[An athlete representing Ukraine enters the arena during the opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi on Friday. Image via Dmitry Lovetsky.]

[Competitors in the women's ski cross small final, from left, Switzerland's Fanny Smith, Australia's Katya Crema, Austria's Katrin Ofner, and Sweden's Sandra Naeslund take the final jump at the 2014 Winter Olympics on Friday. Image via Andy Wong/AP.]

[Emma Eliasson of Sweden kneels on the ice after Team Sweden's 4-3 loss to Switzerland in the women's bronze medal ice hockey game at the 2014 Winter Olympics on Thursday. Image via Julio Cortez/AP.]

[Russia forward Ilya Kovalchuk reacts after scoring a goal against Finland during the first period of a men's quarterfinal ice hockey game at the 2014 Winter Olympics on Wednesday. Image via Julio Cortez/AP.]

[Russia's Ilya Burov crashes after landing during men's freestyle skiing aerials qualifying at the 2014 Winter Olympics on Monday. Image via Andy Wong/AP.]

[Norway's skip Thomas Ulsrud acknowledges the cheers of fan Rune Eikeland during men's curling competition against China at the Winter Olympics on Friday. Image via Robert F. Bukaty/AP.]

We love our Olympic heroes—those whose hard work and talent have made them the best our country has to offer. But what about those who rely on property ownership, distant ancestry claims, and willing governments to sneak through on middling talent?

[Germany's Eric Frenzel celebrates winning the gold as he is flanked by Japan's silver medal winner Akito Watabe, left, and Norway's bronze medal winner Magnus Krog during the flower ceremony after the cross-country portion of the nordic combined on Wednesday. Image via Matthias Schrader/AP.]

For the first time, an Alpine skiing event at the Olympics has ended in a tie. On Wednesday, Dominique Gisin of Switzerland and Tina Maze of Slovenia both made it through Sochi's women's downhill course in exactly 1 minute and 41.57 seconds. Adding to the historic moment: Maze is the first Slovenian to win a gold…

Figure skater and NBC commentator Johnny Weir enters his fourth straight day of Olympic sartorial heroism with what can only be a tribute to the games' most important story, lead announcer Bob Costas' conjunctivitis.

Johnny Weir—figure skater and fashion plate—opts for a conservative ruffled shirt and silver hardware for a Monday Today appearance. Not pictured: Bob Costas, wearing conjunctivitis in a ravishing pink.