Paris celebrates 2024 Olympic win as LA accepts 2028 consolation

Yahoo – AFP, Françoise CHAPTAL, Aug 1, 2017

Paris was insistent on hosting the Olympics in 2024, on the 100th anniversary
of the city's 1924 Games (AFP Photo/FRANCK FIFE)

Paris (AFP) - Paris was celebrating victory on Tuesday in its bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games after Los Angeles announced its intention to host the 2028 event instead in return for financial sweeteners.

Officially, French President Emmanuel Macron gave Monday's announcement by Los Angeles a cautious welcome, hailing a "very important step" on the road to hosting the Games.

The deal was described by International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach as a "win-win-win" agreement for both cities and the Olympic movement.

But despite the fact that Paris is now effectively the only remaining candidate to host the 2024 Summer Games, Macron and other bid leaders shied away from overt triumphalism until an official announcement.

"France notes the decision of Los Angeles to put forward its candidature for 2028 and to reach an agreement with the IOC and Paris," a statement from Macron's office said.

Macron spoke to Bach following Los Angeles' announcement and was "delighted by this very important step towards France obtaining the Games in 2024".

Olympic Games host cities (AFP Photo/Paz PIZARRO)

Announcing the decision on Monday, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said "this deal was too good to pass up".

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said on Twitter: "Happy that my friend @MayorofLA has made an important new step on an agreement that will have three winners: Paris, Los Angeles and the IOC."

However others were less circumspect, with French newspapers celebrating the Paris win and Tony Estanguet, the Paris bid co-leader, saying he could see "nothing standing in the way of Paris staging the Games".

"This time we've won it," said a headline on the front page of Le Parisien newspaper.

Paris, which will host the Games for a third time, endured the disappointment of failed bids in 1992, 2008 and 2012.

Both Paris and Los Angeles had wanted to host the 2024 Olympics, with the winner to be officially named by the IOC on September 13 in the Peruvian capital Lima.

But the possibility that Los Angeles would abandon a 2024 bid and instead accept the 2028 Games has been growing since the IOC decided in July that it would attempt to award both Games at its Lima meeting.

The French capital insisted it only wanted to host the Games in 2024, on the 100th anniversary of the city's 1924 Olympics, prompting Los Angeles to soften its stance and consider hosting the 2028 Games.

Los Angeles has twice hosted the Summer Olympics, in 1932 and 1984 (AFP

Photo/FREDERIC J. BROWN)

'Proud'

And confirmation of the decision everyone was expecting came on Monday night.

"I am proud to announce the Olympic Games are coming back to the United States of America," Mayor Garcetti said at a ceremony at the StubHub Center stadium.

"In 2028, we are bringing the Games back to LA, one of the great capitals of the Olympic movement. A city that has always been a Games changer and will be again in 2028."

LA officials, who had put forward a $5.3 billion (4.5 billion euros) bid for 2024, said an agreement had been reached with the IOC on financial considerations that would make waiting an extra four years feasible.

Bid chief Casey Wasserman said the IOC had waived various fees and payments that could ultimately save LA organisers millions.

The IOC will also advance $180 million to LA organisers to lessen the impact of the longer lead-up time, money that normally would not be disbursed until closer to the Games kickoff.

Los Angeles' Mayor Eric Garcetti said that the city "would be stupid" not to 

agree to host the Olympics in 2028 (AFP Photo/Fabrice COFFRINI)

"The IOC contribution as stipulated by the HCC is $1.8 billion and has the potential to exceed $2 billion according to the evaluation of the LA bid committee when taking into account the estimated value of existing sponsor agreements to be renewed and potential new marketing deals," the bid committee said in a statement.

Like Paris, this will bring the Games back to Los Angeles for a third time, after the city hosted in 1932 and 1984.

The agreement must still be approved by the Los Angeles City Council and the United States Olympic Committee -- both of which backed the 2024 bid.

But Bach said he expected any remaining hurdles to be cleared.

"We are very confident that we can reach a tripartite agreement under the leadership of the IOC with LA and Paris in August, creating a win-win-win situation for all three partners," he said.

The United States last hosted the Summer Olympics in Atlanta in 1996 while the Winter Games were held in Salt Lake City in 2002.

