Breaking News

Falling down in Sochi

Updated 12:41 PM ET, Sun February 23, 2014

Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds.

Canada forward Jonathan Toews fights for the puck in the second period of the gold medal men's hockey game against Sweden on Sunday, February 23. As world-class athletes <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/08/worldsport/gallery/visions-of-sochi/index.html">compete in the Winter Olympics</a>, we expect to see elegant and thrilling performances. But some finishes, in triumph, defeat or just plain exhaustion, often involve landing hard on a cold, wet surface. Here, we take a lighter look at those giving their all for a chance at the gold. | <em>More photos:</em> <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/08/worldsport/gallery/visions-of-sochi/index.html"><em>Visions of Sochi</em></a>
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – Canada forward Jonathan Toews fights for the puck in the second period of the gold medal men's hockey game against Sweden on Sunday, February 23. As world-class athletes compete in the Winter Olympics, we expect to see elegant and thrilling performances. But some finishes, in triumph, defeat or just plain exhaustion, often involve landing hard on a cold, wet surface. Here, we take a lighter look at those giving their all for a chance at the gold. | More photos: Visions of Sochi
Hide Caption
1 of 209
Skiers collapse on the snow after the men's 50-kilometer mass start free on February 23.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – Skiers collapse on the snow after the men's 50-kilometer mass start free on February 23.
Hide Caption
2 of 209
The Czech Republic's Jiri Magal takes a fall in the men's cross-country skiing 50-kilometer mass start free on February 23.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – The Czech Republic's Jiri Magal takes a fall in the men's cross-country skiing 50-kilometer mass start free on February 23.
Hide Caption
3 of 209
Coraline Hugue of France is exhausted on Saturday, February 22, after finishing seventh in the women's 30-kilometer mass start free cross-country event.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – Coraline Hugue of France is exhausted on Saturday, February 22, after finishing seventh in the women's 30-kilometer mass start free cross-country event.
Hide Caption
4 of 209
Eva Vrabcova-Nyvltova of the Czech Republic collapses on February 22 after the women's 30-kilometer mass start free cross-country event.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – Eva Vrabcova-Nyvltova of the Czech Republic collapses on February 22 after the women's 30-kilometer mass start free cross-country event.
Hide Caption
5 of 209
Coraline Hugue of France collapses after the women's 30-kilometer mass start free cross-country event on February 22.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – Coraline Hugue of France collapses after the women's 30-kilometer mass start free cross-country event on February 22.
Hide Caption
6 of 209
Prince Hubertus von Hohenlohe of Mexico goes down in the first run of the men's slalom on February 22.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – Prince Hubertus von Hohenlohe of Mexico goes down in the first run of the men's slalom on February 22.
Hide Caption
7 of 209
Patrick Thaler of Italy crashes out in the first run of the men's slalom on February 22.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – Patrick Thaler of Italy crashes out in the first run of the men's slalom on February 22.
Hide Caption
8 of 209
Emily Nishikawa of Canada collapses after the women's 30-kilometer mass start free cross-country event on February 22.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – Emily Nishikawa of Canada collapses after the women's 30-kilometer mass start free cross-country event on February 22.
Hide Caption
9 of 209
Canada's Shea Weber grimaces as he falls down during the hockey semifinal against the United States on Friday, February 21.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – Canada's Shea Weber grimaces as he falls down during the hockey semifinal against the United States on Friday, February 21.
Hide Caption
10 of 209
America's Brooks Orpik, top, and Canada's Sidney Crosby fall to the ice during their semifinal game.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – America's Brooks Orpik, top, and Canada's Sidney Crosby fall to the ice during their semifinal game.
Hide Caption
11 of 209
U.S. forward David Backes hits Canada's Patrick Sharp on February 21.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – U.S. forward David Backes hits Canada's Patrick Sharp on February 21.
Hide Caption
12 of 209
Italy's Arianna Fontana falls as she competes in a 1,000-meter short track speedskating race on February 21.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – Italy's Arianna Fontana falls as she competes in a 1,000-meter short track speedskating race on February 21.
Hide Caption
13 of 209
Elise Christie of Great Britain hits the wall while competing in a 1,000-meter short track semifinal.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – Elise Christie of Great Britain hits the wall while competing in a 1,000-meter short track semifinal.
Hide Caption
14 of 209
Short track speedskater Satoshi Sakashita of Japan falls as he competes in the quarterfinals of the men's 500 meters on February 21.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – Short track speedskater Satoshi Sakashita of Japan falls as he competes in the quarterfinals of the men's 500 meters on February 21.
Hide Caption
15 of 209
Vladimir Grigorev of Russia, right, hits the wall while Freek van der Wart of the Netherlands falls in a 500-meter short track race February 21.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – Vladimir Grigorev of Russia, right, hits the wall while Freek van der Wart of the Netherlands falls in a 500-meter short track race February 21.
Hide Caption
16 of 209
American speedskater J.R. Celski falls as he competes in the 500-meter short track competition on February 21.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – American speedskater J.R. Celski falls as he competes in the 500-meter short track competition on February 21.
Hide Caption
17 of 209
China's Li Jianrou falls in the semifinals of the women's 1,000-meter short track competition on February 21.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – China's Li Jianrou falls in the semifinals of the women's 1,000-meter short track competition on February 21.
Hide Caption
18 of 209
Iranian skier Forough Abbasi falls during the women's slalom on February 21.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – Iranian skier Forough Abbasi falls during the women's slalom on February 21.
Hide Caption
19 of 209
