisely - a nod to the year that President Vladimir Putin attempted to remake Russia's using the Olympics wow factor.

From the opening ceremony with malfunctioning ring, to police officers signing Get Lucky, and of course British gold medallist Lizzy Yarnold winning the women's skeleton, the Sochi Winter Olympics have been a games to remember.
But tonight marks the end for the highly controversial games, which are also the most expensive in Olympic history.
Showing that the country has a sense of humour, dancers during the opening section of the show mocked the moment a ring failed to open during the opening ceremony.

The closing ceremony, a farewell from Russia with love, pageantry and protocol, starts at 20:14 local time precisely - a nod to the year that President Vladimir Putin attempted to remake Russia's using the Olympics wow factor.

Tonight marks the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics. During the first part of the show dancers formed into the Olympic rings, mocking the moment during the opening ceremony when the final ring failed to open

Farewell: The Sochi games have been memorable for controversy, cost and amusement value - such as the failed rings at the opening ceremony - so the closing ceremony tonight is hotly anticipated

The opening part featured a light-show representing the ocean as the children from the opening ceremony rowed across it in a floating boat

Despite being a celebration of everything Russian, the ceremony itself was put together by an Italian, Danele Finzi Pasca

The ceremony will also mark the official handing over of the games to new host city Pyeongchang, in South Korea.

The $51billion (£30bn) investment - topping even Beijing's estimated $40 billion layout for the 2008 Summer Games - transformed a decaying resort town on the Black Sea into a household name.

All-new facilities, unthinkable in the Soviet era of drab shoddiness, showcased how far Russia has come, despite complaints over sub-standard accommodation for visitor and journalists.

A volley of fireworks from the top of the Fisht stadium in the Olympic park marked the end to one of the most memorable games in history

Saw it that time, didn't you?: President Putin watches the closing ceremony, including the moment dancers mocked the ring that didn't open. It was alleged he missed it first time around because Russian TV cut to rehearsal footage

All fixed: As the dancers succeed in forming the complete rings where their technological counterpart failed, more fireworks are let off, this time inside the stadium

Artists dressed in sequined dresses formed various shapes and symbols, including the Olympic rings, during the first part of the opening ceremony

One of Sochi's big successes was security. Feared attacks by Islamic militants who had threatened to target the games didn't materialize.

The Olympic show also failed to win over critics of Russia's backsliding on democracy and human rights under Putin and its institutionalized intolerance of gays.

Despite some bumps along the way, Thomas Bach is expected to use the closing ceremony to deliver an upbeat verdict on the games, his first as International Olympic Committee president.
After the awards, the crowds welcomed the newly-elected members of the international committee and its athlete's election.

80 per cent of the athletes here turned out to vote for these representatives.
Then, four volunteers were handed flowers by the athletes as a thank you.

It is the first time a mass volunteering programme has ever been achieved in Russia.

First place: The Russian team marched into the arena as champions having taken home more medals than any other nation, despite allegations of foul play raised over some events

Not so lucksi: After officers sang Daft Punk's hit Get Lucky during the opening events, many expected a repeat performance, but were instead treated to traditional marching music

The country's flags were carried in by the most usccessful athlete from the team. Lizzy Yarnold, Team GB's golden winner, carried the Union Flag

Show of unity: As part of the Olympic spirit of togetherness, athletes from all countries trooped in together before occupying the front rows of seas

+

Flag bearers enter the stadium during the closing ceremony for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, followed by Italian and Canadian athletes

'It's amazing what has happened here,' Bach said a few hours before the ceremony. He recalled that Sochi was an 'old, Stalinist-style sanatorium city' when he visited for the IOC in the 1990s.

'You entered the room and you were looking at the roof so you would not be hit by something falling down,' he said.

As dusk approached Sunday, Russians streamed into Fisht Olympic Stadium for a ceremony that will feature the extinguishing of the Olympic flame.

Day and night, the flame became a favorite backdrop for 'Sochi selfies,' a buzzword born at these games for the fad of athletes and spectators taking DIY souvenir photos of themselves.

Athletes will kiss goodbye to rivals-turned-friends from far off places, savor their games and achievements or rue what might have been.

Absent will be five competitors tossed out after they were caught by what was the most extensive anti-doping program in Winter Olympic history, with the IOC conducting a record 2,453 tests.

The latest controversy centres around Russian skater Adelina Sotnikova who won gold despite allegations of biased and unfair judging

With Russia's ban on homosexual propaganda the event has also attracted controversy, with members of punk protest band Pussy Riot being whipped by cossacks while performing inside the park

Pre-show: The final score of a game of ice hockey is displayed on the side of one of the Olympic stadiums before the closing ceremony

Rehearsals: Thousands of volunteers have been tirelessly rehearsing for weeks in order perfect every last detail of the closing ceremony which starts at 20.14 Russian time to mark the year

BRITISH MEDALLISTS

Thanks to the hard work and efforts of athletes such as Lizzy Yarnold, Britain will walk away from the Sochi games with its joint largest haul of medals ever.
The team target was three, but a gold from Yarnold, one silver and one bronze medal in curling, and another bronze for Jenny Jones in the snowboard slopestyle, meant Team GB earned four.
That is the same number that Britain won at the inaugural games in 1928 and remain the highest ever tally.

The crowd will wave goodbye to the games in Sochi's Fisht Stadium, a jewel of the all-new Olympic Park by the Black Sea, looking up at the snowy Caucasus Mountains where skiers, snowboarders and sliders competed.
The audience is sure to raise the roof for the Russian team when it parades in.

Russia's athletes topped the Sochi medals table, with a record 13 golds and 33 total, though even this was marred with allegations of cheating and unfair judging.

It represented a stunning turnaround from the 2010 Vancouver Games. There, a meagre 3 golds and 15 total for Russia seemed proof of its gradual decline as a winter sports power since Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.

Russia's bag of Sochi gold was the biggest-ever haul by a non-Soviet team.

Russia's golden run started with aging star Evgeni Plushenko leading Russia to victory in team figure skating. Putin was on hand for that, one of multiple times when he popped up at venues across the games.

Russia's last gold came Sunday in four-man bobsled. The games' signature moment for home fans was Adelina Sotnikova, cool as ice at 17, becoming Russia's first gold medalist in women's Olympic figure skating.

'The success of the home team is always an important part of the success of the games overall,' said Bach.

Lizzy Yarnold brought home Britain's only gold medal of the games, beating her American rival to win the women's skeleton event

Along with Yarnold's win, an unexpected bronze awarded to Jenny Jones (left) in the snowboard slopestyle event meant Britain exceeded its medal expectations

Great Britain's Men's curling team of (left to right) David Murdoch, Greg Drummond, Scott Andrews, Michael Goodfellow and Tom Brewster also won silver in their event

The last gold from the 98 medal events, a Winter Games record, was in ice hockey, with Canada and Sweden competing for it.

Not all of the headlines out of Sochi were about sport. Organizers faced criticism going in about Russia's strict policies toward gays, though once the games were under way, most every athlete chose not to use the Olympic spotlight to campaign for the cause.

And an activist musical group and movement, Pussy Riot, appeared in public and was horsewhipped by Cossack militiamen, drawing international scrutiny.

The games also saw the film Cool Runnings brought to life courtesy of the Jamaican bobsleigh team who had to raise funds in order to pay for their flights to Sochi

The games have also seen their fair share of slips and trips, such as this one involving British hopeful Elise Christie during the speed skating event

And during the last days of competition, Sochi competed for attention with violence in Ukraine, Russia's neighbor and considered a vital sphere of influence by the Kremlin.

In an Associated Press interview on Saturday, Bach singled out Ukraine's victory in women's biathlon relay as 'really an emotional moment' of the games, praising Ukrainian athletes for staying to compete despite the scores dead in protests back home.

'Mourning on the one hand, but knowing what really is going on in your country, seeing your capital burning, and feeling this responsibility, and then winning the gold medal,' he said, 'this really stands out for me.'

Ladybbird · 23-02-14, 18:34

Golden Years: Winter Olympics Special -
From a British Curling Gold in 1924 to Torvill and Dean, Eddie The Eagle and the Miracle on Ice

With the attention of the sporting world focusing on Sochi, this special Golden Years looks back on some memorable moments of the past at the Winter Olympics. Nick Metcalfe has been searching the archives to bring you a selection of glorious images from the past 90 years.

