With a Wink and Bow, Sochi Shuts Off Lights

With a sweep of the men's bobsled for the home team and Sochi's final gold medal given out, Russia gave a wink at the little Olympic ring that couldn't in the opening ceremony and closed out its uber-expensive Olympiad today. Kicking off at 20:14 local time, in honor of the year Vladimir Putin tried to reboot his country's image with the $51 billion athletic bonanza, mother Russia flashed highlights of its 17 days of sports glory amid fireworks and chants of "Ro-ssi-ya!" reports the AP. Putin himself politely clapped throughout the event, and well he should—Russian athletes finished first in gold medals with 13, and first overall, with 33, notes the AP. (More 2014 Sochi Olympics stories.)