Russia's President Putin orders doping investigation ahead of IAAF meeting on ban

The Russian president has formally called for an investigation into 'state-supported' doping following WADA allegations. The move comes ahead of a possible Olympics ban for Russian track and field athletes.

Deutsche Welle, 12 Nov 2015

Russian President Vladimir Putin orders investigation

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday ordered an inquiry into allegations of systematic "state-supported" doping following a report by an independent commission from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

An email released by a German news source has left the World Anti-Doping Agency chief exposed, in what is the latest of setbacks for WADA. The email seems to seek to reassure Russia after media allegations of doping.

"It is essential that we conduct our own internal investigation and provide the most open - and I want to underline - the most open professional cooperation with international anti-doping structures," Putin said following a meeting of Russia's top sports officials.

"I ask the minister of sport and all our colleagues who are linked in one way or another with sport to pay this issue the greatest possible attention," Putin added.

Earlier this week, Grigory Rodchenkov, former Russian anti-doping laboratory chief, was accused of heading the doping cover-up, including purposefully destroying over 1,400 positive test samples and extorting money from athletes.

Rodchenkov resigned from his position on Tuesday.

The WADA on Tuesday also withdrew accreditation of Moscow's anti-doping laboratory, effectively suspending the center's ability to conduct blood and urine tests.

The WADA accused Russia of "sabotaging" the 2012 Olympic Games

Olympics ban?

Putin's statement comes ahead of an International Association of Athletics Federations' (IAAF) meeting Friday when the sports governing body is expected to decide whether Russian track and field athletes will be banned from the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach said "the IAAF has informed us they will take the necessary measures."

However, Russia should not be punished for the actions of individuals, who should be held accountable, President Putin said following Wednesday's meeting.

"If someone breaks the rules on doping, the responsibility should be individual," Putin said.

"This problem does not exist only in Russia, but if our foreign colleagues have questions, we must answer them," the Russian president said.

ls/jm (AFP, AP, Reuters)

FIFA's Sepp Blatter ends stint on International Olympic Committee

FIFA President Sepp Blatter's leadership role in another major world sporting body has ended. Blatter has decided against running for re-election as a member of the International Olympic Committee.

Deutsche Welle, 3 Aug 2015

The head of global football organization FIFA, which has been caught up in a wide-ranging corruption scandal, had informed the International Olympic Committee (IOC) he would not retain his position in that organization.

"He does not deem it to be appropriate to stand for re-election for eight years knowing that after seven months his term would come to an end," IOC President Thomas Bach said on the final day of the committee's assembly inKuala Lumpur.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter was one of several IOC members who had been due for re-election. He had been a member of the IOC since 1999 and would have had to retire next year anyway because he will be reaching his 80th birthday. He did not attend the Kuala Lumpur meeting.

The IOC gained two new members Monday: Nenad Lalovic of Serbia, head of wrestling's world governing body, and Diagna Ndiaye, president of Senegal's national Olympic committee. Fourteen others were re-elected for eight year terms and Gunilla Lindberg of Sweden was re-elected to another four-year term on the IOC's executive board

As for FIFA, the body will elect a president at a special meeting set for February after Blatter announced he would resign. He later said he had "offered up his mandate," leading some to wonder if he was, in fact, considering running for re-election.

se/sms (AP, AFP)

Switzerland targets corruption in sports with 'FIFA bill'

Yahoo – AFP, David Courbet, 12 Dec 2014

FIFA, based in Switzerland, has been at the centre of claims of corruption over
its decision to grant Qatar the 2022 World Cup (AFP Photo/Fabrice Coffrini)

Geneva (AFP) - Swiss deputies on Friday passed a law making it easier to bring corruption charges against the leaders of international sporting bodies such as FIFA which have faced years of sleaze allegations.

The law will affect about 60 multi-billion dollar sporting federations, including football's governing body and the International Olympic Committee, based in Switzerland and has become known as "Lex FIFA", or the FIFA law.

The legislation makes the chiefs of sporting federations "politically exposed persons," alongside political dictators, for whom an allegation of money laundering or corruption will trigger judicial proceedings.

"With this law, corruption in sport will become a crime. It's the first step towards cleaning up sport," Roland Buchel, a lawmaker with the populist Swiss People's Party who led a four-year campaign for the bill, told AFP.