Daily Mail UK, 23 February 2014

The curling will doubtless look a little different in Sochi but here's a picture of Britain's team in action during the first Winter Olympics in Chamonix in 1924 - they dominated the competition, and won Britain's first ever gold medal at the Games. Golds have been much harder to come by in the intervening 90 years

Another picture here of the first Winter Games in Chamonix, a delightful one showing action from the bobsleigh competition, with Italy's four-man team seen in action

Ice hockey has always been a key part of the Winter Olympics and here is a picture of a match between Canada and America at the first Games in Chamonix.

The Canadians won gold - they dominated the early Olympic tournaments, winning six of the first seven. Great Britain claimed a bronze medal at that first Winter Olympics

Sonja Henie was one of the legendary champions of the early Winter Olympics.

She first competed as an 11-year-old at the 1924 Games. Here, the Norwegian - who later became a film star - is in action on her way to victory at the 1928 St Moritz Olympics. She successfully defended her singles title four years later in Lake Placid, and sealed a glorious hat-trick of victories at the 1936 Garmisch Games

This picture shows the opening ceremony of the 1932 Winter Games in Lake Placid. The third ever Winter Games, this event featured 17 nations and just 252 athletes.

The hosts America finished top of the medal tables, at a Games that lasted 12 days. Forty-eight years later, in 1980, Lake Placid hosted another Winter Games

This picture shows German skier Christl Cranz competing in the combined event in front of a crowd that includes uniformed Nazis and the party's flag

Most sports fans will know that the 1936 summer Olympics in Berlin were played out to the backdrop of Nazi propaganda, but less well known is that the 1936 Winter Games was also hosted in Germany, in the mountain town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

This picture shows Altweg - who was a junior tennis champion at Wimbledon before focusing on skating - competing at the 1948 St Moritz Olympics, where she won a bronze medal

Jeanette Altweg claimed skating gold for Britain at the 1952 Oslo Olympics. Only Altweg and Amy Williams, skeleton champion at the 2010 Vancouver Games, have been individual GB female champions at the Winter Games.

Tony Nash and Robin Dixon won Britain's first gold medal for 12 years when they claimed bobsleigh victory at the 1962 Innsbruck Games.

They were the beneficiaries of a famous piece of sportsmanship before their second run when they damaged a bolt on their sled and were lent a spare one by Italian rival Eugenio Monti

Frenchman Jean-Claude Killy was in many ways the biggest star of the 1968 Grenoble Olympics - the skier won a remarkable treble of gold medals in the downhill, slalom and giant slalom.

The above picture shows him in action in the giant slalom. In the below picture, Irina Rodnina and Alexei Ulanov from the Soviet Union perform a death spiral during their free programme at the 1972 Sapporo Games - the pair won gold in the event

A view of the ski jump competition here at the 1956 Olympics in the Italian town of Cortina d'Ampezzo. One of the most compact Winter Games of them all, the town had a population of just 6,500 people when it hosted the event

British skater John Curry in action here during his gold medal winning performance at the 1976 Games in Innsbruck.

One national newspaper described his five-minute performance as 'masterly in its cool beauty of movement'

In the history of winter sports, Austria's Franz Klammer is a genuine legend. His performance to win the men's downhill at the 1976 Olympics in Innsbruck is part of skiing folklore.

Starting in 15th position, Klammer was the last of the top seeds to go, and needed to produce the performance of his life. He did just that, taking the most extraordinary risks on the way, as he won by 0.33 seconds to the delight of the adoring Austrian crowd

Robin Cousins was Britain's last male solo Olympic winner at the Winter Games, with his glorious success at the 1980 Lake Placid Games.

Following on from John Curry's success four years earlier, this was a golden period for British skating. At the end of 1980, Cousins was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year

'Do you believe in miracles? Yes' became one of the most famous lines in the history of sports broadcasting when it was delivered by Al Michaels in 1980.

The American ice hockey team - made up of amateur and collegiate players - defied all the odds and amazingly defeated the Soviet Union 4-3 on their way to winning gold. It became known as 'The Miracle On Ice' and is one of the truly memorable moments in the 90-year history of the Winter Olympics

Not just a sporting moment next, but something that seeped into the national consciousness and became an iconic moment of the 1980s. Even now, 30 years on, there's a pure magic to Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean's performance at the 1984 Sarajevo Olympics

With their perfect performance to 'Bolero' wowing the world and giving them their perfect set of scores. Here are two pictures of the British pair performing 'Bolero', together with a very famous scoreboard

Millions of people without a lot of interest in the Winter Olympics know all about the Jamaican bobsleigh team at the 1988 Games, thanks to the popular 1993 film 'Cool Runnings'.

True underdogs in every sense of the word, this picture shows Dudley Stokes climbing into the bobsled, along with Michael White, Devon Harris and Nelson Stokes. The Jamaicans proved to be an instant hit with the Calgary crowd, along with millions watching around the world on television

Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards was one of the most famous people in the country in the early months of 1988

After his performances in the ski jumping at the Calgary Games captured the attention of the nation, and far beyond. Edwards, in action above, finished last in both the 70m and 90m events, but the worse he did, the more his popularity grew. In the below picture, Edwards is at the centre of media attention

23 FEB 1988: MICHAEL '' EDDIE THE EAGLE '' EDWARDS OF GREAT BRTIAIN IS MOBBED BY REPORTERS DURING THE 90 METRE SKI JUMP COMPETITION AT THE 1988 WINTER OLYMPICS. EDDIE THE EAGLE FINISHED IN LAST PLACE BUT WAS MUCH LOVED BY THE SPECTATORS.

It was more soap opera than sport at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics, when Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan competed.

Kerrigan won silver at the Games but only after recovering from an attack with metal baton a month before the Games - the assailant eventually revealed it was part of a plot hatched with Harding's ex-husband to ruin Kerrigan's chances. An emotional Harding could only finish eighth in Norway

You wouldn't normally expect millions of people to put off their bedtimes to watch a curling match, but that's the power of the Olympics.

In the above picture, Britain's curling captain Rhona Martin is seen delivering a stone during a dramatic Olympic final against Switzerland at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games. Britain won 4-3, with Martin nervelessly delivering glory with the final stone of the final. In the below picture, she celebrates her magic moment, Britain's first gold for 18 years

A classic 'What Happened Next?' moment here, as America's Lindsey Jacobellis dramatically crashes out, under no pressure, at the very end of the snowboard cross final at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.

Switzerland's Tanja Frieden gleefully took advantage, overtaking Jacobellis to snatch an unlikely gold

I love the fact that there are just two athletes pictured here - Canada's Sidney Crosby and American Ryan Miller - yet the moment was one that caused untold joy for millions of people across Canada.

Crosby is celebrating his dramatic overtime winner to give the Canadians a 3-2 win over their old rivals in the men's ice hockey final, on the final day of the 2010 Games in Vancouver

Amy Williams was the undoubted British star of the last Winter Games in Vancouver, becoming the country's first solo gold medallist for 30 years.

The Bath athlete dominated the women's skeleton final, winning by more than half a second. 'Never in a million years did I think I'd come here and win gold,' she said afterwards

Ladybbird · 23-02-14, 18:48

Final Medals Table

10-01-14, 04:57	#2
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,549 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: PhOtOs-Olympics 2014-Closing Ceremony/Medals Chart Winter Olympic "terrorists strike" hits Russia again as six bodies with gunshot wounds are found in bomb-rigged cars The bodies were discovered in four cars on the outskirts of Pyatigorsk near the Caucasus region where an Islamic insurgency is simmering Three of the cars were rigged with explosives but only one went off No one was harmed in the explosion as all the victims had been shot dead Killings have heightened security concerns for the Sochi Winter Olympics It follows two suicide bomb attacks which killed 34 people last month AP, 9 January 2014 Six men have been found shot dead in four cars abandoned in an area of southern Russia, further heightening security concerns ahead of the Winter Olympics in Sochi. The killings were on the outskirts of Pyatigorsk, which like Sochi, lies near the Caucasus region, where an Islamic insurgency is simmering. Three of the cars had been rigged with explosive devices, but only one of the bombs went off and no one was hurt. The victims had all been shot. Concerns: The six bodies were discovered on the outskirts of Pyatigorsk which lies near the Caucasus region much like the Olympic Park in Sochi (stock image pictured) Vladimir Markin, spokesman for Russia's main investigative agency, said in a statement that Federal Security Service officers had joined the investigation, and that no motive had yet been determined. NTV television reported from the scene that security had been heightened on the nearby border with Kabardino-Balkaria, one of several predominantly Muslim republics in Russia's Caucasus. Three men whose bodies were in three of the cars have been identified: Two were taxi drivers and the third assembled furniture for a private businessman, reports said. The men were said to be local residents and drove inexpensive Soviet-model Lada cars. The killings follow two suicide bomb attacks which killed 34 people in the southern city of Volgograd last month The three other victims were found late yesterday in a fourth vehicle. An explosive device had been placed next to the car in a metal bucket, but was defused by investigators. Explosives also had been placed near two of the other cars; one of the devices went off as police approached and the other was defused. The incident follows two suicide bomb attacks which killed 34 people in the southern city of Volgograd last month. __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

