The Sochi Olympics were fraught with controversies and negative press to a grand extent. However, through the triumphs of the games athletes, Russia was able to attain substantial political gains and recognition. For example, Russia was the top-performing nation with 11 gold medals and a total of 29 medals respectively. By winning the majority of medals, Russia was able to gain politically by demonstrating to the Russian people and the world the strength and tenacity of its athletics. Surprisingly, many of the gold-winning Russian competitors were immigrants. For example, South Korean athlete Ahn Hyun-Soo (now known as Viktor Ahn took) gold in short-track speed skating. Ahn had previously renounced his South Korean citizenship and had become
