Al Bello/Getty ImagesThe Winter Olympics in Sochi have come to an end, with the Russians putting on quite the show to wrap it up.
During the Closing Ceremony of the games at Fisht Olympic Stadium Sunday, attendees and viewers were treated to a stunning ballet performance, a 62-piano production and the return of the dreaded "Nightmare Bear," among other things.
Check out the five best moments from the Closing Ceremony in Sochi!
1. Intentional Ring Malfunction: Following the now infamous snowflake malfunction during the Winter Olympics opening ceremony, the Russians poked a little fun at the incident by having a group of dancers merge together to create an image of the Olympic rings. The joke: one of the clusters stayed closed so they couldn't form a fifth interlocking ring, which ended up being just a teensy cluster at the side, just like the unfortunate snowflake. After a long pause though, the fifth ring opened up and interlocked with the rest, creating the full symbol of the games. Whew.
2. Team USA flag bearer Julie Chu: Ice hockey forward and four-time Olympian Julie Chu was beaming as she carried the American flag into the stadium, and later headed to Twitter to express her excitement. "What an incredible experience getting to carry our nation's flag into the stadium. Such an honor! Wish my teammates were by my side #TeamUSA," she tweeted afterwards.
3. The 62 Piano Concert and Beautiful Ballerinas: Producers put on a 62-piano mini-concert, in which a group of musicians played Rachmaninov's "Piano Concert No. 2," and rolled the pianos around the arena dressed up in Mozart wigs. Meanwhile, dancers from the famed Bolshoi and Mariinsky ballet companies put on quite the show, joining together to perform a tribute to great Russian dance figures, including Pavlova and Diaghilev, according to the New York Times.
4. Sochi Bear Says Goodbye (and cries): The giant Olympic mascots returned, including Sochi's massive bear on ice skates, who shed a single tear after blowing out a pit of fire. Although the bear was meant to look sweet, it had already become known as the "Nightmare Bear" after appearing in the Opening Ceremony, shocking viewers with its seemingly stoned appearance and "nightmarish expression." Let's just say the tear and the fire pit didn't help the mascot's case.
5. Fireworks Finale: A huge fireworks display marked the end of the Winter Olympics, with giant colorful fireworks bursting in the sky for about a minute and a half. The breathtaking finale marked the passing of the torch to the next Olympics host—PyeongChang, South Korea.