SOCHI 2014 WINTER OLYMPICS CLOSING CEREMONY

The Winter Olympics are over in Sochi, and for that we are saddened yet hopeful looking toward the next Olympic competition, the XXXI Summer Games, slated for 2016 August 5th to August 21st in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil!

At Sochi, our althletes appear so at ease with their sport, such wonderful commentating this year, we have learned so much on how the athletes train, what their parents have done to help them along. I truly do admire the Moms of Meryl and Charlie, ice dance gold medalists.  Seventeen (17) years of sitting on those cold blank wooden slats in the stands of an ice arena, cheering their children on, of course they can do it!  And Meryl and Charlie have, our hats go off to them.

And the controversy over the ice skating judging, will it ever be sorted out properly? I do not think so, a winner and a loser, such is sport, and the judging will continue as it does, slanted at times, more equal than at others. The judging occurs so quickly, with so many competitions happening within the sport and elsewhere, there is little time to hold a debate as to what is fair and what is not, perhaps after the games a review will happen? And it rarely does, so the questionable judging practices continue, and each country hopes the chips will fall in their favor at some point.  Maybe yes, maybe no.

The Ceremony!

Always such a different feel than the opening, such a relief, such momentum now at an even level, dreams conquered, hopes dashed.  The take away here is excellence, and the pursuit of excellence. And the vagaries of defeat.  Accidents happen, it is part of the game of competition.

At the beginning of the closing ceremony, the Russians make a joke of the Olympic circles, again only 4 of the 5 circles on show, then , a pause, an even longer pause, and, there you have it, the 5th Olympic circle shows itself.  Clearly a spoof and acknowledgement of the opening ceremony where only the 4 circles manifested.  

We see more Chagall-like scenarios, and the best memory here is of the three mascots. A bunny, a leopard and a bear! All oversize and adorable!

photo courtesy of Robert F. Bukat/Associated Press

Having mascots portray the emotions we are all feeling by the young and old, athletes and spectators, sponsors and networks, families near and far, provides a huge unifying message: we are one when we strive for excellence and beauty through sport.  It is sport that unites us, with all it brings.

The sweet white bunny, so pure and demure, the sociable leopard, so spry! and the communicative bear, with those lifelike eyes that shed a tear and said goodbye to the Games for us all~

A BIG THANK to the Olympic Committee, to hosting country Russia, to ALL the athletes and their families, the coaches who continue to live their dream of excellence, who all made these games possible. You have taught us to be resilient, strong, persistent and pervasive in all that we love.

Let us follow your beauty.

The Olympic flame is extinguished for now, and the XXIII Winter Olympics will resume in Pyeongchang, South Korea in 2018, February 9th through February 25th.  

Sharpen those skates and wax those skis~ get set in four years for the best talent in the world, Olympic style!