07-02-14, 00:18	#4
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,549 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: PhOtOs-Olympics 2014-Closing Ceremony/Medals Chart Embarrassment deepens for Putin on eve of Winter Games, with sewage in the water, no spectators, no pillows for the athletes... and there isn't even any snow! Pillows for volunteers 'moved to the athlete's village due to a shortage' Rumours that Putin's alleged girlfriend will light the Olympic flame Reports that the only spectators milling about are Russian Journalist at hotel 'turned on his faucet and watched as sewage spilled out' By Daily Mail UK, 6 February 2014 The first athletes have only just taken to the slopes at the Winter Olympics, but the event is already being overshadowed by a serious of embarrassing gaffes for President Putin Today it was reported it appears that there are not enough pillows for the athletes in the Olympic Village. Luiza Baybakova, a member of the catering staff for the games, posted a photo of the news on her Instagram feed. The sign read: 'Attention dear colleagues! Due to an extreme shortage of pillows for athletes who unexpectedly arrived to Olympic Village in the mountains, there will be a transfer of pillows from all apartments to the storehouse on 2 February 2014. Please be understanding. We have to help the athletes out of this bind.' The news suggests the athletes turned up before schedule or that the planners had not ordered enough to accommodate the numbers. Thousands of athletes, soldiers, journalists and herds of smiley volunteers are in place, eager to help at the event. Although today it was revealed so far it seems like the only spectators milling about are Russian. Dina Kobolenko works at the tourist information stand near the Sochi train station, armed with maps of this subtropical resort on the Black Sea. It appears that there are not enough pillows for the athletes in the Olympic Village. Luiza Baybakova, a member of the catering staff for the games, posted a photo of the news on her Instagram feed. She wrote: 'Help with the pillows! #Sochi2014 #Olympics #OlympicCamp #OlympicVillage #ManyAthletes #PillowForEveryone #TakingPillows #CantSleepWithNoPillow' 'Utter farce': Journalists have taken to Twitter to lambast the hilarious conditions of their hotels in Sochi She says that as of two days before the Games, she'd seen only a single foreigner - a South Korean. They couldn't understand each other, though, so had to communicate in sign language. Fears about terrorism and the hassle of reaching Sochi from points abroad may be keeping some foreigners away - and undermining Vladimir Putin's plans to transform Sochi into a magnet for international tourism. A train traveling between Olympic sites and downtown Sochi cheerily announces to visitors in English: 'We wish you a pleasant journey!' Journalist Stacy St Clair tweets about her experience at the hotel But on a recent ride, its seats were half empty. And a sweep through four train cars found ... not a single foreign fan. it is not just spectators that are absent, however. The games are missing one crucial element: snow. Sochi is a Black Sea resort on the same latitude as Nice in the south of France, which is why all the outdoor activities actually take place 40 miles away. And to make matters worse, unseasonably warm temperatures have predicted for the duration of the event. The state of the hotels for journalists covering the games have not proved to be a success either. Today journalist Katie Baker wrote on 'I had yet to eat my breakfast this morning when someone regaled me with a story about a guy staying up in Sochi’s mountaintop media hotel cluster who turned on his faucet and watched as sewage spilled out. Putin's rumoured girlfriend may be lighting the Olympic flame at the Fisht Stadium near the Black Sea it was reported today 'Last night, a colleague returned to her room after a long day of work to find the door swung open, a set of keys still dangling from the lock. 'Nothing was stolen, but a TV had finally been installed. It could have been worse: The door to one guy’s room was supposedly kicked down by workers trying to put in a cable box.' Journalist Stacy St. Clair tweeted of her experience of having no water in her room on Twitter. She said she was told by a receptionist to avoid it even if restored: 'Do not use on your face because it contains something very dangerous.' Another news coming from Russia suggests that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s rumoured girlfriend may be lighting the Olympic flame at the Fisht Stadium near the Black Sea. Although it has never been confirmed Alina Kabayeva, a 2004 Olympic rhythmic gymnastics champion, is thought to be Putin’s lover since he split up with his wife last year. News.com.au. reported Putin said 'I’m aware of this (the speculation), I was told of this by (Kremlin spokesman) Dmitry Peskov. These are the usual red herrings,' Putin said according to News.com.au. The shocking images and anecdotes comes after it emerged Russia exceeded its budget by millions to spend $32billion on the games. Russia insists widespread fears for human rights are unfounded despite a video by Human Rights Watch incorporating clips from some of the worst examples of homophobic violence in Russia which has been filmed and uploaded to the internet. However, Vladimir Putin has sanctioned action to be taken on the city's large population of stray dogs. In a bid to make the area presentable to welcome in people from around the world, the animals are being fed poison on the streets and left to die. The strategy has outraged animal rights activists - and baffled journalists arriving in Sochi today who claim the city is brimming with ailing dogs. Meanwhile, a top U.S. counterterrorist official says there are 'a number of specific threats' aimed at the Winter Olympics that start this week in Sochi, Russia - with the greatest danger coming from the Caucasus Emirate, which has threatened to attack the games. Russia has mounted a massive security operation for the Olympics, deploying more than 50,000 police and soldiers amid threats from Muslim insurgents. MORE *And the gold medal for the most vile thing at Sochi goes to . . .? (Clue: it's not Putin) Olympic visitors' horror at hotels awash with stray dogs, brown water, bugs and no lightbulbs* __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

07-02-14, 00:28	#5
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,549 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: PhOtOs-Olympics 2014-Closing Ceremony/Medals Chart Prepare for the hottest thing on ice': Relief for the Jamaican bobsled team after they are reunited with their lost baggage By Daily Mail UK, 6 February 2014 Everything's cool and running with Jamaica's bobsled team. They're back inside the Olympic rings, and back on the track. After their equipment was delayed in arriving to the Sochi Games, driver Winston Watts and his teammates got in their first two runs down the Sanki Sliding Center track on Thursday. Relax: Officials with the Jamaican bobsled team were reunited with their luggage after it failed to show at Sochi airport in Russia after the team transferred through New York City The Jamaicans, who qualified for the first time since 2002, couldn't train on Wednesday because they arrived ahead of their luggage, which was on a later flight to Russia. Without their clothing, sliding suits, helmets or the expensive runners for their two-man sled, the Jamaicans couldn't do anything but watch on their first day at the Olympic venue. Watts said the team got its gear around midnight, enabling them to take part in the second day of 'unofficial' training. It wasn't until the Jamaicans got to the track that they realized their belongings had been tampered with. Watts said security opened containers of protein powder and the contents spilled out on his clothes and equipment. Practice: Jamaica's two-man bobsleigh pilot Winston Watts speeds down the track during an unofficial progressive training at the Sanki sliding center at the Sanki sliding center in Rosa Khutor, a venue for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics near Sochi Ready for action: From left, Jamaican bobsled team members Wayne Blackwood, Marvin Dixon and coach Wayne Thomas pose at the MorningStar Veggie Burger Bar in Park City, Utah, on Monday, January 20, 2014, The team, bound for the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, arrived at the Sundance Film Festival to raise funds for travel and equipment for their Olympic quest He even got powder in his eyes after putting on his helmet. 'Security went through them. I don't know who, but the lids were open,' he said. 'I didn't look at my bags last night and all of the stuff was all over my stuff. Protein. They take the seal off and open. They may think there was something else in there.' Not even the transit delay could dampen Watts' enthusiasm in making it to his second Olympics - he shrugged it off in Jamaican style. 'We are from the sunshine,' he said, flashing his megawatt smile. The Jamaicans, known as the 'hottest thing on ice' didn't race on the World Cup circuit this season, but they qualified for these games by accumulating enough points in lower-tier races in North America. JAM-1: Jamaican bobsled piloted by Winston Watts, starts their training run for the two-man bobsled at the 2014 Winter Olympics, on Thursday, February 6, 2014, in Krasnaya Polyana, Russia Preparations: Winston Watts, the driver for JAM-1 from Jamaica, center, speaks to coaches and support staff as his brakeman Wayne Blackwood watches from the back of the equipment truck after a training run for the two-man bobsled at the 2014 Winter Olympics Qualifying was one thing, but the Jamaicans weren't sure they were going to be able to make the trip because they didn't have enough to cover the travel expenses as well as purchase additional sets of runners. Jamaica needed help, and got it as the team quickly raised $178,000 before telling fans and friends to stop donating. 'We didn't want them to think that we're greedy people,' he said. 'We said we wanted this to make it possible to get better equipment and that's what our goal was. And apparently it went on and on because people want to achieve and they haven't seen us for a long period of time.' Although they're a longshot to win a medal, the Jamaicans, whose inspiring journey to the Calgary Games in 1988 was told in the film, 'Cool Runnings,' have helped pull the spotlight toward bobsled. American driver Steven Holcomb said having the Jamaicans around is great for the sport. 'They did work hard,' said Holcomb, who will defend his gold medal in four-man. 'It's not easy to qualify for the games. They were trying in `06, they missed. They tried in `10, they missed. They tried again, they made it. So it's good to have that exposure.' Watts said he and his teammates have always felt embraced by the world's other sliders. Past glories: Winston Alexandr Watt and Lascelles Oneil Brown of Jamaica compete in the men's 2-man bobsled during the Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games at the Utah Olympic Park in Park City, Utah in 2002 Iconic: Jamaican four-man bobsleigh pilot Dudley Stokes jumps in as his three teammates push off at the start of the second run of the Olympic four-man bobsleigh event 27 February 1988 at the Canada Olympic Park in Calgary 'All the guys in here, we are a family,' the 46-year-old veteran said. 'The bobsleigh circuit is like a family and we're welcomed. All people love Jamaica. When Jamaica is not around, they're not happy because we are a fun-loving, caring group. We make people smile all the time even when they are having a bad day. We just keep them going.' Bobsled isn't Jamaica's best sport. Not by a long way. The island nation is home to sprinter Usain Bolt, six-time Olympic champion and the world's fastest man. Watts hopes to hear from Bolt while he's in Russia, and joked that he may one day ask him to jump in his sled. Hilarious: John Candy stars in the Film - Cool Runnings. The story of the Jamaican Bobsled team in the 1988 Winter Olympics 'He would be a very good pusher, but he's not a person who likes cold,' Watts said. 'He's said that. It would be awesome to have him on my team because a strong guy like me and him, could you imagine that?' The Jamican bobsled team was made famous by the 1993 Disney film, 'Cool Runnings' and Sochi will see them compete in their sixth winter Olympics overall. The best bobsled finish for the country overall is a 14th-place effort in the four-man at the 1994 Lillehammer Games. In its most recent Olympic appearance, Jamaica placed 28th in the two-man at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games. __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

