The Sochi Olympics have reached the finish line.
After gold medals were awarded in 98 events over more than two weeks of competition, the 2014 Winter Games will officially conclude with the closing ceremony at Fisht Stadium in the Olympic Park on Sunday. The ceremony will cap the most expensive Olympic Games ever. Russian president Vladimir Putin, who made frequent appearances during the 18 days of competition, committed $51 billion to pulling off the Games in Sochi amid concerns about security and basic infrastructure.
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Despite the unprecedented spending, the blockbuster opening ceremony featured a high-profile malfunction that resulted in only four of the five interlocking Olympic rings lighting up during a key moment. Sochi 2014 creative director Konstantin Ernst showed he could joke about the lighting misfire during a press conference before the closing ceremony by sporting a T-shirt with the four Olympic rings and a snowflake.
“The Closing Ceremony is always different from the Opening Ceremony,” Ernst explained. “In our case we decided to turn the Opening Ceremony into a kind of blockbuster, whereas the Closing Ceremony will be more down the art-house avenue.”
While there is no formal, lengthy "Parade Of Nations" as is traditional during the opening ceremony, each nation will be represented by a flag bearer and at least some of the athletes who competed during the closing ceremony. U.S. women's hockey player Julie Chu will carry the flag for her nation after earning a silver medal. In addition to featuring closing remarks by International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach, the closing ceremony will also include the extinguishing of the Olympic cauldron in Sochi and the handing over of the Olympic flag to a delegation from Pyeongchang, South Korea. The host of the 2018 Winter Olympics, Pyeongchang will introduce itself to viewers around the world with a brief performance.
For those waiting to watch on television in the United States, NBC will broadcast the closing ceremony at 8:30 p.m. ET. It will also be available to watch live online at NBCOlympics.com.
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