Sochi closes Olympics, clearing shadows of doubt

Performers take part in the closing ceremony for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games February 23, 2014. [Photo/Agencies]

Zhang Hong claimed China's first ever Olympic speed skating gold in a feat hailed in the country as important as Liu Xiang's 110m hurdles victory in the 2004 Summer Olympics.

The other golds were from short track speed skaters Li Jianrou and Zhou Yang.

"Despite two less golds than in Vancouver and the withdrawal by injured four-time Olympic champion Wang Meng, it is a satisfying performance," said Xiao Tian, China's deputy chef de mission.

"It was a difficult Olympics for China. We have no advantage in the 12 new events added to the Sochi Games. The good news is that we are still the best in Asia."

Xiao praised Sochi's work, saying it was beyond expectations and had given China inspirations in bidding for the 2022 Winter Olympics.

A record 88 countries and regions competed in the Sochi Games but only 26 made it to the medal table.

Except for the 1980 edition, the Winter Olympics has been dogged by drug ghosts since the doping test was introduced in 1968.

The Sochi Games ended with six positive cases.

Austrian cross-country skier Johannes Duerr was thrown out of the Games for testing positive for blood booster EPO on Sunday.

Swedish ice hockey forward Nicklas Backstrom, Latvian hockey player Vitalijs Pavlovs, Ukrainian cross-country skier Marina Lisogor, German biathlete Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle and Italian bobsledder William Frullani were the other offenders.

The IOC has carried out 2,631 doping tests, including 1,420 non-competition tests - more than the planned 2,453 and more than ever before at the Games.

"What is important is that we see the system works," IOC president Bach said, adding it "shows the IOC is serious with zero tolerance."

Olympic competition wasn't free of controversy.

Russian Adelina Sotnikova stunned favorite Kim Yu-Na to take the women's figure skating gold in a controversial final, angering South Korea Skating Union which asked for a probe into the judging.

Canada and Slovenia protested against the aerodynamically beneficial outfits worn by the French who swept the ski cross podium, and took the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which dismissed the appeals on Sunday.

Next Winter Olympics will be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

It's not just luck, Chinese short track coach says	Zhang brings hope to China's speed skating	Han wins China's first medal in Sochi