07-02-14, 00:45	#6
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,549 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: PhOtOs-Olympics 2014-Closing Ceremony/Medals Chart The final touches: Volunteers, athletes and President Putin gear up for Sochi Winter Olympics on the eve of Games curtain-raiser Your complete guide to the Sochi Winter Olympics... and GB are primed for success Although Jon Eley is not due to carry the Union Jack into the Fisht Olympic Stadium as part of the opening ceremony until Friday, the men's slopestyle started at 6am on Thursday morning and Team GB's Jamie Nicholls has already booked his place in the final on Saturday. __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

07-02-14, 18:25	#7
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,549 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: PhOtOs-Olympics 2014-Closing Ceremony/Medals Chart Sochi Winter Olympics 2014 Guide: Find out What to Watch and When to Watch it with this Brilliant Interactive Graphic: Welcome to SOCHi! CLICK HERE FOR LIVE LINK TO THE: *Interactive Graphic* Daily Mail UK, 7 February 2014 The 22nd instalment of the Winter Olympic Games gets underway at the Black Sea resort of Sochi, where hopes are high for an historic medal haul from Team GB. Any self-respecting sports fanatic will not want to miss a second of the action, with an estimated 2,500 athletes from 88 nations competing in 98 events across 15 disciplines. And from Alpine skiing to biathlon and from snowboarding to speed skating, Sportsmail has it covered, with a guide to each event, a timetable of when everything's taking place and some fabulous facts thrown in for good measure. It's almost as good as being by the Black Sea... __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

07-02-14, 18:51	#8
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,549 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: PhOtOs-Olympics 2014-Closing Ceremony/Medals Chart Let the Games begin! Winter Olympics gets underway in Sochi with spectacular opening ceremony featuring flying children, failed snowflakes, fantastic fireworks... The 22nd instalment of the Winter Olympic Games has started in spectacular fashion with the most expensively assembled opening ceremony in the history of the Winter Games. An estimated 2,500 athletes from 88 nations will compete in 98 events across 15 disciplines, from Alpine skiing to biathlon and from snowboarding to speed skating. Prior to those events, however, there were literally fireworks as Sochi welcomed the world. The night skyline of the Olympic Park was illuminated by a mesmersing display of pyrotechnics that began proceedings with a bang. The opening ceremony started with a small girl flying giving an alphabetical history of Russia before flying through the air suspended by wires over a collection of floating islands featuring animatronic wolves and reindeer, which we were told depicts a journey across the country. Five enormous illuminated snowflakes were then supposed to transform into the famous five-ringed Olympic symbol - except the final snowflake failed to blossom causing slight embarrassment for the organisers. Athletes arrived on the stadium floor through a molten world map, with John Eley leading out Britian's team while flying the Union Jack - closely followed by Germany who were wearing perhaps the most garish outfits on show, which in this company is an accomplishment worthy of a medal istelf. Keep track of the opening ceremony with our stunning picture gallery. Enjoy! Fashion police! Germany's Olympic team emerge wearing some of the most colour clashing outfits ever worn! Home advantage: Russian athletes wave to spectators as they arrive during the opening ceremony Eastern promise: Members of the Chinese team wave Russian and Chinese flags as they enter the stadium Mesmerising: Another general view of fireworks that played such an impressive part of Sochi's opening ceremony White room: Russian President Vladimir Putin waits in the presidential lounge ahead of being introduced Hard to impress! A Russian child yawns while others wave the national flag as the national anthem is being played during the opening ceremony Embarrassing moment! A member of Austria's delegation lies on the ground after falling while his teammates take pictures around him Flying the flag! Jon Eley (centre) of Britain carries the national flag as he leads the team out Snow angel: Liza Temnikova as Lyubov performs while suspended by high wires above the crowds Almost there: The Olympic rings are presented during the Opening Ceremony the Fisht Olympic Stadium Don't leave me hanging! One of the illuminated snowflakes failed to blossom into a fifth ring to complete the Olympics symbol We have ignition! The winter's night sky is filled with colour as fireworks erupt over the Olympic Park Light my fire! Fireworks explode above the Olympic Park in Sochi to mark the start of the 22nd Winter Olympic Games Stunning: The opening ceremony features enormous illuminated snowflakes transforming into the the Olympic rings Spectacle: Floating islands featuring animatronics hang in the air supposedly depicting a journey through Russia Red sky at night: A general view of sunset at the Olympic Park during the Opening Ceremony Delight! A young fan screams in delight as she arrives at the Fisht Olympic Stadium to marvel at the most expensively assembled Winter Olympics opening ceremony in history Animal magic: Spectators arrive for the Opening Ceremony of the Sochi Winter Olympics sporting some imaginative outfits to keep the cold at bay All the things she said: Julia Volkova and Lena Katina of pop group tATu performed hand in hand at the ceremony The stage is set: Russian band Tokio perform during the Winter Games opening ceremony at the Fisht Olympic Stadium in Sochi A ringing endorsement for Russia: The Olympic logo is clearly on display as Sochi gears up for the opening ceremony of the 22nd Winter Games Looking down: Thomas Diethart of Austria skis during the Men's Normal Hill Individual training at the RusSki Gorki Ski Jumping Centre Head over heels: Antoine Adelisse of France practices during a Ski Slopestyle official training session Shooting star: Biathlete Daria Domracheva of Belarus during a training session Aerial route: Antti Ollila of Finland flying through the air during a Ski Slopestyle official training session . __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

13-02-14, 17:10	#9
FreaknDavid Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: In The Hills of Tennessee Posts: 6,631 Thanks: 7,332 Thanked 7,261 Times in 4,751 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 5	2014 Winter Olympics Up To Date Results Here is a link that shows up to date Results of All Olympic Events: Code: [Check Download Links] http://espn.go.com/olympics/winter/2014/results __________________ Rock Out With DreamTeamDownloads1-The Best Place To Be For Downloads. You Can Help the site If You Donate, Please Click Here: DONATE Thank You For Your Support & Membership To DTD1.