The law is in response to years of allegations of corruption against sporting bodies, including FIFA.

Football's global body, which is based in Zurich, has been at the centre of controversy over its decision to grant the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.

FIFA and Qatar have denied any wrongdoing.

But the governing body's executive will vote next week on whether to release the full report of corruption inquiry.

Federation chiefs had been exempt from Swiss laws on money laundering, which were based on measures drawn up by the intergovernmental Financial Action Task Force.

The new lawl, under which banks will have to flag any suspect payments, brings sports officials -- and their relatives -- into line with politicians.

"It sends a clear message to the world, that officials must accept responsibility," Buchel said.

He said the law should be rubber stamped by the government by April or May 2015.

FIFA and IOC welcome bill

FIFA and the International Olympic Committee welcomed the new law, which was passed by the lower chamber, the National Council by 128 votes to 62 against, with five abstentions.

"As FIFA has repeatedly stated in the past, FIFA supports government measures for protecting the integrity of the sport and tackling corruption," a spokesman said.

The organisation last month published a summary of an investigation into the Qatar bids and Russia's victory for the 2018 World Cup, clearing them of corruption and ruling out a re-vote.

But the author of the investigation, lawyer Michael Garcia, has slammed the summary as "incomplete and erroneous". He has lodged an appeal with FIFA to get a new version released.

The IOC brought in new rules on bidding following bribery revelations surrounding Salt Lake City's bid to host the 2002 Winter Olympics.

The Lausanne-based organisation "fully supports and welcomes this important move by Swiss lawmakers -– it is in line with what the IOC already does," its president Thomas Bach said.

The new bill only affects international organisations based in Switzerland -- where they enjoy favourable tax status -- and not regional or national groups.

Buchel said he regretted that UEFA, European football's governing body which is based in the Swiss town of Nyon, was not covered, but said he hoped it would eventually be.

Asked if he feared sporting bodies might now leave Switzerland, he said: "Good riddance."

Kosovo athletes to head for Rio

Yahoo - AFP, 9 Dec 2014

Kosovo Albanians wave the Kosovo flag during a celebration marking the 4th
 anniversary of Kosovo's declaration of independence in Pristina on February 17,
2012 (Photo by Armend Nimani)

The International Olympic Committee on Tuesday gave official recognition to Kosovo allowing its athletes to take part in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

The IOC executive recognised the former Serbian province, which declared its independence in 2008, in October.

"This is one big day," Besim Hasani, president of the Kosovo Olympic Committee, told the IOC session.

"This is the beginning of a new era for the Olympic movement in Kosovo."

"Now they can start to prepare for Rio," IOC president Thomas Bach said after the decision was agreed unanimously by the full 104-member assembly.

Serbia refuses to accept the independence of Kosovo, where NATO-led airstrikes were used in 1999 to stop an offensive by Serbian forces against ethnic-Albanian separatists.

Bach said that Serbia had accepted Kosovo's membership "in the interests of the athletes."

However, in Belgrade Serbia's Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic "strongly condemned the decision" and "presents an abuse and politicisation of sport."

"We consider it unacceptable and contrary to the Olympic Charter" according to which a new member could be "an independent state recognised by the entire international community," Dacic said in a statement.

In Pristina, Memli Krasniqi, Kosovo Sport Minister said the decision "finally ends a very long period of injustice and discrimination and isolation which has plagued Kosovo's sports community for more than two decades."

Kosovo is now the 205th member of the IOC and its 50th member from Europe.

Kosovo's Olympic committee has 30 sporting federations as members and six -- table tennis, archery, judo, yachting, weightlifting and modern pentathlon -- are full members of international federations. Seven more are close to being recognised.

Games chiefs give green light for joint Olympic bids

Yahoo – AFP, 8 Dec 2014

Policemen stand guard in front of the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco on December 5,
2014 where the International Olympic Committee extraordinary session is taking place

The International Olympic Committee on Monday voted to allow Olympic Games to be hosted by two countries as it started passing sweeping changes to the world's biggest sporting event.

Unamimous votes to allow split hosting and reducing the cost of bidding for the summer and winter Olympics started two days of debate on 40 reforms proposed by IOC president Thomas Bach.

