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Women's ski jump

February 24, 2014 15:36 IST
Sarah Hendrickson of USA.

Rediff.com has rounded up some of the top moments from the Sochi Winter Olympics. Take a look…

Winning Moments

Women's ski jump

After years of lobbying to be included in the Olympics women ski jumpers finally had their day in Sochi when the first Olympic competition was held.

When US ski jumper Sarah Hendrickson sped down a snow-covered ramp and hurtled into the air at 90kph, a piece of Olympic history was made in the Russian mountains.

Ninety years after the first male ski-jumpers competed at a Winter Games, women were finally granted the chance to prove their mettle in one of the ultimate sporting tests of power, technique and sheer daring.

Canadian curlers

February 24, 2014 15:36 IST
(From left) Gold medalists Brad Jacobs, Ryan Fry, EJ Harnden, Ryan Harnden and Caleb Flaxey of Canada celebrate during the medal ceremony for Men's Curling.

Not one but both gold medals went to Canada as their ice-cold competitors snatched top spot in both the men's and women's competitions.

Vladimir Putin

February 24, 2014 15:36 IST
 Russian President Vladimir Putin walks through the arena after the Flower Ceremony for the Team Figure Skating.

The Russian President came, saw and conquered the Games, smiling, toasting and cheering.

From visiting the United States house to snapping pictures with volunteers, he managed to successfully portray a different picture from the one in the run-up to the Games when he soaked up criticism and snubs from world leaders over his country's human rights record and the government's anti-gay propaganda law.

Team Great Britain

February 24, 2014 15:36 IST
Bronze medalist Jenny Jones of Great Britain celebrates during the flower ceremony for the Women's Snowboard Slopestyle Finals.

Snowboarder Jenny Jones became an instant household name back home when she made history in Sochi by winning slopestyle bronze which was Britain's first Olympic medal on snow.

The team equalled their record winter Games medal haul of four, grabbing a gold, a silver and a bronze as well.

Security

February 24, 2014 15:36 IST
Security personnel walk past the Olympic Rings ahead of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics at the Olympic Park.

A top issue before the Games with Islamic militants threatening to attack the Games and concerns over how Russian security would tackle the large influx of foreign visitors, athletes and reporters.

The Russian hosts clearly won a gold medal as the tens of thousands of officers blended into the crowds of fans and volunteers with security generally soft-handed.

Mikaela Shiffrin

February 24, 2014 15:36 IST
Mikaela Shiffrin of the USA.

The teenager had no problem slipping into absent Lindsey Vonn's ski boots as the new poster girl of American Alpine skiing.

With an Olympic gold medal around her neck at the age of 18, Shiffrin is pure gold dust for a sport preparing to wave goodbye to a generation of greats.

Under the glare of the floodlights, Shiffrin, known on the circuit as the 'Mozart of Skiing' produced a high-speed waltz through the gates to become the youngest ever Olympic slalom champion.

New events

February 24, 2014 15:36 IST
Sarah Hendrickson of the United States lands during the Ladies' Normal Hill Individual final round.

There were 12 new events in Sochi with snowboard slopestyle kicking off proceedings and captivating audiences the world over with sensational gravity-defying tricks.

Ski slopestyle followed suit as did snowboard parallel slalom, women's ski jumping, biathlon mixed relay, a new figure skating team event and a luge team relay.

While no more are planned for inclusion at the Pyeongchang 2018 Games, International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach gave them a thumbs up.

Darya Domracheva

February 24, 2014 15:36 IST
Gold medalist Darya Domracheva of Belarus celebrates on the podium during the medal ceremony for the Biathlon Women's 15km Individual.

The athlete from Belarus dazzled in Sochi, becoming the first woman to win three biathlon titles at the same winter Olympics when she claimed gold in the 12.5km mass start, the 12.5km pursuit and 15km individual titles.

German lugers

February 24, 2014 15:36 IST
(From left) Gold medalists Tobias Arlt, Felix Loch, Tobias Wendl and Natalie Geisenberger of Germany lift   their coach Georg Hackl in celebration during the flower ceremony for the the Luge Relay at Sliding Center Sanki in Sochi on Thursday.

Germany may have failed as a team to equal their good medals haul from Vancouver but there was no sign of failure for the country's lugers who completed a clean sweep.

Mens and women's events were easily won as was the inaugural team relay.

India

February 24, 2014 15:36 IST
Indian athletes Nadeem Iqbal , Shiva Keshavan and Himanshu Thakur with newly elected IOA President, Narayna Ramachandran arrive during the welcome ceremony and flag raising at the mountain athletes village.

The Asian nation became the first country to be re-admitted to the Olympic family during a Games when the IOC lifted a ban and allowed the Indian flag to be hoisted in the athletes' village.

The three Indian athletes had marched at the opening ceremony under the Olympic flag due to the IOC suspension triggered by tainted officials being elected to the Indian Olympic Association board.

Fresh elections and a ban on those officials led to the IOC overturning its suspension.

US speedskaters

February 24, 2014 15:36 IST
Eduardo Alvarez of the United States falls while competing in the Short Track Men's 500m Heat.

Losing Moments

US speedskaters

The Americans went home without a medal for the first time since the 1984 Sarajevo Games, despite proclaiming their team of 17 skaters could match the feat of the 2002 squad who won a record eight medals in Salt Lake City.

Even a switch of their hi-tech suits midway through the competitions could not avert their flop.

Germany

February 24, 2014 15:36 IST
Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle of Germany looks exausted after finishing the Women's 12.5 km Mass.

A traditional winter sports powerhouse, Germany had set out to repeat their successes in 2010 when the country finished in the top three in the medals table along with Canada and the United States.

Instead of the 30 medals they had hoped for, German athletes collected 19 to finish in sixth place. They also had to send biathlete and former cross country Olympic champion Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle back home after she was caught doping.

Stray dogs

February 24, 2014 15:36 IST
Stray dogs roam the grounds of the Olympic Park.

Thousands of them roamed the streets of the Russia Black Sea resort prior to the Games, many kept as guard dogs by workers in the Olympic construction sites.

Only a few were left when the Games started with authorities rounding them up. Animal rights groups said they were put down with local officials claiming kennels had been set up. "They were detained," said IOC spokesman Mark Adams.

Shaun White

February 24, 2014 15:36 IST
Shaun White of the US reacts after the men's snowboard halfpipe final.

Rotten tomato instead of flying tomato as the greatest snowboarder of his generation fell flat on his face in Sochi.

He skipped the new slopestyle event to focus on the halfpipe and was instantly accused of playing it safe.

The gamble did not pay off as he left Russia with no prize.

NHL hockey

February 24, 2014 15:36 IST
The United States players react after losing to Finland.

Speculation was rife even before the tournament started that NHL players may not make the trip back to the Olympics again given the clash with league dates and the 2018 winter Games to be held in South Korea's Pyeongchang.

They may not be really missed following flat performances by the big names.

The United States lost 5-0 to Finland in the bronze medal match while Russia's big names also disappointed with the hosts flying out in the quarter-finals, also to Finland.