20-02-14, 18:51	#10
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,549 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: PhOtOs-Olympics 2014-Closing Ceremony/Medals Chart Bronze for GB! Muirhead's girls can't hold back tears after winning curling medal By Daily Mail UK, 20 February 2014 Eve Muirhead, joyfully, tearfully, established British Olympic history as Team GB’s women's curling quartet won a bronze medal in the Ice Cube on Thursday. With the men’s team led by David Murdoch assured of at least a silver medal on Friday, Britain are guaranteed four medals from Sochi 2014, the greatest Olympic bullion from a Winter Games for 90 years. ‘The historians tell me that’s the most medals we have at won at the Winter Olympics since Chamonix 1924, so I’ll settle for that,’ smiled Lord Sebastian Coe, chairman of the British Olympic Association, and a man with an enviable Olympic pedigree, as an athlete, and the mastermind behind London 2012. He was rink side to watch history made. Overcome: Anna Sloan hugs GB coach David Hay after they won a bronze medal in the curling Emotions: Eve Muirhead (left) can't hold back the tears with Anna Sloan and Claire Hamilton (right) ‘Thank goodness, I didn’t know that we could make history before my final shot!’ said Muirhead. ‘But to hear about that now that will make the stone live with me forever.’ Muirhead’s last stone, an out-turn draw to the button, brought Team GB a thrilling 6-5 victory over Switzerland. One of the first to congratulate the British girls, Muirhead, Anna Sloan, Vicki Adams and Claire Hamilton, all from Scotland, was Rhona Martin, who delivered Britain a gold medal in Salt Lake City 12 years ago with a shot that has passed into British Olympic history, as the Stone of Destiny. She hugged them one by one on the side of the rink as tears of relief and joy flowed. The evening before there had been tears of a different kind after the British women had been eliminated from the gold medal final by Canada in the semi-finals. ‘Yesterday, everyone was devastated,’ admitted Martin, the national coach. ‘I’m really proud of the girls, it showed the huge character of this team. ‘We were sad and disappointed on Wednesday night. We had to have time to grieve a loss like that, and we had a full debrief, then got ready for the bronze medal match. Today, the girls were so calm.’ Muirhead, 23, added: ‘An Olympic medal, what a dream come true. We are a young team, and we have a massive future ahead of us.’ Celebrations: The GB team wave to their supporters after winning a bronze medal in Sochi Eyes on the prize: Eve Muirhead rolls down a stone during the bronze medal match against Switzerland Neatly, Muirhead side-stepped the political land mine surrounding the determination of Alex Salmond, leader of the Scottish National Party, to secure independence for Scotland in a referendum in September. ‘We are proud to represent Great Britain at the Olympics, and we are proud to represent Scotland in other competitions,’ said Muirhead. She was swift to praise the contribution of coach, David Hay. ‘The difference he has made is night and day,’ said Muirhead. ‘He was brilliant after our loss to Canada – and he was inspirational again before today’s match.’ Muirhead was also appreciative for the message received from oarswoman Katherine Grainger, who, having won three Olympic silver medals, finally, and gloriously, won a gold at London 2012. ‘Katherine’s email meant so much, because we all knew she had been through a lot of disappointments,’ said Muihead. Sir Chris Hoy, an Olympic legend from cycling, also played a role having been invited to give the curling team a motivational speech on the road to Sochi 2014. ‘Chris came and spoke to us, and all these factors help,’ said Muirhead. Her own toughness was also at the heart of this recovery. ‘Eve’s very strong,’ said Martin, a woman of some fortitude herself. Muirhead said, dryly: ‘I know I come across stern-faced, and focused from what people see on the television. But inside, maybe, I am not as tough as I come across. At the end I just felt relief – a huge relief. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to go home without a medal.’ Anxious wait: Muirhead with team-mate Anna Sloan as they try to decide what shot to play Concentration: Switzerland skip Mirkam Ott delivers a stone down the rink Switzerland’s skip Mirjam Ott must have felt the pain of defeat hardest. For she had been leading the Swiss team that Martin – now Howie – had condemned to defeat as more than six million watched at home in Britain as the Olympic final in Salt Lake City reached its climax at approaching 1.00 am. Like then, Ott could not have done more. ‘We battled, but Eve’s team was very strong today,’ said Ott. ‘Too strong to beat. Her last draw was very good.’ The medal swung towards Britain in the eighth end of 10, when they took two shots to lead 5-4. In the next end, they restricted Switzerland to scoring just one to level the score at 5-5. Crucially, the British team reclaimed the hammer – the right to the final shot. Muirhead’s team played a tactically astute end to deprive the Swiss of any semblance of hope of capitalising on a mistake under pressure. And when it came to the last shot, Muirhead was the calmest person in the Ice Cube. As her stone – bearing the weight of 90 years of history – drew to a slow halt on the spot in the house she had set her sights on, the bronze medal was in British possession. For Murdoch, the mission is to become Olympic champion on Friday to put a golden varnish on British curling. ‘David just has to control what he can control,’ said Martin. Then, she laughed impishly: ‘The 21st of February was the date I won in Salt Lake City, so no pressure Dave!’ Close: Sloan plays a stone during the tense match which GB won by the skin of their teeth Hard work: Sloan and Vicki Adams (right) scrub as hard as they can to get a stone where they need __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

20-02-14, 19:03	#11
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,549 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: PhOtOs-Olympics 2014-Closing Ceremony/Medals Chart Finland shock favourites Russia to reach ice hockey semi-final against Sweden Hosts Russia were dumped out of the men's ice hockey tournament as Finland produced a resolute defensive performance to win their quarter-final 3-1. Zinetula Bilyaletdinov's star-studded team, among the pre-Games favourites, appeared on course for the last four when Ilya Kovalchuk made the most of a powerplay to open the scoring. Finland hit straight back through Juhamatti Aaltonnen's angled shot before Teemu Selanne completed the comeback just before the first intermission with a close-range finish. Upset: Finland's players celebrate their 3-1 victory over favourites Russia in the quarter-final of the men's ice hockey competition Back of the net: Finland's Teemu Selanna (left) scores past Russian goalkeeper Seymon Varlamov The Finns made it three early in the second period as Mikael Granlund slotted home and there was no way back for Russia, who missed out on a semi-final against Sweden. 'The emotion we feel right now is disappointment, disappointment that we didn't live up to the hopes placed on us,' said Russia forward Pavel Datsyuk. Goaltender Sergei Bobrovski added: 'I just feel empty, disappointed and empty inside.' The result continued Finland's fine form in Sochi. They thumped both Austria and Norway in the group stage and are now on the brink of a third successive Winter Olympics medal in the event after silver in 2006 and bronze four years ago. 'Of course it's an amazing feeling. We did this together, we played a tight D (defence) and we have one heck of a goalie (Tuukka Rask). This will keep us pushing into the next game,' said defenceman Sami Vatanen. 'Today showed us that we can score some goals, too.' No way through: Russia's Sergei Bobrovski makes a close-range save from Jussi Jokinen of Finland Brawl: Players from both sides fight at the Bolshoy Ice Dome in Sochi With Russia gone, defending champions Canada became the clear favourites for gold, but they made hard work of beating Latvia 2-1 in their own quarter-final. Patrick Sharp gave them an early lead, but Lauris Darzins levelled for Latvia within two minutes and much frustration followed for the Canadians as they peppered Kristers Gudlevskis' goal without reward. The breakthrough finally came within seven minutes left when Shea Weber fired it home through a crowd. 'I don't think you can worry,' Weber said of the long search for a winner. 'You're going to run into adversity; there are tough teams in this tournament, and there are games that might not go the way you want them to. So you have to stay even, and not get up-and-down.' Gudlevskis, who made 55 saves, said: 'We did a great job, we tried. We left all our strength out there. There is not enough. It was exciting and hard.' Under pressure: Russia's Nikolai Kulyomin (right) holds off Sami Lepisto (left) of Finland Challenge: Russia's Yevgeni Malkin (middle) barges Finland's Sami Vatanen (right) into the boards His opposite number Carey Price agreed as he praised Gudlevskis. 'That was one of the best goaltending efforts I think I've ever seen,' he said. 'That was one heck of an effort.' Canada will face arch-rivals the United States in the last four after their North American neighbours enjoyed a routine 5-2 win over the Czech Republic. Although Ales Hemsky cancelled out James Van Riemsdyk's opener, further goals from Dustin Brown, David Backes, Zach Parise and Phil Kessel saw the 2010 silver medallists through before Hemsky scored a second late on. 'It felt comfortable out there and it's always nice to go into the final stage of the game winning 5-1,' said captain Parise. Devastated: Russia's Anton Belov reacts after his country lose 3-1 to Finland 'Internally we have high expectations and we are playing better as the tournament goes on. Hopefully we have saved our best for the last two games.' World champions and 2006 gold medallists Sweden will meet Finland after they eased into the last four and maintained their perfect record with a 5-0 victory over tournament debutants Slovenia. Alexander Steen scored with only 90 seconds left of the first period to put Sweden, who qualified top of the play-off standings, in front. Daniel Sedin netted a deserved second, his first in 23 games, for Sweden at the start of the third period before Loui Eriksson and Carl Hagelin with two added gloss to the scoreline. 'I think we're going in the right direction. Our first game was probably our worst game and this game was probably our best game. That's a good sign,' said forward Sedin after the opening game of the day. 'We obviously have to be better to beat Russia or the Finns and I think we will be.' __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