Bach warned ahead of the opening of the special IOC session that the body had to transform itself in order to bolster its credibility.

Bach said there had to be "important and far-reaching changes in the Olympic movement" because of a major shift in public attitudes and the world economy and politics.

"If we do not address these challenges here and now we will be hit by them very soon," the IOC chief said.

"If we do not drive these changes ourselves others will drive us to them."

The first votes of the special session allowed Olympic Games events to be staged outside the host city, or country, "notably for reasons of sustainability" or "geography".

While sports such as football have traditionally been spread across several venues, these have been exceptional cases. Bach sought the change to the Olympic charter to reduce the cost of the Games and to allow smaller countries to make a bid.

Olympic cost-cutting

The session also voted to reduce the cost of bidding by cutting the number of presentations to be made and making the IOC pay for more of the costs.

The IOC says it wants bidding to be more of an "invitation" with more talks with candidate cities on how the event can be made more sustainable. There will be a new emphasis on using existing and temporary facilities.

It calls on candidate cities "to present a project that fits their sporting, economic, social and environmental long-term planning needs" putting a new emphasis on sustainability.

The meeting in Monaco will also vote on a proposal to allow an increase in the number of Olympic sports from the current 28 while capping the number of athletes and individual disciplines.

Bach will announce the launch of an Olympic television channel on Monday.

Bach, an Olympic gold medal winning fencer, has pursued a reform agenda since becoming president in September 2013.

All 40 proposals are expected to be passed, though questions were asked in the debate about how the Olympic leadership would preserve the Games "atmosphere" if events are split.

Bach has said that once the votes are over, the organisers of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeonchang, South Korea and 2020 summer Games in Tokyo could be the first allowed to make changes to to save money and make them more attractive.

Japan wants baseball and softball brought into the sports list, while Pyeongchang is looking for ways to save money.

The 2012 London Olympics was widely hailed as a success and the summer Games remains a huge money earner with US channel NBC paying $7.75 billion for the broadcasting rights to the next six Games.

Bach said the IOC had signed $10 billion of sponsorship and television deals in 10 months this year.

But the Winter Olympics is slumbering.

Russia spent more than $50 billion on the Sochi Games this year and there are only two candidates -- Beijing and the Kazakh city of Almaty -- for the 2022 Games.

Several key European cities pulled out either because the public voted against their candidatures in referenda or fears over the costs.

Related Articles:

IOC 'Agenda 2020' allows Olympics in different host countries

Olympic Committee chief demands 'sustainable' Games

Yahoo – AFP, Peter Hutchison, 20 Sep 2014

Thomas Bach (left), pictured at an Asian Games press conference in Incheon on

 September 20, 2014, said future Olympic Games hosts will have to prove their

 "sustainability" and that there will be a shake-up of the bidding criteria (AFP

Photo/Richard A. Brooks)

Incheon (South Korea) (AFP) - Olympic boss Thomas Bach Saturday said future Games hosts would have to prove their "sustainability" and that there would be a shake-up of the bidding criteria.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) president made the comments to Olympic Council of Asia delegates in Incheon, which has gone into debt to host the ongoing Asian Games.

The German official said the IOC has to "act now" to preserve its "relevance", suggesting cities who pitch for international sports events need to think about the long-term impact.

Thomas Bach says the IOC has to

 "act now" to preserve its "relevance", 

suggesting cities who pitch for 

international sports events need to

 think about the long-term impact

(AFP Photo/Richard A Brooks)

"There is broad agreement that we need changes in the bidding and candidature procedure for the Olympic Games," Bach told the OCA general assembly.

"We need to address the fact that in today's world the Games need to make a greater contribution to sustainability.

"We have to encourage and motivate the candidate cities to take sustainability into account from the very beginning of the bidding procedure," he added.

"So, in the future we want to invite potential bidding cities to tell us how they see the Olympic Games fitting into their social, economical, ecological and sports environment."

Bach's address came on the sidelines of the 17th Asian Games, which have cost nearly $2 billion and made Incheon South Korea's most indebted city.

Vietnam withdrew from holding the next Asian Games because of the cost. China's Guangzhou was reportedly left with heavy debts after it staged the Games four years ago.

Bach said recent Asian and Olympic Games have been successful, but warned national Olympic committees against complacency.

