Everything good must come to an end, and on Sunday, Feb. 23, the 22nd Winter Olympic Games were officially closed.
For over two weeks, we all witnessed the world’s best athletes come together to showcase their abilities. For over two weeks, our eyes were glued to the television, seeing which country would come out on top, by how many hundredths of a second someone won a race and by how many points a record was broken by.
This year’s Games were surrounded by skepticism. Was Russia’s security enough? Why were they being held in a country with so much political strife? Will the weather be too warm?
But 17 days later, the Games proved to go smoothly. While there were some events that highlighted Russia’s politics, including the violence in Ukraine, for the most part, it really was all about the athletes. And, boy, did those athletes do a fantastic job!
America had a great showing. We were second in the overall medal count with 28 medals, second only to the host country who earned 33.
Our athletes represented us well — they got us nine gold medals, they displayed good sportsmanship and they showed the world how Americans get things done. We set and broke records. We showed what American spirit is all about.
If you’re like me, you’re suffering from Olympic withdrawal. You miss seeing Bob Costas every night. You miss the Olympic-themed commercials. But most of all, you miss the competition. But don’t be too sad, because there is plenty more to look forward to in the upcoming months:
The World Figure Skating Championships are coming up soon. From Monday, March 24, to Sunday, March 30, you can see your Olympic favorites skate again.
Tired of watching the events competed on snow and ice? The 2014 FIFA World Cup will be held this summer in Brazil. America is in a tough group this year (Germany, Portugal and Ghana), so you can look forward to some good games.
Still, if it is the Olympics that you only look forward to, the wait isn’t that long. The 2016 Rio Summer Games are opening on Friday, Aug. 5, which means they’re only about 890 days away. Can’t wait for the next Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea? Those are only 1,442 days away.
This is the sixth and final part of “Faster, Higher, Stronger,” a weekly column of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.