20-02-14, 19:25	#12
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,549 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: PhOtOs-Olympics 2014-Closing Ceremony/Medals Chart Heartache for Young as skier forced to withdraw from sprint classic British cross-country skier Andrew Young was forced to withdraw midway through the men's team sprint classic on Wednesday after a pre-existing heart condition flared up. Young suffers from tachycardia, a condition which causes sporadic episodes of racing heartbeat and palpitations. Young was taking part in the first semi-final along with team-mate Andrew Musgrave at the Laura Cross Country Centre, but the pair did not finish the race. Blow: British cross-country skier Andrew Young was forced to withdraw from theteam sprint classic Out: A pre-existing heart problem prevented the skier from taking any further part on Wednesday The 22-year-old, who was diagnosed with the condition at the age of 15, sought to play down its seriousness, saying: 'It happens two races a year. Every now and then it happens and you have to stop. 'I don't really like using it as an excuse. It's not an excuse, it happens. It was just at the start of my second leg and when it happens the advice is just to stop.' The issue also flared up at the Norwegian National Championships last month, and in the same competition in 2013. The withdrawal brought a disappointing end to a relatively encouraging Winter Olympics for the Great Britain cross country team, with Andrew Musgrave becoming the first Briton to reach the quarter-finals of the men's sprint. Young said: 'We have improved a lot. If we got these results four years ago everybody would have been ecstatic. But now everybody is like "it's OK". There has been a huge improvement in the team. 'Every four years the results are getting so much better that just to think four years ago this was unthinkable - to have someone in the top 30 and top 40 in a race. 'You wouldn't have even imagined that was possible and we're doing that and everyone is like "it's OK". Hopefully in four years it will be positive again.' Continued: Young (left) revealed he has to stop races around twice a year because of his palpitations Musgrave, who had expressed bitter disappointment at his performance in the sprint despite his history-making achievement, shrugged off his team-mate's withdrawal. Musgrave said: 'I think he (Andrew) is probably a little bit disappointed but at the same time there's nothing he can do about it. 'He has had it before though and he knows what it is and we just had to stop. 'We had a chance of qualifying for the final if we had had a good day. We definitely had the skis for it and Andrew has been skiing dead good in classic and I'm feeling much better today. 'So I feel we would have had a chance but when something like that happens there's nothing you can do about it.' __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

21-02-14, 00:38	#15
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,549 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: PhOtOs-Olympics 2014-Closing Ceremony/Medals Chart Elise back on track: Scot almost quit games over abuse but defiant 1000m heat shows her tale of woe could end in triumph Little Elise Christie, broken by online trolls and twice disqualified at these Olympics already, produced a defiant riposte in the speed skating that may yet see her story of woe end in triumph. She won her heat in the 1,000 metres - her strongest distance - with a super-charged performance. She bided her time at the back until three laps from the finish, ducked outside and went past the rest like a Ferrari against Minis. Such was her turn of speed that her three rivals were still going round the bend when she was crossing the line. Skating to victory: Christie impressed in her favoured event to show her rivals what she was capable of Determined: Christie admitted she contemplated pulling out of the Olympics after abuse on Twitter The victory, which takes her into the final three rounds on Friday, was all the sweeter because, she revealed, she had considered pulling out of the Games after all her problems on and off the track. The 23-year-old from Scotland was disqualified in the final of the 500m for crashing - prompting Korean fans angered by Park Seung-hi being disadvantaged by the accident to bombard her with abuse on Twitter - and was then thrown out of her 1500m heat for missing the finish line. Both times she had fallen foul of officials for darting inside the rest of the field, which may explain why she overtook everyone by going so wide that at one point she was virtually on Sochi seafront. She is said to be a fragile character, and after stepping off the ice she was still shaking at the thought of her troubled Games. Agony: Christie was penalised in the 500m final for her involvement in a crash which led to abuse on Twitter Photo finish: Christie registered a DNF in 1500m heat for narrowly missing the inside of the finish line ‘I have been down and struggling psychologically,’ she admitted, scratching her upper arms nervously, yet managing to keep her composure to talk frankly about the experience. ‘I came and trained yesterday and found that quite difficult, really emotional, but then I was told about all the support I had from back home. It’s really boosted me for today and I smiled for the first time in a while when I heard that. ‘I can’t tell you how thankful I am. I was considering not getting back on. I thought it could be tough but I am really pleased with the way I skated. I stepped on and felt ready to go and really confident and just wanted to make everyone who supported me proud.’ To spice matters up, however, Christie will take on Park Seung-hi in Friday’s finals. No collisions, please. In fact, the Korean theme will not go away because the next Winter Games will be staged in the country, in Pyeongchang, in 2018. Controversial: Christie (centre) finished in silver position in the 500m despite a fall involving South Korea's Park Seung-hi and France's Arianna Fontana - the Brit was disqualified though as they took the minor medals Tears of joy: Seung-hi (second left) then went on to win gold for South Korea in the 3000m relay Christie said: ‘I know disqualifications come with short track, but I felt like I had a lot of people against me. My main worry was the next Olympics. I was really stressed about that. ‘To start with there were a couple of thousand messages of negative stuff from Korea. But in the end, when the Koreans saw what was happening, they had a go back at the people who were having a go at me, saying, “Our country’s not like this”. I know it’s not. ‘I speak to the team a lot. I get along really well with the girl who was involved in the crash. She came up and hugged me, and went to the media and said, “I don’t blame Elise”.’ There was a sense of the whole British speed-skating family rallying around Christie. None more so than her boyfriend, ‘rock’ and fellow skater Jack Whelbourne. Great support: GB skater and Christie's boyfriend Jack Whelbourne, who bowed out of the 500m, is her 'rock' Her mother Angela, who was in the Iceberg Palace to watch her compete, was another invaluable support. If Christie can keep her head together, a medal, perhaps even gold, is thought to be possible. But for the mishaps, she might well have won at least one already. Unfortunately for Whelbourne, as Christie's luck was turning he bowed out of Tuesday's 500m heats, finishing fourth. His teammate and Team GB flagbearer Jon Eley however won through to the quarters on Friday, following Russia's 1000m Olympic champion Victor An through for second place. 'It is going to be tough but it helps we lost the Olympic champion, which weakens the competition a little bit,' said Eley, 'It's back to back races now, three in a row, and I need to be prepared.' Easy as you like: Team GB flagbearer Jon Eley sailed into the finals in the Short Track Men's 500m Not so lucky: Fellow Brit Whelbourne failed to make the finals after finishing fourth in his heat The other outstanding British performance of the day came at the curling, where David Murdoch executed as audacious a final stone as many aficionados of the sport could remember, to beat Norway 6-5 in a tense play-off. He could have played safe to force an extra end but instead devised an elaborate shot by which the stone, swept on its fast path down the sheet, hit another British stone and cannoned on to two of the Norwegian stones, taking them out of the equation and scoring two for his team. Given the pressure, with elimination or a place in the semi-final against Sweden today at stake, it was the stone of the tournament. Some said it was the stone of the century. Perhaps. Either way: Norway, your boys took one hell of a sweeping. Wonder stone: GB skip David Murdoch's final play of the win over Norway was dubbed 'stone of the century' __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

