体坛英语资讯：Canada emerges shining from heart of darkness

BEIJING, Mar. 2 -- From the dark days that followed the death of a Georgian luger to superstar Sidney Crosby's overtime hockey winner, which secured a record 14th gold for Canada, the 2010 Vancouver Olympics came a long way in 17 days.

The opening week was dogged by problems, with the showpiece mocked as the Glitch Games, before a spectacular reversal of fortunes allowed Canada to revel in its gold medal history-making exploits and the flattering testimonials.

"We have shared the grief of an Olympic dream cut short. The memory of Nodar Kumaritashvili will always be with us,"said International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge in reference to the death of the Georgian.

 The Olympic flame is extinguished during the closing ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver's BC Place, Canada on Feb. 28, 2010. The Vancouver Winter Olympics concluded here on Sunday.

"We have shared the joy of dreams fulfilled. We have witnessed extraordinary acts of courage and exceptional determination by athletes who refused to give up."

"Thank you to the people of Canada, for your generous hospitality, your warmth, and this unique and joyous celebration of Olympism."

The 2010 Olympics endured a nightmare start when Kumaritashvili was killed in a training accident just hours before the opening ceremony.

It was a tragedy which sparked bitter accusations that the Whistler Sliding Center, widely regarded as the world's fastest, was not safe, while the family of Kumaritashvili claimed the organizers had blood on their hands.

The track was modified but the crashes kept coming.

One Dutch bobsleigh pilot, Edwin van Calker, pulled out, claiming he had lost his nerve to race.

Kumaritashvili's death prefaced a first week to forget for the organizers.

Only three of the four columns supporting the Olympic cauldron emerged from the floor in the opening ceremony, the flame was then locked away behind an ugly chain fence, buses broke down, drivers quit and then there was the weather.

Vancouver's Cypress Mountain, blessed by warm, spring-like sunshine, needed fleets of helicopters and lorries to carry snow from the higher elevations to ensure the venue was competition-ready as the snow on the ground melted away.

But once the glitches were ironed out, the Games managed to turn hard-nosed criticism into warm praise.

Rogge said he had never seen a city embrace an Olympics as much as Vancouver and the people responded, filling most venues and queuing patiently for up to an hour to see the flame close up.