- 'We have to act now' -

"If you don't change at the moment when you are successful the day will come when you will face problems or a crisis," he said.

"Sport has become too important in society to isolate itself from the society around sport. We are too important to ignore what is happening in society.

"If the world around you is making progress and going forward you can't just stand still. If you stand still you lose relevance... we have to act now."

Bach -- who has just completed a year as IOC president -- also said the Olympics "can enjoy a greater diversity" of disciplines than they do now.

"We have to become more flexible when it comes to the composition of the Olympic programme," he said, adding that the body must try to "react faster" to sporting trends amongst youngsters.

The comments will give hope to fans of softball and baseball, which was last played at the Games in 2008. They have been replaced by golf and rugby sevens for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Pressure is growing for the IOC to reinstate baseball at the 2020 Tokyo Games due to its popularity in Japan.

Speaking to reporters after his address, Bach refused to be drawn on whether he wanted to see baseball return.

"We have to discuss the procedures first -- how we can make the composition of the agenda more flexible," he said referring to a special IOC meeting scheduled for later in the year.

"We'll wait for the vote in December. Then we can talk about individual sports and disciplines."

Putin opens Paralympics as protest staged over Crimea crisis

Google – AFP, Maria Antonova (AFP), 7 March 2014

Russian President Vladimir Putin (2nd L) and International Paralympic

 Committee President Sir Philip Craven (L) attend the opening ceremony of the

 Sochi 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi on March 7, 2014 (Ria Novosti/

AFP, Alexey Nikolsky)

Sochi — Russian President Vladimir Putin opened the Winter Paralympics in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Friday and was immediately confronted by an emotional Ukrainian protest on a politically-charged night.

As athletes from 45 countries took part in the opening ceremony, only one Ukrainian competitor appeared in a symbolic, scaled-down presence of the country that has denounced Russia's intervention in Crimea.

Spectators gave huge cheers and some even stood to applaud 37-year-old skier and biathlete Mykhailo Tkachenko who came through the Fisht stadium in his wheelchair.

Dancers perform during the Opening

Ceremony of XI Paralympic Olympic games

at the Fisht Olympic Stadium close to city

of Sochi on March 7, 2014 (AFP, Kirill

Kudrayavtsev)

Without a trace of a smile, Tkachenko proudly carried his country's national flag for his 31-strong team who did not enter the stadium with him.

Ukraine had earlier said it would refrain from any political protests during the ceremony, and paralympic committee head Valery Sushkevich even said he had to persuade a teenage athlete against expressing her anger at Russia.

Ukraine had also decided that they would not boycott the Games which run until March 16.

Some Western countries, including the United States, Britain and Germany, have not sent government delegations in protest at Russia's Crimea intervention.

In what appeared as a taunt towards the US, organisers played a popular 1990s Russian song called "Good-bye, America" when the Russian team closed the parade.

Putin had said that he hoped the Paralympic spirit will help "cool the tensions" surrounding Russia's policy on Ukraine, which has already caused the worst East-West crisis since the Cold War.

Sushkevich told journalists that he personally appealed to Putin for peace but did not receive any assurances.

"I don't remember a situation in the history of the Paralympic movement when the host country began an intervention into a participating country," he said.

Ukrainian paralympic cross-country skier and biathlete Mykhaylo Tkachenko

 enters the stadium the Fisht Olympic Stadium during the opening ceremony of

 the 2014 Winter Paralympic Games in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on March 7,

2014 (AFP, Kirill Kudryavtsev)

"We hope there will be steps for de-escalation, for lessening the threat of war."

Holding back tears, Paralympic skier Grygoriy Vovchinsky said his team "is from all over Ukraine" and "speaks both Russian and Ukrainian."

"We are here, we represent a young country, and we are ready to fight, to show that we are a strong nation, an independent nation. We love life, we love sport, and we love a fair fight," said Vovchinsky.

- 'New history of Russia' -

The Paralympics in Russia are a major symbolic step for a country that for decades stigmatised people with disabilities.

"A new history of Russia is beginning, a history without barriers and stereotypes," said Sochi Organising Committee head Dmitry Chernyshenko.