21-02-14, 00:42	#16
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,549 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: PhOtOs-Olympics 2014-Closing Ceremony/Medals Chart Freak Show! From Distorted Faces to Crazy Costumes... Figure Skating has it all in Sochi By Daily Mail UK, 20 February 2014 There is nothing more graceful at the Winter Olympics than the sequin-clad figure skaters gliding around an ice dome to the tune of a musical classic. But mid-twirl it is rather more embarrassing. Even the very best ice dancers get caught in unflattering positions with mouths wide open and hair feeling the force of gravity. Radical: Germany's Nelli Zhiganshina and Alexaner Gazsi get their groove on during the ice dancing competition Distress: Japan's Mao Asada and USA's Jeremy Abbott distort their faces during the ice dancing Heavy lift? Individual champions Meryl Davis and Charlie White from USA straining every sinew Sochi has seen an eclectic mix of sports but none has the dramatic effect of the ice dancing performances when the skaters have to get into character. The Germans were perhaps the most extreme. Nelli Zhiganshina and Alexaner Gazsishowed showed off a very strange routine, dressed as an exotic dancer and someone who looked akin to a librarian. And even the American champions in the pairs competition, Meryl Davis and Charlie White, couldn't prevent themselves from an embarrassing position or two. Storytelling: USA's Jason Brown top and Russia's Evgeni Plushenko trying to get into character Not a pretty sight: Alexei Bychenko of Israel spending too much time spinning around Scary sight: Ukranie's Yakov Godorozha (left) and Jorik Hendrickx of Belgium Leap of faith: Felicia Zhang and Nathan Bartholomay of the United States compete in the pairs free skating Brace yourself! Japan's Akiko Suzuki and France's Florent Amodio showing their emotions __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

23-02-14, 17:33	#17
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,549 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: PhOtOs-Olympics 2014-Closing Ceremony/Medals Chart Who says Russia Doesn't have a Sense of Humour? Sochi closing ceremony mocks ring that failed to open at beginning of Olympics Dancers at the closing ceremony have mocked the moment a ring failed to open during the opening ceremony Sochi Winter Games come to a close this evening with baton passed to new hosts South Korea The games have been the most expensive in Olympic history at $51billion, topping Beijing Team GB earned one more medal than anticipated, and haul of four makes it one of the most successful games Daily Mail UK, 23 February 2014 Showing that the country has a sense of humour, dancers during the opening section of the show mocked the moment a ring failed to open during the opening ceremony. The closing ceremony, a farewell from Russia with love, pageantry and protocol, starts at 20:14 local time precisely - a nod to the year that President Vladimir Putin attempted to remake Russia's using the Olympics wow factor. From the opening ceremony with malfunctioning ring, to police officers signing Get Lucky, and of course British gold medallist Lizzy Yarnold winning the women's skeleton, the Sochi Winter Olympics have been a games to remember. But tonight marks the end for the highly controversial games, which are also the most expensive in Olympic history. Showing that the country has a sense of humour, dancers during the opening section of the show mocked the moment a ring failed to open during the opening ceremony. The closing ceremony, a farewell from Russia with love, pageantry and protocol, starts at 20:14 local time precisely - a nod to the year that President Vladimir Putin attempted to remake Russia's using the Olympics wow factor. Tonight marks the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics. During the first part of the show dancers formed into the Olympic rings, mocking the moment during the opening ceremony when the final ring failed to open Farewell: The Sochi games have been memorable for controversy, cost and amusement value - such as the failed rings at the opening ceremony - so the closing ceremony tonight is hotly anticipated The opening part featured a light-show representing the ocean as the children from the opening ceremony rowed across it in a floating boat Despite being a celebration of everything Russian, the ceremony itself was put together by an Italian, Danele Finzi Pasca The ceremony will also mark the official handing over of the games to new host city Pyeongchang, in South Korea. The $51billion (£30bn) investment - topping even Beijing's estimated $40 billion layout for the 2008 Summer Games - transformed a decaying resort town on the Black Sea into a household name. All-new facilities, unthinkable in the Soviet era of drab shoddiness, showcased how far Russia has come, despite complaints over sub-standard accommodation for visitor and journalists. A volley of fireworks from the top of the Fisht stadium in the Olympic park marked the end to one of the most memorable games in history Saw it that time, didn't you?: President Putin watches the closing ceremony, including the moment dancers mocked the ring that didn't open. It was alleged he missed it first time around because Russian TV cut to rehearsal footage All fixed: As the dancers succeed in forming the complete rings where their technological counterpart failed, more fireworks are let off, this time inside the stadium Artists dressed in sequined dresses formed various shapes and symbols, including the Olympic rings, during the first part of the opening ceremony One of Sochi's big successes was security. Feared attacks by Islamic militants who had threatened to target the games didn't materialize. The Olympic show also failed to win over critics of Russia's backsliding on democracy and human rights under Putin and its institutionalized intolerance of gays. Despite some bumps along the way, Thomas Bach is expected to use the closing ceremony to deliver an upbeat verdict on the games, his first as International Olympic Committee president. After the awards, the crowds welcomed the newly-elected members of the international committee and its athlete's election. 80 per cent of the athletes here turned out to vote for these representatives. Then, four volunteers were handed flowers by the athletes as a thank you. It is the first time a mass volunteering programme has ever been achieved in Russia. First place: The Russian team marched into the arena as champions having taken home more medals than any other nation, despite allegations of foul play raised over some events Not so lucksi: After officers sang Daft Punk's hit Get Lucky during the opening events, many expected a repeat performance, but were instead treated to traditional marching music The country's flags were carried in by the most usccessful athlete from the team. Lizzy Yarnold, Team GB's golden winner, carried the Union Flag Show of unity: As part of the Olympic spirit of togetherness, athletes from all countries trooped in together before occupying the front rows of seas + Flag bearers enter the stadium during the closing ceremony for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, followed by Italian and Canadian athletes 'It's amazing what has happened here,' Bach said a few hours before the ceremony. He recalled that Sochi was an 'old, Stalinist-style sanatorium city' when he visited for the IOC in the 1990s. 'You entered the room and you were looking at the roof so you would not be hit by something falling down,' he said. As dusk approached Sunday, Russians streamed into Fisht Olympic Stadium for a ceremony that will feature the extinguishing of the Olympic flame. Day and night, the flame became a favorite backdrop for 'Sochi selfies,' a buzzword born at these games for the fad of athletes and spectators taking DIY souvenir photos of themselves. Athletes will kiss goodbye to rivals-turned-friends from far off places, savor their games and achievements or rue what might have been. Absent will be five competitors tossed out after they were caught by what was the most extensive anti-doping program in Winter Olympic history, with the IOC conducting a record 2,453 tests. The latest controversy centres around Russian skater Adelina Sotnikova who won gold despite allegations of biased and unfair judging With Russia's ban on homosexual propaganda the event has also attracted controversy, with members of punk protest band Pussy Riot being whipped by cossacks while performing inside the park Pre-show: The final score of a game of ice hockey is displayed on the side of one of the Olympic stadiums before the closing ceremony Rehearsals: Thousands of volunteers have been tirelessly rehearsing for weeks in order perfect every last detail of the closing ceremony which starts at 20.14 Russian time to mark the year BRITISH MEDALLISTS Thanks to the hard work and efforts of athletes such as Lizzy Yarnold, Britain will walk away from the Sochi games with its joint largest haul of medals ever. The team target was three, but a gold from Yarnold, one silver and one bronze medal in curling, and another bronze for Jenny Jones in the snowboard slopestyle, meant Team GB earned four. That is the same number that Britain won at the inaugural games in 1928 and remain the highest ever tally. The crowd will wave goodbye to the games in Sochi's Fisht Stadium, a jewel of the all-new Olympic Park by the Black Sea, looking up at the snowy Caucasus Mountains where skiers, snowboarders and sliders competed. The audience is sure to raise the roof for the Russian team when it parades in. Russia's athletes topped the Sochi medals table, with a record 13 golds and 33 total, though even this was marred with allegations of cheating and unfair judging. It represented a stunning turnaround from the 2010 Vancouver Games. There, a meagre 3 golds and 15 total for Russia seemed proof of its gradual decline as a winter sports power since Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. Russia's bag of Sochi gold was the biggest-ever haul by a non-Soviet team. Russia's golden run started with aging star Evgeni Plushenko leading Russia to victory in team figure skating. Putin was on hand for that, one of multiple times when he popped up at venues across the games. Russia's last gold came Sunday in four-man bobsled. The games' signature moment for home fans was Adelina Sotnikova, cool as ice at 17, becoming Russia's first gold medalist in women's Olympic figure skating. 'The success of the home team is always an important part of the success of the games overall,' said Bach. Lizzy Yarnold brought home Britain's only gold medal of the games, beating her American rival to win the women's skeleton event Along with Yarnold's win, an unexpected bronze awarded to Jenny Jones (left) in the snowboard slopestyle event meant Britain exceeded its medal expectations Great Britain's Men's curling team of (left to right) David Murdoch, Greg Drummond, Scott Andrews, Michael Goodfellow and Tom Brewster also won silver in their event The last gold from the 98 medal events, a Winter Games record, was in ice hockey, with Canada and Sweden competing for it. Not all of the headlines out of Sochi were about sport. Organizers faced criticism going in about Russia's strict policies toward gays, though once the games were under way, most every athlete chose not to use the Olympic spotlight to campaign for the cause. And an activist musical group and movement, Pussy Riot, appeared in public and was horsewhipped by Cossack militiamen, drawing international scrutiny. The games also saw the film Cool Runnings brought to life courtesy of the Jamaican bobsleigh team who had to raise funds in order to pay for their flights to Sochi The games have also seen their fair share of slips and trips, such as this one involving British hopeful Elise Christie during the speed skating event And during the last days of competition, Sochi competed for attention with violence in Ukraine, Russia's neighbor and considered a vital sphere of influence by the Kremlin. In an Associated Press interview on Saturday, Bach singled out Ukraine's victory in women's biathlon relay as 'really an emotional moment' of the games, praising Ukrainian athletes for staying to compete despite the scores dead in protests back home. 'Mourning on the one hand, but knowing what really is going on in your country, seeing your capital burning, and feeling this responsibility, and then winning the gold medal,' he said, 'this really stands out for me.' __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