Stephanie Joffroy of Chile crashes in the women's ski cross on February 21.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – Stephanie Joffroy of Chile crashes in the women's ski cross on February 21.
Hide Caption
20 of 209
Short track speedskaters Freek van der Wart of the Netherlands, left, and Vladimir Grigorev of Russia fall to the ice in the 500-meter quarterfinals on February 21.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – Short track speedskaters Freek van der Wart of the Netherlands, left, and Vladimir Grigorev of Russia fall to the ice in the 500-meter quarterfinals on February 21.
Hide Caption
21 of 209
Finland's Sami Vatanen, left, vies for the puck with Sweden's Gabriel Landeskog during the men's hockey semifinal on February 21.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – Finland's Sami Vatanen, left, vies for the puck with Sweden's Gabriel Landeskog during the men's hockey semifinal on February 21.
Hide Caption
22 of 209
Slovakia's Barbora Lukacova falls during the women's slalom on February 21.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – Slovakia's Barbora Lukacova falls during the women's slalom on February 21.
Hide Caption
23 of 209
Short track speedskater Satoshi Sakashita of Japan hits the wall during the men's 500 meters on February 21.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – Short track speedskater Satoshi Sakashita of Japan hits the wall during the men's 500 meters on February 21.
Hide Caption
24 of 209
Kim Hae-jin of South Korea falls as she competes in the women's figure skating competition on Thursday, February 20.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – Kim Hae-jin of South Korea falls as she competes in the women's figure skating competition on Thursday, February 20.
Hide Caption
25 of 209
Canada's Brady Leman crashes in the men's ski cross final on February 20.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – Canada's Brady Leman crashes in the men's ski cross final on February 20.
Hide Caption
26 of 209
Amy Sheehan of Australia crashes during the women's halfpipe on February 20.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – Amy Sheehan of Australia crashes during the women's halfpipe on February 20.
Hide Caption
27 of 209
Angeli Vanlaanen of the United States crashes in the women's halfpipe on February 20.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – Angeli Vanlaanen of the United States crashes in the women's halfpipe on February 20.
Hide Caption
28 of 209
Russian figure skater Julia Lipnitskaia falls as she performs her free skate on February 20.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – Russian figure skater Julia Lipnitskaia falls as she performs her free skate on February 20.
Hide Caption
29 of 209
Brita Sigourney of the United States crashes in the women's halfpipe on February 20.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – Brita Sigourney of the United States crashes in the women's halfpipe on February 20.
Hide Caption
30 of 209
Akiko Suzuki of Japan falls during the figure skating competition February 20.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – Akiko Suzuki of Japan falls during the figure skating competition February 20.
Hide Caption
31 of 209
Rosalind Groenewoud of Canada crashes in the women's halfpipe.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – Rosalind Groenewoud of Canada crashes in the women's halfpipe.
Hide Caption
32 of 209
Russian figure skater Julia Lipnitskaia falls on February 20.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – Russian figure skater Julia Lipnitskaia falls on February 20.
Hide Caption
33 of 209
Victor Oehling Norberg of Sweden, left, and Egor Korotkov of Russia crash during the quarterfinals of the men's ski cross on February 20.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – Victor Oehling Norberg of Sweden, left, and Egor Korotkov of Russia crash during the quarterfinals of the men's ski cross on February 20.
Hide Caption
34 of 209
The members of Norway's Nordic combined team -- Magnus Hovdal Moan, Magnus Krog, Haavard Klemetsen and Joergen Graabak -- celebrate after winning the gold medal February 20.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – The members of Norway's Nordic combined team -- Magnus Hovdal Moan, Magnus Krog, Haavard Klemetsen and Joergen Graabak -- celebrate after winning the gold medal February 20.
Hide Caption
35 of 209
The Swiss women's hockey team celebrates after winning the bronze-medal game against Sweden on February 20.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – The Swiss women's hockey team celebrates after winning the bronze-medal game against Sweden on February 20.
Hide Caption
36 of 209
Sweden's Johanna Olofsson fights for the puck during the women's hockey game against Switzerland.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – Sweden's Johanna Olofsson fights for the puck during the women's hockey game against Switzerland.
Hide Caption
37 of 209
Czech figure skater Elizaveta Ukolova falls while competing in the women's individual competition on February 20.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – Czech figure skater Elizaveta Ukolova falls while competing in the women's individual competition on February 20.
Hide Caption
38 of 209
Venezuelan skier Jose Antonio Pardo Andretta crashes during his first run in the giant slalom Wednesday, February 19.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – Venezuelan skier Jose Antonio Pardo Andretta crashes during his first run in the giant slalom Wednesday, February 19.
Hide Caption
39 of 209
Biathlete Matej Kazar of Slovakia falls over the finish line during the mixed relay event on February 19.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – Biathlete Matej Kazar of Slovakia falls over the finish line during the mixed relay event on February 19.
Hide Caption
40 of 209
Swedish figure skater Viktoria Helgesson falls during her short program on February 19.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – Swedish figure skater Viktoria Helgesson falls during her short program on February 19.
Hide Caption
41 of 209
Dow Travers of the Cayman Islands crashes during the men's giant slalom on February 19.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – Dow Travers of the Cayman Islands crashes during the men's giant slalom on February 19.
Hide Caption
42 of 209
Snowboarder Amelie Kober of Germany runs wide during the women's parallel slalom on February 19.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – Snowboarder Amelie Kober of Germany runs wide during the women's parallel slalom on February 19.
Hide Caption
43 of 209
Antonio Ristevski of Macedonia falls during the men's giant slalom on February 19.
Photos: Photos: Falling down in Sochi
Falling down in Sochi – Antonio Ristevski of Macedonia falls during the men's giant slalom on February 19.
Hide Caption
44 of 209