2014 Winter Olympics
Overview
The 2014 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXII Olympic Winter Games, were a major international multi-sport event held in Sochi, Russia, in the tradition of the Winter Olympic Games. The Games featured 98 events in 15 winter sport disciplines, which were held over 16 days from 7 to 23 February 2014.
Bidding and preparation
The selection process for the 2014 Winter Olympics consisted of three phases. In the first phase, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) accepted bids from seven cities, but dropped three cities before proceeding to the candidate phase. In the second phase, the candidate cities were investigated and evaluated in detail. On 4 July 2007, during the 119th IOC Session held in Guatemala City, Sochi was announced as the host city.
The preparation for the Games involved many controversies, including the high costs and environmental concerns. The total cost of the 2014 Winter Olympics was estimated to be $51 billion, surpassing the cost of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, making it the most expensive Olympics in history.
Opening ceremony
The opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics took place on 7 February 2014 at the Fisht Olympic Stadium, named after Mount Fisht. The ceremony featured the parade of nations, the welcoming speeches, the symbolic release of doves, and the lighting of the Olympic Cauldron.
Events
The 2014 Winter Olympics featured 98 events over 15 disciplines in 7 sports. This included the debut of twelve new events, which were approved by the IOC in 2011. The new events included women's ski jumping, team events in luge, mixed relay in biathlon, and team events in figure skating.
Participating nations
A total of 88 nations participated in the 2014 Winter Olympics. Six nations made their Winter Olympics debut: Dominica, Malta, Paraguay, Timor-Leste, Togo, and Zimbabwe. The number of athletes who participated in the Games was approximately 2,800.
Medal table
The medal table of the 2014 Winter Olympics is a list of National Olympic Committees (NOCs) ranked by the number of gold medals won during the Games. The country with the most gold medals was Russia, followed by Norway and Canada.
Closing ceremony
The closing ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics was held on 23 February 2014 at the Fisht Olympic Stadium. The ceremony included the parade of athletes, the extinguishing of the Olympic flame, and the official handover to PyeongChang, the host city of the 2018 Winter Olympics.
Legacy
The legacy of the 2014 Winter Olympics includes the long-term effects and value that hosting the Games has had on the Sochi region and Russia as a whole. The Games had significant economic, political, environmental, and social impacts, which have been both positive and negative.