23-02-14, 18:34	#18
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,549 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: PhOtOs-Olympics 2014-Closing Ceremony/Medals Chart Golden Years: Winter Olympics Special - From a British Curling Gold in 1924 to Torvill and Dean, Eddie The Eagle and the Miracle on Ice With the attention of the sporting world focusing on Sochi, this special Golden Years looks back on some memorable moments of the past at the Winter Olympics. Nick Metcalfe has been searching the archives to bring you a selection of glorious images from the past 90 years. Daily Mail UK, 23 February 2014 The curling will doubtless look a little different in Sochi but here's a picture of Britain's team in action during the first Winter Olympics in Chamonix in 1924 - they dominated the competition, and won Britain's first ever gold medal at the Games. Golds have been much harder to come by in the intervening 90 years Another picture here of the first Winter Games in Chamonix, a delightful one showing action from the bobsleigh competition, with Italy's four-man team seen in action Ice hockey has always been a key part of the Winter Olympics and here is a picture of a match between Canada and America at the first Games in Chamonix. The Canadians won gold - they dominated the early Olympic tournaments, winning six of the first seven. Great Britain claimed a bronze medal at that first Winter Olympics Sonja Henie was one of the legendary champions of the early Winter Olympics. She first competed as an 11-year-old at the 1924 Games. Here, the Norwegian - who later became a film star - is in action on her way to victory at the 1928 St Moritz Olympics. She successfully defended her singles title four years later in Lake Placid, and sealed a glorious hat-trick of victories at the 1936 Garmisch Games This picture shows the opening ceremony of the 1932 Winter Games in Lake Placid. The third ever Winter Games, this event featured 17 nations and just 252 athletes. The hosts America finished top of the medal tables, at a Games that lasted 12 days. Forty-eight years later, in 1980, Lake Placid hosted another Winter Games This picture shows German skier Christl Cranz competing in the combined event in front of a crowd that includes uniformed Nazis and the party's flag Most sports fans will know that the 1936 summer Olympics in Berlin were played out to the backdrop of Nazi propaganda, but less well known is that the 1936 Winter Games was also hosted in Germany, in the mountain town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. This picture shows Altweg - who was a junior tennis champion at Wimbledon before focusing on skating - competing at the 1948 St Moritz Olympics, where she won a bronze medal Jeanette Altweg claimed skating gold for Britain at the 1952 Oslo Olympics. Only Altweg and Amy Williams, skeleton champion at the 2010 Vancouver Games, have been individual GB female champions at the Winter Games. Tony Nash and Robin Dixon won Britain's first gold medal for 12 years when they claimed bobsleigh victory at the 1962 Innsbruck Games. They were the beneficiaries of a famous piece of sportsmanship before their second run when they damaged a bolt on their sled and were lent a spare one by Italian rival Eugenio Monti Frenchman Jean-Claude Killy was in many ways the biggest star of the 1968 Grenoble Olympics - the skier won a remarkable treble of gold medals in the downhill, slalom and giant slalom. The above picture shows him in action in the giant slalom. In the below picture, Irina Rodnina and Alexei Ulanov from the Soviet Union perform a death spiral during their free programme at the 1972 Sapporo Games - the pair won gold in the event A view of the ski jump competition here at the 1956 Olympics in the Italian town of Cortina d'Ampezzo. One of the most compact Winter Games of them all, the town had a population of just 6,500 people when it hosted the event British skater John Curry in action here during his gold medal winning performance at the 1976 Games in Innsbruck. One national newspaper described his five-minute performance as 'masterly in its cool beauty of movement' In the history of winter sports, Austria's Franz Klammer is a genuine legend. His performance to win the men's downhill at the 1976 Olympics in Innsbruck is part of skiing folklore. Starting in 15th position, Klammer was the last of the top seeds to go, and needed to produce the performance of his life. He did just that, taking the most extraordinary risks on the way, as he won by 0.33 seconds to the delight of the adoring Austrian crowd Robin Cousins was Britain's last male solo Olympic winner at the Winter Games, with his glorious success at the 1980 Lake Placid Games. Following on from John Curry's success four years earlier, this was a golden period for British skating. At the end of 1980, Cousins was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year 'Do you believe in miracles? Yes' became one of the most famous lines in the history of sports broadcasting when it was delivered by Al Michaels in 1980. The American ice hockey team - made up of amateur and collegiate players - defied all the odds and amazingly defeated the Soviet Union 4-3 on their way to winning gold. It became known as 'The Miracle On Ice' and is one of the truly memorable moments in the 90-year history of the Winter Olympics Not just a sporting moment next, but something that seeped into the national consciousness and became an iconic moment of the 1980s. Even now, 30 years on, there's a pure magic to Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean's performance at the 1984 Sarajevo Olympics With their perfect performance to 'Bolero' wowing the world and giving them their perfect set of scores. Here are two pictures of the British pair performing 'Bolero', together with a very famous scoreboard Millions of people without a lot of interest in the Winter Olympics know all about the Jamaican bobsleigh team at the 1988 Games, thanks to the popular 1993 film 'Cool Runnings'. True underdogs in every sense of the word, this picture shows Dudley Stokes climbing into the bobsled, along with Michael White, Devon Harris and Nelson Stokes. The Jamaicans proved to be an instant hit with the Calgary crowd, along with millions watching around the world on television Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards was one of the most famous people in the country in the early months of 1988 After his performances in the ski jumping at the Calgary Games captured the attention of the nation, and far beyond. Edwards, in action above, finished last in both the 70m and 90m events, but the worse he did, the more his popularity grew. In the below picture, Edwards is at the centre of media attention 23 FEB 1988: MICHAEL '' EDDIE THE EAGLE '' EDWARDS OF GREAT BRTIAIN IS MOBBED BY REPORTERS DURING THE 90 METRE SKI JUMP COMPETITION AT THE 1988 WINTER OLYMPICS. EDDIE THE EAGLE FINISHED IN LAST PLACE BUT WAS MUCH LOVED BY THE SPECTATORS. It was more soap opera than sport at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics, when Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan competed. Kerrigan won silver at the Games but only after recovering from an attack with metal baton a month before the Games - the assailant eventually revealed it was part of a plot hatched with Harding's ex-husband to ruin Kerrigan's chances. An emotional Harding could only finish eighth in Norway You wouldn't normally expect millions of people to put off their bedtimes to watch a curling match, but that's the power of the Olympics. In the above picture, Britain's curling captain Rhona Martin is seen delivering a stone during a dramatic Olympic final against Switzerland at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games. Britain won 4-3, with Martin nervelessly delivering glory with the final stone of the final. In the below picture, she celebrates her magic moment, Britain's first gold for 18 years A classic 'What Happened Next?' moment here, as America's Lindsey Jacobellis dramatically crashes out, under no pressure, at the very end of the snowboard cross final at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. Switzerland's Tanja Frieden gleefully took advantage, overtaking Jacobellis to snatch an unlikely gold I love the fact that there are just two athletes pictured here - Canada's Sidney Crosby and American Ryan Miller - yet the moment was one that caused untold joy for millions of people across Canada. Crosby is celebrating his dramatic overtime winner to give the Canadians a 3-2 win over their old rivals in the men's ice hockey final, on the final day of the 2010 Games in Vancouver Amy Williams was the undoubted British star of the last Winter Games in Vancouver, becoming the country's first solo gold medallist for 30 years. The Bath athlete dominated the women's skeleton final, winning by more than half a second. 'Never in a million years did I think I'd come here and win gold,' she said afterwards __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

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