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Thursday 27 February 2014

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Fireworks explode over Olympic Park at the end of the closing ceremony for the 2014 Winter Olympics, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2014, in Sochi, Russia. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)

Sochi 2014 Olympics: Pictures from the Winter Games

Photographs from Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games

Seamus O'Connor has been chosen to be Ireland's flagbearer for the closing ceremony in Sochi

O'Connor handed flagbearer honour

The Olympic Council of Ireland has recognised Seamus O'Connor's impressive performances in snowboard events by selecting him as the Irish flag bearer for Sunday's Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics closing ceremony.

Oh so close: Jenna McCorkell agonisingly misses out on advancing to the free skate yesterday in Sochi

Jenna McCorkell's Olympic agony

Jenna McCorkell managed to put a brave face on her Olympic heartbreak last night, the Coleraine figure skater agonisingly missing out on today's free skate in Sochi by one place.

Jenna McCorkell competes in the figure skating ladies' short programme

Jenna McCorkell gave it her all... but Sochi Olympic dream ends

IT's the end of an era. Jenna McCorkell's dream of Winter Olympics glory is over after she missed out on qualifying for today's free skating competition by just one place.

Jenna McCorkell performing her short programme at the Sochi Games

McCorkell misses out on free skate

The curtain came down on Jenna McCorkell's Sochi 2014 campaign and, it would seem, her Olympic career on Wednesday after the Briton's short programme effort proved not quite enough to see her through to the women's free skate, with her finishing one place and 0.22 points short of the cut.

Snowboarder Aimee Fuller with her dad Chris at Helen's Bay

Snowboarder Aimee Fuller: Sochi, RunHer... and that famous TV outburst

Aimee Fuller made a big statement at the Sochi Winter Olympics, on and off the slopes.

SOCHI, RUSSIA - FEBRUARY 10: Vanessa Mae of Thailand attends the Alpine Skiing Women's Super Combined Downhill on day 3 of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics at Rosa Khutor Alpine Center on February 10, 2014 in Sochi, Russia. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Sochi Winter Olympics: Violinist Vanessa-Mae's pride at making her bow

British violinist Vanessa-Mae insists she has "nothing to prove," after making her Winter Olympics bow.

Olympic ideal: Jenna McCorkell goes into today's figure skating in Sochi full of confidence after her performance in the team event

Ice-cool Coleraine figure skater Jenna is ready to sparkle

JENNA McCorkell is in the form of her life as she bids for Olympic glory in Sochi today.

Sibling rivalry: Flo Bell beat her sister to qualify for Sochi

Flo Bell sounds out realistic goals for her Games debut

Flo Bell has vowed not to get caught up with the scale of the Winter Olympics as she makes her debut at Sochi 2014 – focusing on her current rivals, not future ones.

Flying the flag: Lizzy Yarnold speeds down the track at the appropriately named Sanki Sliding Center on her way to Winter Olympic gold, sparking celebrations on the podium ahead of today's medal ceremony

Golden skeleton star Lizzy Yarnold in love with Russian winter

IT was the procession on ice, a high-speed dash to Britain's first gold of the Winter Olympics secured by Lizzy Yarnold, a 25-year-old farmer's daughter from Kent, and delivered with the emphatic certainty of a born champion.

Final agony: Great Britain's Elise Christie reacts after disqualification in the Ladies 500m short track final

Silver wiped out as Christie is eliminated after crash

SHORT track speed skater Elise Christie claimed her desire not to settle for anything less than Winter Olympic gold led to her disqualification in the 500 metres final in Sochil.

Lift-off: James Woods finished fifth despite battling injury

High five for James Woods after injury nightmare

JAMES Woods has revealed he contemplated withdrawing from the Winter Olympics ski slopestyle because of a hip injury, but was proud he persevered after sealing a top-five finish.

Going for gold: Britain's Lizzy Yarnold is favourite in the skeleton

Head banger Yarnold in the zone for gold

Some people think she's bonkers, but when grime music aficionado Lizzy Yarnold flings herself head-first down an ice chute in Rosa Khutor at speeds of up to 90mph today, she will be out to prove there is nothing crazy about her career-long pursuit of Winter Olympic glory.

Spectacular: Seamus O'Connor during the Halfpipe competition in Sochi

Winter Olympics in Sochi: Pod a heartbreaker

Shaun White's bid for a hat-trick of Winter Olympics snowboard halfpipe titles ended in failure as Swiss Iouri Podladtchikov took the gold medal in Sochi

Teen spirit: Katie Summerhayes after freestyle skiing slopestyle

Winter Olympics in Sochi: Curlers fly flag for Team GB as starlet Katie ends up in tears

A day of British tears and anger was rescued by the curlers with David Murdoch's men snatching a dramatic final-end victory over Germany and Eve Muirhead's rink crushing the Americans in an emphatic return to form.

Ireland's Seamus O'Connor reached the semi-finals of the men's snowboard halfpipe

O'Connor makes halfpipe semis

Irish snowboarder Seamus O'Connor failed to qualify for the Winter Olympics halfpipe final, but was pleased with his efforts.

Seamus O'Connor is through to the semi-finals

O'Connor advances in Sochi

Ireland's Seamus O'Connor secured a spot in the semi-finals of the men's snowboard halfpipe competition at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics on Tuesday.

In a spin: Canada's Phillipe Marquis performs a trick during the men's mogul event in the Winter Olympics at the Extreme Park in Sochi

Murdoch is relaxed despite loud fans

It began with "Scotland the Brave", took in Russia the bemused but boisterous and ended with Britain the beaten as Eve Muirhead's rink, the favourites for gold, lost their opening fixture to Sweden, their main rivals.

Sochi Winter Olympics: BBC receives more than 300 complaints over Jenny Jones snowboarding commentary

Jenny Jones became Britain’s first ever Olympic medallist on snow when she won bronze on Sunday at the snowboarding slopestyle final in the Sochi Winter Olympics, but some viewers said the triumph was marred by the BBC commentators.

Class act: Jenny Jones on way to taking bronze in Sochi yesterday

Jen boost for Aimee Fuller

Aimee Fuller watched teammate Jenny Jones become Britain's first ever Olympic medallist on snow and vowed that next time would be her big moment.

The 50 things we hate about modern life

Sinking feeling: David Moyes can't hide his despair in Greece last night

David Moyes has 10 weeks left to save his skin

David Moyes has as few as 12 games to demonstrate to the Glazer family that he is the man they should trust with a £200m summer transfer kitty, to fulfil their aim of Manchester United winning the Premier League next season.