One month after Russia mounted a dazzling Winter Olympics opening, Friday's Paralympics curtain-raiser featured classical ballet numbers and also included a monumental icebreaker that drifted across the stage to the sound of crushing ice.

Russia's notable Paralympians participated in the final relay to light the cauldron, including swimmer Olesya Vladykina and skier Sergei Shilov, who lit it with the final torch to booming fireworks.

Artists perform during the Opening Ceremony of XI Paralympic Olympic

 games at the Fisht Olympic Stadium close to city of Sochi on March 7,

2014 (AFP, Kirill Kudryavtsev)

International Paralympic Committee president Philip Craven, who was joined at the ceremony by International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach, praised organisers for transforming Sochi "to make it accessible for everyone" and building "perfect" venues.

Russia's team placed first in the Winter Olympics, an unexpected success which was a major boost to national pride.

A total of 45 countries and 575 athletes will be competing in Sochi in five Paralympic sports, including alpine skiing, biathlon, cross-country skiing, wheelchair curling and sledge hockey.

For the first time ever, alpine skiing will include snowboarding as a discipline.

Soviet Russia did not participate in the Paralympic movement until the 1988 Games in Seoul, at the onset of perestroika, and people with disabilities often remained invisible in society, unable to exit their apartments or even sent to special homes.

The stigma against people with disabilities still persists in the country, which only recently began to invest in urban infrastructure that ensures equal access.

Sochi Winter Olympics end with glitzy, emotional closing ceremony

Deutsche Welle, 23 February 2014

The Sochi Winter Games have wrapped up with the closing ceremony held in the Fisht Olympic Stadium. The next Winter Games are to be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea in 2018.

The Games ended on Sunday night as they do at every Games, be they summer or winter, with the Olympic Flame being extinguished. This time, it was a larger-than-life mechanical bear that "blew out" the flame towards the end of a glitzy, emotional closing ceremony.

At the start of the ceremony, which ran for well over two hours, the organizers of the Sochi Games proved that they were capable of a little self-depreciating humor.

As around 700 dancers formed the five Olympic rings on the floor of the Fisht Stadium, they delayed forming the fifth one, in a nod to a malfunction during the opening ceremony, in which the same top right ring failed to illuminate.

The packed house cheered as the spectators realized what was happening, as the dancers representing that ring remained in a smaller, filled circle. They then roared their approval a few second later when the dancers spread apart to form the fully-shaped ring.

Over the next couple of hours the spectators in the stadium as well as those watching on television around the world saw a closing ceremony filled with pageantry and protocol.

Russian culture

Among those who performed at the ceremony were dancers from the Bolshoi and the Mariinsky ballet companies, two of the world's oldest.

At another point the faces of famous Russian authors were projected onto huge screens, and a pile of books transformed into a swirling, loose pages.

Hundreds of athletes who had not yet left Sochi also entered the stadium, led by the winners of Russia's record 13 gold medals, who carried the country's white, blue and red flag, which was raised alongside the Olympic flag.

Lavish praise from the IOC president

Russian President Vladimir Putin was among those watching from the stands, as the president of the International Olympic Committee, Germany's Thomas Bach, delivered lavish praise of the Games.

"Russia delivered all what it had promised," Bach said. "What took decades in other parts of the world was achieved here in just seven years," he added.

"I would like to thank the President of the Russian Federation, Mr. Vladimir Putin, for his personal commitment to the extraordinary success of these Olympic Winter Games," Bach concluded.

Also during the ceremony, the Olympic flag was lowered and handed to the host of the next Winter Games, South Korea.

"I declare the 22nd Olympic Winter Games closed. In accordance with tradition, I call upon the youth of the world to assemble four years from now in PyeongChang to celebrate with us the 23rd Olympic Winter Games," Bach said.

pfd/rc (AFP, Reuters, dpa, AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin (C) toasts a glass of champagne with Prime

 Minister Dmitry Medvedev (L) and figure skating coach Tatiana Tarasova (R) in

 the presidential lounge at the Fisht Olympic Stadium on February 23, 2014

(Pool/AFP, David Goldman)

Related Article:

Russia celebrates as curtain falls on Putin's Games

Table of gold, silver and bronze medals

per country (AFP)

Tearful Ukrainians win Sochi gold for grieving nation

Google – AFP, Alexandre Fedorets (AFP), 21 February 2014

Ukraine's Valj Semerenko, Olena Pidhrushna, Juliya Dzhyma and Vita Semerenko

 celebrate after winning the Women's Biathlon 4x6 km Relay at the Laura Cross-

Country Ski and Biathlon Center on February 21, 2014 (AFP, Odd Andersen)

Rosa Khutor — Ukraine on Friday raced to a famous victory in the women's team biathlon relay at the Sochi Olympics, dedicating their inspirational performance to a nation grieving over the deadly violence that claimed dozens of lives.

