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Falling down in Sochi

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

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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
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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.
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The Czech Republic's Jiri Magal takes a fall in the men's cross-country skiing 50-kilometer mass start free on February 23.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Coraline Hugue of France collapses after the women's 30-kilometer mass start free cross-country event on February 22.
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Falling down in Sochi – Coraline Hugue of France collapses after the women's 30-kilometer mass start free cross-country event on February 22.
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Prince Hubertus von Hohenlohe of Mexico goes down in the first run of the men's slalom on February 22.
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Falling down in Sochi – Prince Hubertus von Hohenlohe of Mexico goes down in the first run of the men's slalom on February 22.
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Patrick Thaler of Italy crashes out in the first run of the men's slalom on February 22.
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Falling down in Sochi – Patrick Thaler of Italy crashes out in the first run of the men's slalom on February 22.
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Emily Nishikawa of Canada collapses after the women's 30-kilometer mass start free cross-country event on February 22.
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Falling down in Sochi – Emily Nishikawa of Canada collapses after the women's 30-kilometer mass start free cross-country event on February 22.
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Canada's Shea Weber grimaces as he falls down during the hockey semifinal against the United States on Friday, February 21.
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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.
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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.
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U.S. forward David Backes hits Canada's Patrick Sharp on February 21.
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Falling down in Sochi – U.S. forward David Backes hits Canada's Patrick Sharp on February 21.
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Italy's Arianna Fontana falls as she competes in a 1,000-meter short track speedskating race on February 21.
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Falling down in Sochi – Italy's Arianna Fontana falls as she competes in a 1,000-meter short track speedskating race on February 21.
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Elise Christie of Great Britain hits the wall while competing in a 1,000-meter short track semifinal.
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Falling down in Sochi – Elise Christie of Great Britain hits the wall while competing in a 1,000-meter short track semifinal.
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Short track speedskater Satoshi Sakashita of Japan falls as he competes in the quarterfinals of the men's 500 meters on February 21.
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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.
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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.
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American speedskater J.R. Celski falls as he competes in the 500-meter short track competition on February 21.
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Falling down in Sochi – American speedskater J.R. Celski falls as he competes in the 500-meter short track competition on February 21.
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China's Li Jianrou falls in the semifinals of the women's 1,000-meter short track competition on February 21.
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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.
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Iranian skier Forough Abbasi falls during the women's slalom on February 21.
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Falling down in Sochi – Iranian skier Forough Abbasi falls during the women's slalom on February 21.
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Stephanie Joffroy of Chile crashes in the women's ski cross on February 21.
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Falling down in Sochi – Stephanie Joffroy of Chile crashes in the women's ski cross on February 21.
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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.
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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.
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Slovakia's Barbora Lukacova falls during the women's slalom on February 21.
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Falling down in Sochi – Slovakia's Barbora Lukacova falls during the women's slalom on February 21.
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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.
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Kim Hae-jin of South Korea falls as she competes in the women's figure skating competition on Thursday, February 20.
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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.
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Canada's Brady Leman crashes in the men's ski cross final on February 20.
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Falling down in Sochi – Canada's Brady Leman crashes in the men's ski cross final on February 20.
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Amy Sheehan of Australia crashes during the women's halfpipe on February 20.
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Falling down in Sochi – Amy Sheehan of Australia crashes during the women's halfpipe on February 20.
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Angeli Vanlaanen of the United States crashes in the women's halfpipe on February 20.
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Falling down in Sochi – Angeli Vanlaanen of the United States crashes in the women's halfpipe on February 20.
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Russian figure skater Julia Lipnitskaia falls as she performs her free skate on February 20.
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Falling down in Sochi – Russian figure skater Julia Lipnitskaia falls as she performs her free skate on February 20.
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Brita Sigourney of the United States crashes in the women's halfpipe on February 20.
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Falling down in Sochi – Brita Sigourney of the United States crashes in the women's halfpipe on February 20.
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Akiko Suzuki of Japan falls during the figure skating competition February 20.
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Falling down in Sochi – Akiko Suzuki of Japan falls during the figure skating competition February 20.
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Rosalind Groenewoud of Canada crashes in the women's halfpipe.
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Falling down in Sochi – Rosalind Groenewoud of Canada crashes in the women's halfpipe.
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Russian figure skater Julia Lipnitskaia falls on February 20.
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Falling down in Sochi – Russian figure skater Julia Lipnitskaia falls on February 20.
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Victor Oehling Norberg of Sweden, left, and Egor Korotkov of Russia crash during the quarterfinals of the men's ski cross on February 20.
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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.
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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.
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The Swiss women's hockey team celebrates after winning the bronze-medal game against Sweden on February 20.
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Falling down in Sochi – The Swiss women's hockey team celebrates after winning the bronze-medal game against Sweden on February 20.
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Sweden's Johanna Olofsson fights for the puck during the women's hockey game against Switzerland.
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Falling down in Sochi – Sweden's Johanna Olofsson fights for the puck during the women's hockey game against Switzerland.
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Czech figure skater Elizaveta Ukolova falls while competing in the women's individual competition on February 20.
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Falling down in Sochi – Czech figure skater Elizaveta Ukolova falls while competing in the women's individual competition on February 20.
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Venezuelan skier Jose Antonio Pardo Andretta crashes during his first run in the giant slalom Wednesday, February 19.
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Falling down in Sochi – Venezuelan skier Jose Antonio Pardo Andretta crashes during his first run in the giant slalom Wednesday, February 19.
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Biathlete Matej Kazar of Slovakia falls over the finish line during the mixed relay event on February 19.
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Falling down in Sochi – Biathlete Matej Kazar of Slovakia falls over the finish line during the mixed relay event on February 19.
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Swedish figure skater Viktoria Helgesson falls during her short program on February 19.
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Falling down in Sochi – Swedish figure skater Viktoria Helgesson falls during her short program on February 19.
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Dow Travers of the Cayman Islands crashes during the men's giant slalom on February 19.
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Falling down in Sochi – Dow Travers of the Cayman Islands crashes during the men's giant slalom on February 19.
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Snowboarder Amelie Kober of Germany runs wide during the women's parallel slalom on February 19.
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Falling down in Sochi – Snowboarder Amelie Kober of Germany runs wide during the women's parallel slalom on February 19.
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Antonio Ristevski of Macedonia falls during the men's giant slalom on February 19.
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Falling down in Sochi – Antonio Ristevski of Macedonia falls during the men's giant slalom on February 19.
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U.S. skier Ted Ligety arrives at the finish line of the men's giant slalom on February 19.
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Falling down in Sochi – U.S. skier Ted Ligety arrives at the finish line of the men's giant slalom on February 19.
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