The president of Ukraine's Olympic Committee, former pole vault great Sergey Bubka, said the victory could help unite his country and bring peace after days of clashes between security forces and protesters.

The team led from the start in the 4x6 km relay race, finishing in 1hr 10min 2.5sec, defeating second-place Russia by 26.4 seconds. Norway took the bronze.

Ukraine's Olena Pidhrushna crosses the

 finish line in the Women's Biathlon 4x6 km

 Relay at the Laura Cross-Country Ski

 and Biathlon Center on February 21, 2014

 (AFP, Odd Andersen)

Ukraine's anchorwoman Olena Pidhrushna was embraced in delight by her tearful teammates as she crossed the line, too exhausted to celebrate.

"We are proud of them. We supported from the stands with our ribbons of grief and our flags on which were written, 'For Peace! For Ukraine!'" said Bubka.

"We dedicate this victory to all the Ukrainian people. I believe that in this hard time for the country this medal can unite us and make peace, calm and prosperity reign in Ukraine," he added.

Vita Semerenko, a bronze medal winner earlier in the Games, started the race with fiery determination and her lead was bolstered by the little known Juliya Dzhyma on the second leg.

Valj Semerenko, twin sister of Vita, had a shaky final standing shooting, missing three targets, but Pidhrushna held her nerve to keep Russia's Olga Vilukhina from taking the gold for the hosts.

-'Tears for the whole country'-

Before their post-race press conference, the girls had held a minute of silence to remember the victims of the carnage that left nearly 100 dead.

"We gave our people some positive feelings," said Pidhrushna of the race.

Pidhrushna's husband is Olexiy Kaida, an MP for the strongly anti-regime nationalist Svoboda (Freedom) Party. But she said the victory was for all Ukrainians.

"This joy is for them all. For those who are standing on the Maidan and for the other side as well," she added, referring to Independence Square in Kiev which is the hub of the protest movement.

She said her husband had "protected me from everything that is happening at home."

"We only know the minimum of what is happening there and that is a good thing," she added.

Valj Semerenko admitted she could not hold back her emotions on the podium for the flower ceremony after the race.

"When I was on the podium I couldn't stop crying. I tried to calm down and was trying to hide it behind my skis."

"They were tears of happiness, not only mine, but of the whole country, our team."

Her sister Vita added: "We haven't realised it yet. It is the dream of a whole lifetime. Our dream and the dream of the whole of Ukraine has come true. We are champions."

Ukraine's Olena Pidhrushna competes at the range to win gold in the Women's

 Biathlon 4x6 km Relay at the Laura Cross-Country Ski and Biathlon Center during

 the Sochi Winter Olympics on February 21, 2014, in Rosa Khutor, near Sochi 

(AFP, Kirill Kudryavtsev)

There had been speculation that Ukraine's team could even leave the Olympics because of the violence at home but Bubka had insisted they should stay to help unify the nation.

Pidhrushna said the troubles at home had not affected their preparations as they had tried simply to concentrate on the race.

"None of us wanted to return home from the Games early. I think that refusing to start would have been a bad idea, as with our win we can help our compatriots keep our country united," she added.

Tora Berger of Norway, who anchored her country to bronze, said that Ukraine fully deserved their victory.

"I'm very happy that Ukraine won today. I saw the news on TV, The situation there (Ukraine) is terrible," said Berger.

"They were the best of us today and won this race deservedly."

Until Friday, Ukraine had endured a relatively poor Games, with just the one bronze medal won by Vita Semerenko in the women's biathlon sprint.

The athletes themselves had not worn black armbands to remember the dead, in line with IOC stipulations that sports events should not be used for any kind of demonstrations.